How lack of sleep affects your body

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It's still a mystery why some people manage on less sleep than others, but we do know that a lack of sleep and insomnia can have a terrible effect on the body.

Read on to find out what lack of sleep could be doing to your body and our top sleep tips to help you get a full night's kip...

Your sight

If you haven't rested your eyes, then your vision may become blurred and they will turn red, as they become bloodshot. This is a result of blood vessels near the surface of the eye getting wider.

The other most obvious effect on your eyes is the dark circles that show up. The skin beneath our eyes is the most fragile and thinnest, so blood vessels getting wider make it look darker.

goodtoknow sleep tip: Stick to the same bedtime every night. We all have an inbuilt clock called circadian rhythm and if our sleep patterns change, then our body becomes confused.

Your skin

Lack of sleep will leave you with spotty, dry skin - this will be most noticeable on the face where your skin is thinnest and most sensitive.

Your skin will also start to get scaly and possibly flaky after a few bad nights' sleep as it gets more and more dehydrated.

goodtoknow sleep tip: Take a warm bath. Your body naturally cools down while you sleep, so if you are warm before getting into bed, it means as your body cools down, you will naturally fall into a deep slumber.