People who sleep badly are less likely to help others, study finds

“Altruistic acts, such as drives to help victims of natural disasters or war, can be hampered by even minor reductions in a society’s sleep,” say the study’s authors

Researchers used three different methods to compare sleep eland acts of helping others (Dominic Lipinski/PA) (PA Archive)

People who sleep badly are less likely to help others, according to a new study.

Researchers at the University of California, US found that sleep deprivation caused reduced activity in the part of the brain associated with positive social behaviours.

They found that people were 10 per cent less likely to donate to charity after experiencing one hour less of sleep.