Want to be happier? Forget money and focus on a good night's sleep and plenty of sex

If chasing a pay rise is keeping you up at night then it might be time for a lifestyle change.

That's the recommendation from an exhaustive survey of 8,250 Britons which found that a good night's sleep was far more beneficial in terms of happiness than just having more cash.

The survey was carried out by the National Centre for Social Research and was analysed by Oxford Economics, which developed a points-based 'happiness index' from the results.

They determined that increasing household income (even from £12,500 to £50,000) merited only TWO points while getting a good night's kip boosted the average Brit's happiness by a whopping 15.

Sex further adds to the equation. Those with a satisfying sex life scored, on average, seven points higher on the happiness scale than those of us who are dissatisfied.

"Better sleep is the biggest single contributor to better living," explained the report, which was commissioned by Sainsbury's.

“For the typical Brit, improving their sleep to the level of someone at the top of the Index would be equivalent to them having over four times as much disposable income.”

Ian Mulheirn, director of consulting at Oxford Economics, said: “The richness of our relationships and support networks remains among the biggest determinants of how well we live – and represents an area of our lives in which we can act.”

Other factors that raised happiness included being outside and going for a walk, talking to friends and neighbours and being married.

The research found that young families were the happiest demographic group overall.

So, it might be time to stop chasing that pay rise and start heading to bed a little bit earlier.

Story By: JEFF PARSONS
10:24, 19 SEP 2017
http://www.mirror.co.uk/science/want-happier-forget-money-focus-11198705