Study Reveals: Lack of Sleep May Cause Strange Personality Changes

Irritability, sleepiness, and puffy eyes are well-known consequences of not getting enough sleep. However, new research raises concerns that consistently insufficient sleep may cause a strange personality change, increasing the risk of believing conspiracy theories.

According to researchers who followed more than 1,000 Britons, those who experienced disturbed sleep for a month were more likely to endorse exaggerated and unproven beliefs, including that the Earth is flat or that vaccinations are a way to implant microchips in people's bodies, according to the Daily Mail.

Research on conspiracy theories has long suggested that personality traits may be responsible, with people who are insecure, suspicious, and impulsive being more likely to accept them.

However, the new study suggests that lack of sleep may lead to such personality changes. Experts, who described the findings as significant, emphasized today that paying attention to sleep quality may enable us to critically evaluate information and better resist misleading narratives.