Happiness Is Eight Hours of Sleep
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Wavebreak Media/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — Know why singer-songwriter Pharrell Williams is happy? It’s because he and his hat get plenty of sleep every night. But don’t quote us on that.
Seriously, though, getting the recommended amount of sleep does seem to improve the mood of Americans, according to a survey of 7,000 adults conducted by Gallup and Healthways, a well-being improvement company.
Researchers say people who managed to sleep eight hours scored a 65.7 out of 100 in the study’s well-being rating system compared to 64.2 and 59.4 among those who slept seven and six hours, respectively.
The metrics used to determine well-being included sense of purpose, social relationships, financial lives, community involvement and physical health.
The researchers add the caveat that since this was not a long-term study, they couldn’t definitively say whether eight hours of shuteye equates to real happiness.
However, this they do know for sure: just over four in ten American adults get fewer than seven hours of sleep and that can lead to serious health issues.
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