Is beauty sleep a myth or reality? Science has the answer.

Do you usually wake up tired? The kind of tired that makes you want to crawl back in bed and sleep for a few more hours, the kind that leaves you looking just how you feel – tired. Tired and sleepy faces are supposedly not considered attractive, which prompts one to wonder if there’s any truth to the infamous ‘beauty sleep’?

According to a recent study conducted at Stockholm University and Karolinska Institute, beauty sleep may be more than just a myth. Experts say sleep is crucial to a person's health – and anyone who is unable to get enough sleep can concur. In fact, getting enough sleep at night ranks up there with nutrition and exercise. Back to the study, it involved 25 adults who were first photographed after eight hours of sleep for 2 consecutive nights and then again after sleeping only four hours. The photographs were then rated by 122 randomly selected observers. Based on the findings, the well-slept lot fared much better than the sleepy one in terms of attractiveness (think puffy eyes, dark circles, pronounced wrinkles).

How much sleep do you need for it to be considered ‘beauty sleep’?

There is no "one-size-fits-all" figure. It all comes down to the individual and takes into account things like age, genetics, and gender. Some are good with six hours; others need nine. That being said, it's best to shoot for seven to eight hours.

Sleep, although a pretty elementary concept is still a mystery to scientists, but at least they know that it's necessary to our well-being.

How to fall into instant beauty slumber?

Caffeine, booze and late-night munchies are some of the common causes of sleep disruption, so it is best to avoid them right before you go to bed or when you are in bed, but there is another, often overlooked cause – Blue light.

One of the ways to minimize blue light exposure is by using your digital devices more prudently, to prevent reduced sleep quality. To do this, it is recommended to stop using them a few hours before bed. Still, if this cannot be avoided, you may want to consider a pair of blue light filter glasses to ensure your eyes are safe and protected against blue light.

Bottom line?

Sleep enhances health and beauty (and makes you less of a crank in the morning). So, make sure you get a good quality pair of glasses from a reputable blue blocking glasses dealer and look more attractive (at least, that’s what science says.)

Blue light blocking glasses block ALL blue light — including healthy amounts, and distort your color perception.