- Your chance of donating money to charity depends on how well you slept
- Good quality sleep is defined by being able to fall asleep quickly and stay asleep
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We all have days when we feel particularly generous, while other times we prefer to keep our money to ourselves.
Now, research suggests that your likelihood of donating money to charity may depend on how well you slept the night before.
Researchers at the University of Bern in Switzerland recruited 54 adults for their study on “prosocial behavior”: actions people take to benefit others.
The participants’ brain activity was recorded using electrodes during a normal night of sleep and the next day they participated in a game.
During the game, they were given points equivalent to real money and asked to decide whether they wanted to keep it or contribute something to the “public good.”
Research suggests your likelihood of donating money to charity may depend on how well you slept the night before (file image)
The results showed that those with higher slow-wave sleep activity, which represents deeper sleep, were more likely to donate the money they received.
This brain activity was recorded in the right temporal lobe, which is linked to thinking about the perspectives of others.
Interestingly, the amount of time the participants slept did not appear to affect their decisions during the game, only their quality of sleep.
In a paper published in the Journal of Neuroscience, the team stated: “Prosocial behavior is vitally important to keeping our society together.”
“These findings contribute to the emerging framework explaining the link between sleep and prosocial behavior by shedding light on the underlying mechanisms.”
We all have days when we feel particularly generous, while on other occasions we prefer to keep our money to ourselves (file image)
Good quality sleep is usually defined as being able to fall asleep quickly (within 15 minutes) and stay asleep without waking up too many times during the night.
People who sleep well are more likely to feel rested and refreshed during the day, and they report being satisfied with the sleep they get each night.
Previous research, conducted by scientists at the University of Calgary, also found that there is a “significant relationship” between an individual’s sleep quality and their ability to feel empathy for others.