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The most important condition for happiness

Posted September. 21, 2017 08:33,   

Updated September. 21, 2017 08:46

한국어

What are the common straits of Napoleon Bonaparte, Abraham Lincoln, Franz Kafka, Vincent Van Gogh and Michael Jackson? They were all suffering from chronic insomnia. Gogh doused his mattress and pillows a dose of camphor regarded as having calming effect but suffered a mental disease due to its toxic substance that he ultimately committed suicide. Michael Jackson who was suffering from severe insomnia died due to excessive medication by his personal doctor.

The pain of insomnia is known by only those who had experienced such symptoms. It is said that sleeping through the help of medication cannot be compared to sleeping naturally. American author Bill Hayes in his book "Insomniac City" confessed that he could get to sleep only by taking pills, but his body never was fooled. Huffington Post co-founder Arianna Huffington even advocated for "sleep revolution" arguing people who blame time restraints have reduced sleeping hours which caused sleep crisis.

A research analysis shows good sleep determines happiness more than income. According to a survey of 8,250 Britons by the Oxford Economics and the National Centre for Social Research, which was commissioned by U.K. retailer Sainsbury, sleep has the highest correlation with happiness, among various factors including sexual life, job security, family health and disposable income. When income rose by 50 percent, the living well index rose by just 0.5 percentage point but quality sleep raised the index by 3.8 percentage points.

If the same study was conducted on Korean people who make their utmost efforts to save time for work and school study, what results would come out? French novelist Bernard Werber, who released new book "The Sixth Sleep" this year, said sleep is a parallel world full of valuable treasure, which can be dug out and used. An Asian scholar once said a person has succeeded in this 50s if he or she can sleep and eat well and have a bright face. This doesn't only apply to people in their 50s. By believing happy sleep is a blessing, one will be able to live a more leisurely life. We should not try to find answers to happiness and success elsewhere.