Virgin Money UK : Less sex please, we're British (and want a good night's sleep)

• Research shows getting a good night's sleep is the thing most likely to make people happy
• Chocolate, sex and alcohol are all less likely than sleep to lead to happiness
• Money worries are most likely to cause stress for people

The best things in life are free. So sang Janet Jackson and Luther Vandross in their catchy 1992 duet from the soundtrack of the film Mo' Money.

And it seems they were right, but maybe not in the way many people assumed.

With Blue Monday approaching, often seen as the most depressing day of the year, a survey¹ from Virgin Money shows that the thing most people say makes them happy is... getting a good night's sleep.

Forget chocolate, alcohol, being on top of your money and even sex - these all trail behind a solid night's sleep for making people happy in life.

75% said sleep made them happy, compared to just 44% for both chocolate and sex (although polling didn't cover those combining the two), with alcohol attracting a mere 32% of votes. 52% said being on top of their money made them happy.

The research also shows that money worries are the thing likely to cause the most stress. 28% said this is the biggest single thing that makes them feel stressed, ahead of work (13%), long queues (7%) and family (7%).

Tim Arthur, Creative Director at Virgin Money said: 'After the excitement of the festive season, the long nights and cold days of January can make people feel a bit less positive, and the third Monday of January - Blue Monday - is often seen as the most depressing day of the year. The secret to reducing stress and being happier could be as simple as getting a good night's sleep and getting on top of your finances. And our new service Virgin Money Living, launched to try and help everyone get their heads around money, can definitely help with that.'

Virgin Money Living offers articles, videos and tools to help customers get the most out of their money and their life. It covers key consumer topics such as being better with money; saving for the future; travel and adventure; buying a home; looking after your loved ones; enjoying retirement; and giving something back. Further information can be found at www.virginmoney.com/living.

ENDS

Media Contacts:

Virgin Money Press Office:

0191 279 4676

[e-mail]

NOTES TO EDITORS

¹Research
YouGov interviewed 2,002 GB adults (18+) online on behalf of Virgin Money Living. Fieldwork was undertaken between 17th - 20th November 2017.

About Virgin Money

• Virgin Money offers savings, mortgages, credit cards, current accounts, currency services, pensions, investments and protection products to customers across the UK.
• Virgin Money's business ambition is to make 'everyone better off' - this philosophy underpins our approach to business by offering good value to customers, treating employees well, making a positive contribution to society and delivering a profit to shareholders.
• More than 13,500 charities have registered with Virgin Money Giving and, by the end of Q3 2017, over £590 million had been donated to charities through the service since its launch in 2009, resulting in an estimated £18 million more donated to charities because of its not-for-profit model.

Virgin Money plc - Registered in England and Wales (Company No. 6952311). Registered Office - Jubilee House, Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne NE3 4PL. Authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority.

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