Losing just two hours of sleep makes you ANGRIER

Losing just two hours of sleep each night can make you angrier, a new study has revealed.

It is the first time a direct link has been proven between irritability and lack of shut-eye, according to psychologists.

Evidence already exists to show sleep loss can worsen anxiety and sadness, and derail happiness and enthusiasm, according to Daily Mail.

However, researchers at Iowa State University wanted to confirm the link between between lack of sleep and anger.

Researchers wanted to discover if sleep loss is to blame for anger, or if anger is responsible for disrupted sleep.

The study split 42 participants into two groups. 

 One kept to their normal sleep routine, while the other had theirs cut by two to four hours each night for two nights. 

The first group had almost seven hours of sleep a night, while the second group got about four-and-a-half hours, meant to reflect general society.

Before and after, participants were asked to rate different products while listening to irritable noise – similar to the sound of spraying water.

The researchers wanted to make the participants feel uncomfortable and provoke anger. 

Study leader Professor Zlatan Krizan said: ‘In general, anger was substantially higher for those who were sleep restricted.

‘We manipulated how annoying the noise was during the task and, as expected, people reported more anger when the noise was more unpleasant. 

‘When sleep was restricted, people reported even more anger, regardless of the noise.’

Tiredness accounted for 50 per cent of the experimental effect of sleep restriction on anger, the researchers calculated.

This suggested individuals’ sense of sleepiness may point to whether they are likely to become angry. And it’s not just in-the-moment anger, either.  

Professor Krizan said: ‘Despite typical tendencies to get somewhat used to irritating conditions – an uncomfortable shirt or a barking dog – sleep-restricted individuals actually showed a trend toward increased anger and distress, essentially reversing their ability to adapt to frustrating conditions over time. 

He added: ‘No one has shown this before.’ 

Now, the researchers want to demonstrate whether the experimental evidence in the lab extends to daily life.

They are collecting data to assess whether sleep loss can cause actual aggressive behaviour towards others.   

Figures estimate that the average person sleeps for 6.8 hours a night. 

Routinely sleeping less than six or seven hours a night demolishes your immune system and is linked to a greater risk of cancer. 

N.H.Kh