In the sci-fi novel, Starship Troopers, author Robert Heinlein shares his secret to a happy life.
Happiness consists in getting enough sleep. Just that, nothing more. All the wealthy, unhappy people you’ve ever met take sleeping pills; Mobile Infantrymen don’t need them. Give a cap trooper a bunk and time to sack out in it and he’s as happy as a worm in an apple—asleep.
The scientific community knew far less about sleep in 1959, when Starship Troopers was first published. Since then, a tremendous amount has been learned about why we sleep. According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, failing to get enough sleep (less than 7 hours per night) has a range of physical and psychological consequences including an increased risk of obesity, heart disease, type-2 diabetes, colorectal cancer, dementia, depression and anxiety.
Consistent sleep may not be a sufficient prerequisite for happiness, but it is most likely a necessary one. Put another way: Simply getting enough sleep probably won’t make you happy (like Heinlein), but getting too little will almost certainly make you miserable.
For those in search of better sleep, check out Harvard Medical School’s Twelve Simple Tips To Improve Your Sleep.
