Happiness and Sleep Quality among Working and Non-Working Women

Happiness refers to a positive emotional state in the present and a hopeful outlook for the future. Sleep is a natural process characterized by decreased responsiveness to external stimuli, altered brain activity in the cerebral cortex, and reduced muscle tone. Both happiness and sleep quality influence well-being, productivity, and overall quality of life in women. The objective of the present study is to compare happiness and sleep quality among working and non-working women. The study was conducted among 200 women selected from the northern districts of Kerala, including Calicut, Malappuram, Kannur, and Wayanad. The sample consisted of 100 working women and 100 non-working women selected using simple random sampling. The inclusion criteria were adult women aged 18 to 50 years residing in the selected districts. The Oxford Happiness Questionnaire was used to measure happiness, and the Sleep Quality Scale was used to assess sleep quality. Data were collected in person and scored as per the tool manuals. The data were analyzed using SPSS software. Descriptive statistics was used to examine normality. Since the data satisfied the assumption of normal distribution, the independent sample t-test was applied to determine group differences in happiness and sleep quality among working and non-working women. The results indicate a significant difference in happiness between the two groups, with working women reporting higher happiness levels. However, there is no significant difference in sleep quality, suggesting that both working and non-working women experience similar sleep patterns. Shared household responsibilities, caregiving demands, and lifestyle pressures may contribute to this similarity in sleep quality. The findings highlight the importance of further in-depth and longitudinal research to explore the underlying factors influencing happiness and sleep among women. The study also underscores the need for strategies to promote psychological well-being and healthy sleep practices among both working and non-working women. The chief conclusion is that working women report higher happiness, while sleep quality does not differ significantly between the two groups.