The key to looking attractive and healthy is simpler than you will imagine: it’s all in a ‘good sleep’, a new scientific research suggests.
The idea of ‘beauty sleep’ was an ancient myth but now experts say they have uncovered the first scientific backing for the concept.
The team of researchers from the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, recruited 23 healthy adults aged 18 to 31. The volunteers were photographed after eight hours sleep and again after being kept awake for 31 hours.
The photographs were standardised, meaning the people were the same distance from the camera, wore no make-up and wore the same expression.
The pictures were then presented in a random order to 65 untrained observers. The observers were asked to rank the participants on a scale according to how healthy, attractive or sleep-deprived they looked.
The results: The observers scored the sleep-deprived participants as less healthy and less attractive while the volunteers who had adequate sleep were ranked the opposite: healthier and more attractive.
The result is published in the British Medical Journal.
Conclusion: Humans are sensitive to sleep-related facial cues, with potential implications for social and clinical judgments and behavior.
My personal commentary:
Whether it is the University student’s apprehension about a pending examination, or the petty trader’s anxiety about the economy, sleep debt is a major problem in most hard-pressed economies such as those in Africa.
If not dealt with, an escalating sleep debt can result in fibromyalgia syndrome, also called chronic fatigue syndrome. This syndrome leads to prevalent pain and fatigue of just about any muscle in the body. Usually, it brings about other forms of psychological conflicts like depression disorders.
In fact, losing sleep can even have negative consequences for your heart health. Heightened risk of cardiovascular diseases and mortality has been associated with sleep debt.
What you can do:
Spread the word. Help your people.[ad#Adsense-200by200sq]
I really doubt there any body in africa who really sleeps well. the problems are just too much. From the trotro mate to University professor, everybody has his table full. anyway it’s same everywhere,
Nice finding, nice commentary by Kwabena. We all need sleep, it’s natural therapy for brain and heart healthiness.