People who miss sleep become prone to overly optimistic choices and riskier financial decisions, according to research from Duke University published in the journal Neuroscience. Brain scans revealed that fatigue heightened activity in regions tied to anticipating rewards while dulling regions that weigh potential losses.
The study followed 29 healthy adults, average age 22, through economic decision tasks on both a normal night's rest and a sleepless one. Researchers found that tired participants behaved as though good outcomes were more probable and bad ones less damaging. Common remedies like caffeine or exercise failed to reverse the effect, raising particular concerns about late-night gamblers whose exhausted brains already tilt toward chasing gains.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in March 2011, in its own words.