A Man Sleeps With His Jacket Over His Head
A man sleeps with his jacket over his head next to a couple kissing at the San Fermin festival in Pamplona July 7, 2012. Reuters

Research shows that having more sex can determine the happiness level of a person. According to a research by the University of Colarado, people are happier when they have more sex. Lead researcher Tim Wadsworth, PhD, an associate professor of sociology at the University of Colorado Boulder, examined the data collected from 15,386 people on their sexual frequency and happiness levels.

He found a correlation between the frequency of having sex and their happiness quotient. Those who reportedly had more sex were seen to be experience more happiness and vice versa. However, another factor that influenced the happiness of the respondents with regard to the number of times they had sex is the frequency with which their friends indulged in sexual acts. If their peers were more sexually active than them, the happiness levels were lesser, the study observed.

Wadsworth explained, "If I had a lot of income but there was nobody else around me, there's no marker for me to know whether I'm rich or poor and the same principle applies to sex, if other people are having more sex than you are, it makes your own sex life feel less satisfying." The statement more the sex the happier one is, is extremely subjective as people compare themselves with others and judge how sexually active they are. The study provided statistics that gave a clear understanding, Wadsworth found that those who had sex at least once a week were 44 per cent more likely to report a higher level of happiness than those who had not had sex for a year. However, the study reported that a frequency of twice or thrice a month among those who compared themselves with their peers who stated that they were doing it once a week were experienced a 14 per cent lesser level of happiness.

This is not the only research that looks at the influence of an active sex life to a person's happiness level. A previous paper titled, "Money, Sex, and Happiness: An Empirical Study," published by the National Bureau of Economic Research revealed that people who were sexually active reported 30 per cent more happiness than those who were not having sex. Economists also found that a frequent indulgence in sex generated the happiness equivalent to the happiness one received while earning $100,000 each year.

Robert Hatfield, PhD, of the University of Cincinnati and a spokesman for the Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality, said, "Many studies confirm that people who are depressed have less sex, conversely, if you're not depressed -- 'happy,' as some might say -- you're more likely to have more frequent sex."