Dinosaurs may have become extinct through lack of sleep, according to a new research.

Niels Rattenborg of the Max Planck Institute for Ornithology in Germany suggests that reptilian sleeping patterns are to blame for the demise of the dinosaurs, as they were unable to experience slow wave (or deep) sleep which helps animals learn new skills and boosts memory function.

Mammals and birds were able to learn new skills and adapt to changes in the Earth's climate, while the dinosaurs struggled to learn from errors and improve their skills.

Writing in the Brain Research Bulletin, Mr Rattenborg dismissed suggestions that the dinosaurs were wiped out by meteorites, an ice age, fire storm or vast tidal wave.

Slow wave sleep closes down the parts of the brain that have learnt new tasks, enabling new knowledge to be consolidated.

Mammals and birds are able to experience more complex behaviour than dinosaurs and have more of their brain function in common.