Neuroscience: people who get enough sleep are more likely to donate money to charity

Researchers from the University of Bern in Switzerland have found that the desire to donate money to charity increases after quality sleep. The results of the study are published in the journal Neuroscience.

The study involved 54 adults. They were asked to play a game, according to the results of which volunteers were awarded a certain number of points, acting as an analogue of the means of payment in the real world. It is noted that before the experiment, scientists collected data on the brain activity of participants during a night's rest with the help of special devices.

The results showed that participants who demonstrated higher brain activity during slow-wave sleep were more likely to agree to donate accumulated points (money) to other people or charities. It is noted that the slow-wave phase of sleep is characterised by reduced brain activity and lack of rapid eye movements. During this period of night rest, blood pressure in blood vessels decreases, the heart and muscles relax, and the immune system recovers.

Scientists found out that in the subjects who showed great generosity, activity was registered in the right temporal lobe of the brain, which is responsible for perception and identification of whole objects, regulation of emotions and generation of thoughts about the prospects of the impact of certain behaviour on other people.

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