A growing body of research is highlighting more than a few ways that sleep predicts important aspects of relationships, from attracting a desirable partner to finding and staying in a happy relationship, reports Psychology Today.
- Well-rested individuals are judged as more attractive. Poor sleep habits might be hurting your chances of catching the eye of your desired partner by lowering your perceived physical attractiveness (Axelsson et al., 2010). Experimental work out of Sweden involved taking photos of people after sleep deprivation and after 8 hours of sleep. These photos were then rated by strangers whose responses give empirical credence to that old notion of beauty sleep. Photos of sleep-deprived individuals were rated as significantly less attractive, more tired, and less healthy compared to photos of the same person well-rested.
- Sleep deprivation may hurt your game. Flirting often relies on wit, a good read of a situation, well-timed humor, and savvy appreciation of others’ humor. If your sleep is suffering, research suggests that your ability to appreciate humor is likely suffering too—and caffeine won’t help (Kilgore et al., 2006). This means that a good night’s sleep may facilitate more successful flirting.
