Do you feel a bit snappier when you haven't had a good sleep? You're not imagining it.
People are less likely to help each other when they haven't had enough rest, according to a new study by UC Berkeley.
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Sleep relates to all of our waking functions so it's not surprising that sleep-deprived people showed less activation in the empathy parts of their brain, says Massey University sleep researcher Dr Rosie Gibson.
"It's not just that we're lacking energy and tired and grumpy. There actually also is some kind of dampening of the area of the brain that's responsible for social engagements," she tells Corin Dann.
This research adds to a growing body of evidence that inadequate sleep not only harms our mental and physical wellbeing but also compromises the bonds between us, Dr Gibson says.
"It wasn't just a decline in willingness to help strangers [affected by lack of sleep]. It was actually people who were familiar to [the participants] as well, so our family members get the brunt of it."
It's yet another reminder of how important sleep is for every aspect of our waking life, she says.
"If you are expecting a time of sleep bring disrupted, take care and pick up on sleep where you can.
"[We can] perhaps go to bed earlier or have a daytime nap to make sure that we are using sleep to our advantage [in order to be] the best waking versions of ourselves."
The study also found that charitable donations by Americans dropped off by 10 percent in the weeks of Daylight Savings where people typically lose 40 to 60 minutes of sleep.
