Zzzzzzzzzz

I did not get enough sleep the other night - and I was kuh-rank-ee.* I need my sleep. All 8 hours of it. I don't know if it's beauty sleep, but it sure is moody sleep - as in, I'm in a foul mood if I don't get enough of it.

A few of my friends are of that annoying race who only seem to need about 10 minutes of sleep on a bed of nails to wake up every morning bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. What planet are they from?

How much is too much? Too little? According to an article in the New York Times,

[although] the lead researcher, Dr. Daniel F. Kripke, now an emeritus professor, could not explain the findings, studies have found that people who sleep the least or the most are more likely to have high blood pressure, symptoms of depression or heart disease. Sleep deprivation can also inhibit the body’s ability to produce insulin and increases the risk of diabetes.

Sleep the least or the most? I don't find that helpful. Either you sleep too much or too little - you're telling me I have to get it just right? Who do I look like? Goldilocks?

One study showed that people who slept nine hours or more were twice as likely to get Parkinson's disease as those who slept six hours or less (aha! score one for the scant sleepers). But no, it's not that easy (heaven forbid) - another study evidently revealed that "people who sleep less tend to weigh more." A point for the sleep gluttons. And so it went, one for you, one for me, one for you, one for me. Feh.

You know what I think? I think you should sleep as much as your body tells you. If you deprive it, it ain't gonna be happy, and if you stupefy it with sopor, it also ain't gonna be so thrilled.

So, me - I'm an 8 hour girl. After that, give me a good strong cuppa joe (preferably black cat - and those of you who know, know), and I'm good to go. And as for you, maybe you're one of those 5 hours and up and at 'em folks. I hear they exist. You do your thing, let me do my thing - we're good. But try to convince me I don't really need my 8 hours - you might lose a limb. I'm just sayin'.




*cranky