New research suggests that sleep deprived people are actually less attractive to others so beauty sleep maybe real. Not only this, but just a few night’s of poor sleep is enough to make you look more ‘ugly’ with puffy, dark circles and ‘panda eyes’ deterring people from wanting to socialise with you.
The study
25 University students were given a sleep tracking kit and sent home to sleep well for two nights in a row before then sleeping for just four hours for two consecutive nights. After both sleep sessions, researchers took make-up free photos to use in the next part of the experiment.
122 strangers were then asked to look at the before and after photos and rate them on health, sleepiness, attractiveness and trustworthiness. They were also asked how much they would like to socialise with the person in the photo.
The results
The students were rated less healthy and less approachable after the few nights of poor sleep. This ‘could activate disease-avoiding mechanisms’ as a healthy, energetic person is more appealing.
Disrupted sleep every now and again is not an issue, but prolonged sleep deprivation can not only impact our health, but also, how others perceive us. Psychology expert Dr. Gayle Brewer said “Judgement of attractiveness is often unconscious, but we all do it, and we are able to pick up on even small cues like whether someone looks tired or unhealthy. This study is a good reminder of how important beauty sleep is to us.”
How to get enough beauty sleep when suffering from Chronic Pain
Getting a good night’s sleep when you’re in pain is easier said than done, but there are some things you can do to improve your slumber.
1. Get in to a routine
Set yourself a bedtime and wake time and stick to it! Adjusting your body clock to feel tired and awake at the desired times will help you to get a more restful slumber. Try to keep your bedroom off limits when you are awake so that you associate the room with sleep and rest.
2. Cut the caffeine
If you enjoy a warm drink in the evenings, make sure it’s not caffeinated. Opt for a herbal tea instead as your body needs plenty of time to process the caffeine before you can sleep soundly. If you can, make your last coffee or other caffeinated drink before 2pm.
3. Take a bath
A warm bath or shower 60-90 minutes before before bed will raise your body temperature, helping to set you up for a good sleep. Try using epsom salts for a truly relaxing experience, helping to ease some pain and allowing your muscles to relax.
4. Keep the temperature down
Your bedroom should be between 18-21 degrees. After your warm bath, your body will cool down and be prepared for sleep but if your bedroom is too warm you’ll find yourself tossing and turning, preventing you from getting in to a deep sleep.
5. Make sure you’re comfortable
A good quality mattress makes the world of difference when it comes to sleep. If your mattress isn’t giving you the right amount of support and comfort, it’s time for a change. A poor mattress can even increase your pain which in turn affects your sleep.
The Tweak Mattress
We know that chronic pain makes it difficult to sleep, but lack of sleep makes pain feel worse. We created the Tweak mattress to help pain sufferers to get their most comfortable night’s sleep.
The unique design allows you to tailor your very own mattress to suit your individual needs. We use high quality foam in a range of different densities so you can get the support where you need it and softer comfort for more painful areas. The foam inserts are interchangeable, so if your pain changes, your mattress can change with you.
The customisable layer sits on top of 1,000 individual pocket springs for just the right amount of support and bounce, and there’s also a super soft comfort layer on the top.