Tuesday, March 07, 2006
Sleep is the Enemy
I have a fairly antagonistic relationship with sleep. When I was in high school and college, I thought nothing of going on three or fewer hours of sleep a night for extended periods. These days, I am a mess if I get less than 5-6 hours every night, and I seriously lament the amount of stuff I could be doing with all those extra hours.
I've also never been able to sleep more than, say, 10 hours at the extreme, and am baffled by people who can (much less want to) sleep for 12 or 14 hours in a stretch. And now I get to feel smug about this for reasons beyond all those early-morning loads of laundry: long sleeping may be a sign of serious health problems. A study in progress at the University of South Carolina is testing how sleep restriction affects long sleepers, who research suggests may be at risk of increased cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and mortality. Pass the CX717 please!!
I've also never been able to sleep more than, say, 10 hours at the extreme, and am baffled by people who can (much less want to) sleep for 12 or 14 hours in a stretch. And now I get to feel smug about this for reasons beyond all those early-morning loads of laundry: long sleeping may be a sign of serious health problems. A study in progress at the University of South Carolina is testing how sleep restriction affects long sleepers, who research suggests may be at risk of increased cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and mortality. Pass the CX717 please!!
