Sex And Sleep Make You Happier Than Money

It might be one of the most over-used clichés, but it seems that money can’t actually buy happiness. Rather than bundles of cash, getting enough sleep and having a satisfying sex life were more important when it came to contentment.

According to a happiness index, developed by Oxford Economics and the National Centre for Social Research, for UK supermarket chain Sainsbury’s, sex and sleep are the two factors that have the strongest connection with a person’s level of wellbeing.

While an increase in income results in a very small rise in happiness, being well-rested has the most significant impact on how happy you feel.

The Living Well study questioned 8,250 Britons, with the average person score 62.2 out of 100 on the Living Well index.

There was a 15-point difference between those who get the most sleep and those who struggle with sleep. People who were unhappy with their sex lives scored seven points lower than those who reported being very happy with the quality and frequency of the sex they’re having.

A four-fold increase in income, from £12,500 to £50,000, corresponds to a mere two-point rise in the index.

Other factors which were more important than finances including community ties, job security and the health of family members.

Renters and homeowners had little difference in happiness and the number of social media followers, surprisingly, did not make anyone happier.

Older people and baby boomers who were still working tended to be happier than young people.

Interestingly, parents with young children were found to be happiest of all, which would seem to contradict the sleep aspect of the study.