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 Entrepreneur 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 Entrepreneur.com. 

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

Side Hustle

This Couple Started a Side Hustle to Improve a 'Terribly Made' Bathroom Essential. Now the Business Earns More Than $3 Million a Year.

Michael Fine and Lisa Schulner-Fine launched lifestyle brand Quiet Town in 2016 and have been growing it ever since.

Growing a Business

Founders Are Missing This One Investment — But It Could Be the Most Profitable One You Make

When founders are empowered with support, grounded in their vision and guided along their path, everything flourishes.

Leadership

Here's What It Takes to Evolve From Hands-On Founder to Strategic CEO

Making the leap from founder to CEO requires more than just growth — it demands a shift in mindset.

Social Media

With This LinkedIn Algorithm Change, Your Best Posts Could Reach New Readers for Months

It's one of many new features rolling out on the platform in 2024.

Business Ideas

70 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2025

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

Leadership

Your Employees Need More Than Paychecks and Perks — Here's What They Really Want

In an era where remote and hybrid work arrangements are reshuffling traditional office dynamics, thoughtful, personalized benefits are becoming a powerful differentiator. The bottom line is really simple: If you want to support your employees, address their long-term financial needs.