Why healthy sleep is important for our social bonds
A restful sleep is fundamentally important for a healthy and fulfilling life. Not only does our physical and mental well-being depend on sufficient sleep, but so does our ability to maintain social relationships and help others. New research findings from UC Berkeley show that lack of sleep not only impairs our individual health but also weakens our social conscience, thus having an impact on society as a whole.
Sleep deprivation has already been linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases, depression, diabetes, high blood pressure, and an increased mortality rate. Current findings now show that sleep deprivation also affects our fundamental social attitudes and leads us to withdraw our willingness to help others.
A study has shown that the willingness to engage in charitable actions in the week following the switch to daylight saving time, when people lose an hour of sleep, has decreased by 10%. In states that do not change their clocks or return to standard time, such a decline was not observed. This result highlights that even a small disruption in sleep can have an impact on our social behavior.
The study, led by researchers Eti Ben Simon and Matthew Walker from UC Berkeley, is part of a growing number of investigations that show that insufficient sleep not only harms an individual's mental and physical health but also affects the bonds between people and even influences the altruistic feelings of an entire nation.
"We have discovered a very close connection between our sleep and our mental health over the last 20 years. In fact, we could not find a single significant mental disorder where sleep is normal," says Walker. "But this new work shows that lack of sleep not only affects an individual's health but also undermines social interactions between people and ultimately erodes the very fabric of human society itself. How we function as a social species - and we are a social species - seems to depend heavily on how much sleep we get."
"It is becoming increasingly clear that the effects of sleep deprivation are not limited to the individual, but also affect the people around us. Ben Simon says: 'When you don't get enough sleep, it not only harms your own well-being, but also the well-being of your entire social environment, including strangers.'"
The researchers investigated in their study how sleep deprivation affects the willingness to help. In an fMRI study, the brain activity of 24 healthy participants was examined after a night of eight hours of sleep and after a sleepless night. They found that areas in the brain responsible for empathy and understanding the needs of others were less active after a sleepless night. This impairs our ability to empathize with others and understand their needs.
In another study, researchers monitored over 100 individuals online over several nights. They measured the quality of their sleep and then assessed their willingness to help others. They found that poorer sleep quality from one night to the next significantly predicted a decrease in willingness to help the following day. Individuals who had slept poorly the previous night were less willing to help others the next day.
Another part of the study involved analyzing a database of 3 million donations in the USA between 2001 and 2016. Was the number of donations affected by the switch to daylight saving time and the potential loss of an hour of sleep? A decrease of 10% was observed. In regions of the country where the clocks were not changed, this decline in willingness to help was not observed.
The research findings from UC Berkeley show that even a slight lack of sleep, such as losing an hour of sleep, has a significant impact on our generosity and our motivation to help others. Sleep deprivation makes us less empathetic, less generous, and socially withdrawn.
Previous studies have shown that lack of sleep causes people to withdraw socially and feel lonelier. When these sleepless individuals then interact with others, they almost transmit their loneliness like a virus to those people.
Sleep deprivation not only has individual effects but also influences the social dynamics of a society. We become less empathetic, less generous, and more socially isolated. This has far-reaching consequences for our coexistence as a social species.
It is time to recognize the value of sufficient sleep in our society. Instead of judging people for getting enough sleep, we should promote sleep and view it as a foundation for strong social bonds. Sleep is an essential component of prosocial, empathetic, kind, and generous behavior. Especially in these times when our society is often divided, healthy sleep is of great importance to bring out the best in us and help each other.
Sleep is essential for all aspects of our physical, mental, and emotional well-being. When sleep is undervalued in our society, not only do doctors, nurses, and students suffer from sleep deprivation, but our interpersonal interactions also become less friendly and empathetic.
In developed countries, more than half of the people report not getting enough sleep during the workweek. It is time to discard the notion that sleep is unnecessary or a waste of time, and to unapologetically get the sleep we need. It is the best form of kindness we can show to ourselves and to the people around us.
Sleep is a fundamental need and a crucial factor for our well-being and our social relationships. By promoting sleep and consciously taking time for adequate rest, we can strengthen social bonds and positively influence the togetherness in our society.
Source: Berkeley Research
