A woman who participated in a Sleep School study on the impact of sleep habits on the mind and body describes the effect of sleep deprivation on her skin quality in a Daily Mail news report.

Follow-up analysis of the effects on cognitive performance found a link between lack of sleep and reduced mental and physical capacity. This finding was corroborated by other studies which revealed a drop of up to 60 per cent in problem-solving ability and 40 per cent in memory recall.

Scientists in Norway, meanwhile, have found a link between insomnia and a low pain threshold.

But it’s the long-term impact on skin that concerns me most. ‘There’s a reason they call it beauty sleep,’ says sleep physiologist Dr Guy Meadows, founder of the Sleep School. ‘There’s a long-standing association between quality sleep and youthful looks and we are now beginning to understand the relevance in anti-ageing terms.’

Cosmetic dermatologist Dr Anita Sturnham agrees: ‘Lack of sleep can lead to dull, lifeless-looking skin, and a worsening of lines and wrinkles, puffy eyes and dark circles.

View the full story at www.dailymail.co.uk