Key takeaways
- Poor sleep leads to dark circles, paler skin, lowered skin elasticity
- These signs adversely impact perceived attractiveness on dating apps
- Don’t take pictures for apps when you’re tired, and not only because you don’t look your best
- It can lead to the wrong personality judgment
- Being healthy is attractive
There is scientific evidence that sleep quality affects appearance. Sleeping poorly leads to hanging eyelids, darker circles under the eyes, swollen, red eyes, paler skin, and more fine lines or wrinkles that result in drooping corners around the mouth. A study explored the effects of sleep restriction on healthy women’s facial skin. Participants included 24 women who otherwise slept well, aged 30–55. Sleep was limited to 3 hours a night for two nights in a row. The restricted sleep resulted in trans-epidermal water loss, reduced or delayed extensibility, lowered elasticity, and damage to skin oxidation. Using photography, researchers observed a significant decline in saturation and brightness and more dark circles under the eyes in the morning and afternoon.
Signs of sleep deprivation suggest poor health
A substantial body of research indicates that sleep-deprived individuals appear less healthy, less attractive, and more tired than when they are well-rested. A study conducted in Sweden found that sleep-deprived participants were rated as less healthy (mean score 63 vs. 68), more tired (53 vs. 44), and less attractive (38 vs. 40) than after a normal night’s sleep. These perceptions are particularly pertinent in the context of dating apps, where users often make swift judgments based on profile photos.
Signs of sleep deprivation can negatively impact one’s perceived attractiveness on dating platforms, where first impressions are predominantly visual. Therefore, maintaining good sleep hygiene benefits overall health and enhances one’s appearance, potentially improving success in online dating scenarios.
Catch 22
These findings confirm what we’ve always known: staying healthy is attractive. People who eat healthily, sleep well, and exercise regularly live longer, and their health is better than people who neglect it. Taking measures to live healthily also improves mental health, making these people appealing romantic partners. The reverse is also true – successful, happy relationships impact physical and mental health positively. A systematic review of 112 studies spanning nearly three decades found that romantic relationships significantly impact well-being during adolescence and emerging adulthood. These relationships can be sources of positive outcomes, affecting individuals’ mental and physical health.
Health and romantic dysfunction
Another study examined how health behaviors are linked to dysfunction in romantic relationships and physical health. Using the Biobehavioral Family Model, researchers found that diet and exercise are mechanisms connecting marital dysfunction and health over a 20-year period. Emotional stress from marital issues can lead to declines in physical health, with diet and exercise serving as mediating factors.
Furthermore, research indicates that couples who engage in joint behaviors, such as sleeping and eating, report better health and stronger health concordance than those who do not. These shared activities contribute to improved relationship satisfaction and overall well-being.
The best predictors of relationship success
The best predictors of relationship success tend to be things like an individual’s perception of their relationship rather than age, gender, socioeconomic status, and personality traits. People are attracted to those who are like them. Similar personality traits draw individuals together. People who lead healthy lifestyles are drawn to people with similar lifestyles. They bond over shared physical activities like jogging, playing tennis, kayaking, etc.
Interestingly, we not only like those whose temperament is similar to ours but also those who look like us. In one recent study, researchers asked participants to rate strangers’ sexual appeal based on photos of their faces and nothing else. Then, they saw pictures of their own faces morphed with the same strangers’ faces. Strangely, the morphed versions attracted the majority of participants.
