Sleep-deprived 'might sound tipsy'

As well as feeling and looking a bit groggy, people who go without sleep start to sound drunk, according to a new study.

Researchers from the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at the University of Cincinnati said that while the voice patterns of people who don't get enough time in bed are similar to those who have had a few drinks.

Discovery News reports that sleep-deprived speakers lost their ability to articulate words, even though they thought they sounded fine themselves.

Suzanne Boyce, lead author of the study, said: "The differences we pick up are much less extreme, but they go in the same direction."

She added that listeners can also pick up other cues of lack of sleep, such as pauses, sighs and long breaths.

The NHS reports that the average adult needs between seven and nine hours in bed, with this decreasing as we get older.

People wanting to avoid sounding drunk on the day of an interview of big presentation may consider buying one of a range of Tempur beds which use memory foam to aid restful sleep.

Classic Bed Company is the UK's premier bed store for ultimate comfort and luxury offering Tempur, Vi Spring, Willis Gambier, French sleigh beds and contemporary beds online.