Money or Sleep?

According to a new study from Cornell University, you probably chose money. When given the choice between a $80,000 salary that will allow 7.5 hours of sleep versus $140,000 and 6 hours of sleep, the majority of the participants chose the $140,000. I’m not sure who has a choice like this in the real world, but even if they did, does this result make sense for people with souls (aka not Whartonites)?

According to the 99%, money doesn’t buy you happiness. According to Johnny Depp, “money doesn’t buy you happiness, but it buys you a big enough yacht to sail right up to it.” Germany seems to disagree. Despite their economic stability, only 41.1% of Germans report to be “thriving” compared to the economically “unstable” US with 52.9% thrivers. The numbers are reversed when comparing “struggling,” with Germany at 53.1% and Americans at 43.5%. How can this be when Germany has one of the lowest unemployment rates, lowest annual average hours worked, and universal health care? Can Johnny Depp actually be wrong?

A recent Gallup poll showed that the economy and health care are two of the top concerns for Americans. Financial insecurity is a major cause for anxiety, depression, and even seeking therapy in the US, so why are Americans seemingly happier than Germans? Unfortunately, not enough research has been done comparing German sleep patterns to American ones. However, the Great Land of the Free is known for its optimism, which can always make things look good even when they aren’t! We’re also known for our “laziness” (don’t kill the messenger) so maybe that’s all the sleep studies we need. Either way, a good mood and a few extra hours of sleep do not sound like bad advice for anyone. And if you feel really bad about choosing money over sleep, or vice versa, then move to Germany where you can have 7.5 hours of sleep and $140,000 too! Go Deuschland!