Sleep is more important than money when it comes to wellbeing

Want to feel better? You don’t need more money, you need more sleep!

New research from Oxford Economics and the National Centre for Social Research in the UK has revealed that getting an adequate amount of sleep is the most important factor in determining wellbeing.

The study found that income had little impact on how well people felt, with adequate sleep found to have a greater benefit on wellbeing than the quadrupling of disposable income.

This morning Ross and John spoke to Dr Maree Barnes, president of the Australasian Sleep Association, about the research.

She said that just over 40 per cent of adult Australians do not get enough sleep on a regular basis.

“That’s obviously affecting the economy of the country, but its also affecting our productivity and well-being. It’s doing things like making us crash our cars, and be grumpy with our partners.”

Dr Barnes said that inadequate sleep costs Australia $65 billion every year. $26 billion of that sum is accounted for by health issues, whilst poor wellbeing is responsible for the remaining $40 billion.

Press PLAY below to hear Ross and John’s discussion with Dr Maree Barnes.