Random Good Things About Single Life (11 items)

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  (#11) Single People Volunteer More

  According to Psych Central, single people volunteer more than married people in almost every area - healthcare, the environment, animal welfare, and education, to name a few. The only category where married people volunteer more is religious organizations. Some of the differences are striking; for example, over twice as many single people devote their time to environmental or animal welfare groups as married people. 

  It's well known that volunteering is good for your health. Those who volunteer are less depressed, less stressed, and have more self-confidence than those who don't volunteer. 
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  (#6) Single People Have Less Debt

  Single people not only have a better grasp of how much debt they have, but they also have less debt in general than married people. According to Debt.org, an estimated 21% of single people have debt, whereas 27% of married couples with kids have debt - and 36% of married couples without kids are in debt.

  Though single people live on one income, they can live on less - there isn't pressure to buy a house or have children. For women, waiting until their mid-30s to get married can save them $18,000 more in a 10-year period than those who married in their 20s. 
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  (#2) Single People Are More Physically Fit

  A survey of 13,000 people showed that single people worked out more than those who were married or divorced, according to IFL Science. Psychology Today reports men who are single get about 8 hours of exercise per week, and women who are single get about 5.5 hours per week. This compares to nearly 5 hours per week for married men and 4 hours per week for married women.

  Likewise, a study of 4,500 people showed that single people had lower BMIs than those who were married, and married couples had an average of 5 pounds on single people. 
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  (#3) Single People Sleep Better

  Sleep is vital to your emotional, mental, and physical health. According to Amerisleep, adults require about 7 hours of sleep to be happy, and men get more sleep than women across the board. Single people average 7.13 hours of sleep, which is the most out of any group.

  Interestingly, the longer a couple is together, the worse their sleep gets. A couple together for 1-3 years gets about 7.06 hours of sleep; a couple together for over a decade gets only 6.65 hours of sleep. 

  When responding to the question, "How often do you feel lonely?" those who answered "Often" got the most amount of sleep at 7.2 hours. But to those who have shared a bed with someone who snores or moves a lot in their sleep, it's probably not surprising that sleeping alone gives you a better night's rest. 
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  (#4) Single Women Drink Less

  Though you may associate being single with engaging in nightlife, data reported on by Live Science suggests marriage makes women drink more. Married men, however, drink less. It seems that married women drink more to match what their husbands consume since men can typically drink more.

  Perhaps more strangely, men drink much more after divorce, but women consume less. Either way, being single means less alcohol, and that can mean less weight gain and a lower risk of the litany of health problems that come with frequent imbibing.
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  (#7) Single People Have Stronger Social Networks

  In 2015, a study of single and married Americans showed that single people reach out to people in their social network more, and they also give and seek help more often from their social network. Regardless of race, gender, or income, this held true. 

  It's long been known that friendships and social connections, in general, are vital to healthy aging. In a study of 280,000 people, researchers found that friendships with people who aren't family members are a better indication of health and happiness than family relationships.

  Research on "greedy marriage" shows that married people don't help, support, or visit others in the same numbers as single people. New couples are often infatuated with each other and therefore spend much of their time together. But even over long periods, the same findings remain - married people have less contact with their social networks, including family members. 

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