Beauty sleep not a myth, scientists say

Ditch the rejuvenating creams and skin tighteners; if you want to appear more attractive, the best thing you can do is get a good night's sleep, according to a new study.

Scientists from the Karolinska Institute in Sweden say they are the first to show scientific backing for the concept of beauty sleep.

Researchers photographed 23 volunteers after a good eight hours' sleep and after they were deliberately sleep deprived. Smokers were excluded from the study and no alcohol was allowed for two days prior to the experiment.

During both photography sessions participants wore no make-up, had their hair loose (combed back if they had long hair) and underwent similar cleaning or shaving procedures. They were asked to have a relaxed, neutral facial expression for both photos.

Sixty-five people then rated the photographs for attractiveness and whether the individuals looked healthy/unhealthy or tired/not tired.

Those who were sleep-deprived were rated as less healthy, less attractive and more tired compared with photographs of them when well-rested.

"If you want to look healthy and attractive, it is way better to get a good night's sleep and a lot cheaper than other beauty treatments," said lead author Dr John Axelsson from the Department of Clinical Neuroscience.

The findings are published in the British Medical Journal's Christmas issue.

This article was published on Wed 15 December 2010