If you toss and turn night after night because your bedmate is snoring, it could be lot more impactful than feeling exhausted, irritable, and unfocused the next day. It can affect the way you look and how much you weigh.

Alas, getting your "beauty sleep" is not a myth.

New research from the Karolinska Institute in Sweden proves that sleep has an impact on beauty. The study looked at 23 people between the ages of 18 to 31 who were judged on two different occasions on how attractive they looked in photographs taken between 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. On one occasion, they all got a normal night's sleep; on the other, they averaged just five hours. For both sets of photos, the researchers asked them to keep a neutral, relaxed expression. The 65 observers, who were oblivious to the amount of sleep the photographed faces had gotten, rated the photos for attractiveness—whether the individuals looked healthy or unhealthy, and tired or not. Sure enough, they saw the sleep-deprived subjects as less healthy and less attractive.

As for weight gain, research has found that sleep can contribute to weight loss. A shorter time spent in bed sleeping is associated with less loss of body fat. Sleeping less can also trigger a hormone known as grehlin, an appetite enhancer.

For beauty's sake, now you know why you need to manage a snoring bedmate. But how? Adding a few from personal experience, I've found these fixes:

• Suggest a sleep specialist. For so many people, being told they snore is embarrassing and might make them feel defensive. That's why approaching it from a health standpoint might be wise. After all, both snoring and sleep apnea (long interruptions of breathing during sleep caused by partial or total obstruction or blockage of the airway) can cause high blood pressure, increasing the risk of heart attack and stroke; it can even lead to diabetes by increasing the body’s production of adrenaline (which causes blood sugar to rise). And it's not only you whose sleep is interrupted—someone who snores or has sleep apnea frequently wakes throughout the night without even realizing it.
• Look at the scale. Snoring occurs more often if you are overweight because of excess pressure put on the chest. Dropping a few pounds can have a positive effect on cutting down the snoring nights.
• Avoid alcohol, heavy meals, or snacks at least four hours before bed.
• Sleep on your side rather than on your back.
• Avoid tranquilizers, sleeping pills, and antihistamines before bed.
• Prop the head of your bed (not just your pillow) up about 3-4 inches.
• Try a sleep aid, like a nose strip, which opens up the nasal airways to allow the air to flow more freely (sometimes people snore because of a constricted airway in their throat), or an oral appliance you can get from your dentist.

If your bedmate tells you to stop bugging them about their snoring, rest assured—you have every right to complain. Snoring is a big deal: according to the National Sleep Foundation, it affects 90 million American adults, 37 million on a regular basis. That's a LOT of sleep-deprived, grumpy people trying to get through their day without nodding off.