Sleep improves your ability to regulate, read, and express emotions.

A recent study links sleep deprivation to decreased glucose levels in the brain. Your brain needs glucose to perform at its best. After 24 hours, researchers recorded an overall glucose drop of 6%, but the drop in the prefrontal cortex and parietal lobe was even greater – 12-14% (source, p. 2). These parts of the brain help you read facial expressions, understand social dynamics, and tell the difference between right and wrong.

Your prefrontal cortex is your brain’s logic center, helping you discern real threats from perceived ones. Your amygdala is your brain’s emotional control center. MRIs have shown that getting less sleep over-activates the amygdala and skips over the prefrontal cortex (source, p. 36). When your emotions aren’t regulated by logic, you’re far more likely to be short, harsh, and moody.  Sleeping can literally make you nicer.