Why Mark won't be working at UPS next year.

I think I have recently discovered the secret to all marriages, relationships, business successes and the general attainability of happiness: Sleep.
As study after study has shown, we Americans get too little sleep. 'Course I skew that curve, but you know what... ever since Mark has been sleeping a bit more (Tax season ended a month ago, and he really isn't caught up yet), he's been so much more forthcoming. The affection flows openly and smoothly.
So anyway, this has me thinking. The benefits of having more sleep...

As follows, and not necessarily in this order.
1. Health -- when you're not struggling to fight something off constantly you are certainly bound to feel better and be able to spare more good feelings for your mate.
2. Pillow talk... if you are not so exhausted when you go down or get up from bed, you might take a few minutes to leisurely talk to one another... great secrets and ordinary kindnesses could be revealed. Your mate could actually feel like he was being heard. Your lover might divulge how much she really cares for you. It's a fantastic benefit to any partnership - this time to communicate softly and quietly.
3. Physical contact... we supposedly need 8-12 hugs a day to be healthy. Don't ask me where this comes from. I distinctly remember the source as being Dr. Lisa Rene Mitchell Butler. The Dr. part is what's important see -- instant credibility. And if she's reading this. You and Guy both need more sleep.
4. Sex. Dare I say it... but physical intimacy is the cornerstone to staying connected as a bona fide couple and not just best friends sharing the business aspects of a house and a lift. More sleep means more energy for sex. It means more physical proximity for more sex. It means more health - for sex longer in life and more frequently. It also means that sex can take longer, be more intensely felt and mean more than the occasional physical release granted by the busy schedule most of us keep ourselves on.
5. Creativity. More sleep means more time for the unconscious to ruminate on ideas and then pop them, fully formed, into your mind as you're singing your very best version of Jethro Tull in the shower.
And, finally, environmental impact.... when you are asleep the computer and the TV are off, the power usage in the house is reduced the heat doesn't have to be up as high and your carbon footprint is lessened. A lot.

So... just keep in mind that excessive sleep can be a sign of depression and can leave you lethargic.
However, enough sleep and you're doing a lot of good.