Study Finds the Less You Sleep the Less People Like You A new study reveals people don't want to socialize with a sleep-deprived person.

Opinions expressed by BIZ Experiences contributors are their own.

Shutterstock

It turns out, the concept of beauty sleep is not just clever marketing from cosmetics makers. According to a recent study published in the Royal Society Open Science Journal, not getting enough sleep makes you less attractive, less healthy and damages your social appeal.

The study discovered that sleep deprivation and looking tired not only have a direct relationship to health and attractiveness, but people are less likely to interact with someone who looks tired and unhealthy.

Related: Sleep In and Make Millions: Why You Don't Need to Wake Up at 5 A.M.

Conducted at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, researchers photographed 25 male and female students without makeup after they had slept for eight hours for two consecutive nights. The researchers took another set of photographs of the students after they restricted their sleep to four hours a night for two consecutive nights. Researchers presented each student's photographs to a group of 122 strangers who rated each image in terms of attractiveness, health, sleepiness and trustworthiness.

Of course, most people gave lower scores to the people in the sleep-deprived images, labeling them as less attractive and less healthy. Raters admitted to being less inclined to socialize with sleep-deprived individuals, and the study goes so far as to suggest that people might avoid contact with a sleep-deprived person in order to reduce health risks.

Related: How CEOs Optimize Their Sleep Schedule

According to the study, "Having an unhealthy-looking face, whether due to sleep deprivation or otherwise, might thus activate disease-avoidance mechanisms in others and render one's surroundings less socially inclined."

However, while the study found that people were found to be less attractive when lacking sleep, it discovered no change in other's perception of how trustworthy a person appears.

Rose Leadem is a freelance writer for BIZ Experiences.com. 

Want to be an BIZ Experiences Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Business Ideas

70 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2025

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for BIZ Experiencess to pursue in 2025.

Science & Technology

OpenAI's Latest Move Is a Game Changer — Here's How Smart Solopreneurs Are Turning It Into Profit

OpenAI's latest AI tool acts like a full-time assistant, helping solopreneurs save time, find leads and grow their business without hiring.

Social Media

How To Start a Youtube Channel: Step-by-Step Guide

YouTube can be a valuable way to grow your audience. If you're ready to create content, read more about starting a business YouTube Channel.

Money & Finance

These Are the Expected Retirement Ages By Generation, From Gen Z to Boomers — and the Average Savings Anticipated. How Do Yours Compare?

Many Americans say inflation prevents them from saving enough and fear they won't reach their financial goals.

Starting a Business

I Built a $20 Million Company by Age 22 While Still in College. Here's How I Did It and What I Learned Along the Way.

Wealth-building in your early twenties isn't about playing it safe; it's about exploiting the one time in life when having nothing to lose gives you everything to gain.

Business Solutions

Boost Team Productivity and Security With Windows 11 Pro, Now $15 for Life

Ideal for BIZ Experiencess and small-business owners who are looking to streamline their PC setup.