Tuesday, June 28, 2011

I've Got a Theory: You're Getting Older

Some years when your birthday comes around, do you feel like you maybe aged more than a year's worth?

I have a theory about that. It has to do with sleep, actually, and I'm going to channel my inner math geek to explain it.

Because feet need sleep, too.

The number of hours you SHOULD sleep - The number of hours you ACTUALLY sleep X 365 ÷ 24 +365 = how much you age in a year


Now stick with me here-- I'll do an example. Let's say your body wants you to sleep 8 hours a night, but you only sleep 7 because I have to get this book written RIGHT now, and if I spend so dang much time sleeping, that's never going to happen! or something like that. So, 8-7=1. Pretty simple so far, right?

Now, if you do that every day for a year, you get 365. Still with me? Since there are 24 hours in a day, we divide by 24 to see how many days that equals. And it's 9. Add that to the understood 365 days you were going to age anyway, and you aged 374 days in a year.

Which, if you ask me, isn't a bad trade-off. I mean sure, you aged an extra nine days, but you gained an extra 365 hours! That's PURE GOLD! (And right now, once again, I'm finding myself insanely jealous of people who only need to sleep five hours a night. You know who you are-- make sure you are completely enjoying that particular superpower.)

The theory is that if you sleep MORE than you should, you would age less. But seriously. Has anyone ever tested that theory?

When I was in high school, my dad always referred to waking up early and going to bed late as "burning the candle at both ends." (I think that maybe the message he was attempting to convey was that if I continued to do that, I'd get burned. But I'm a HUGE fan of light, so pretty much all it accomplished was to make me think "Ooo! Brightness! Burning candle double = good.")

So how do you feel about sleep? Do you fall in the Hey! Youth matters! camp, or the I think I need a bigger candle so I won't get burned camp?
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9 comments:

tammy said...

Ahh....Sleep and I have such a tumultuous relationship. We're always fighting each other. I feel that as soon as we learn to get along, my body will have forgotten how to love and even if I get sleep it will leave me unfulfilled. Thank goodness for Netflix!

Kristine said...

Unfortunately, I am a long sleeper too. My body's happy amount is 9 hours. It usually gets 8 at most. My dream is that no matter what time I go to bed, and what time I get up, 8 hours of sleep happens in there. When that day comes, I wont have to rely on caffeine so much. Ahh... Caffeine, my friend.

Ozzland said...

I am currently in the 5hr sleep category, at least on a month to month basis. After a month of that I usually need a day or 2 of 8 to 10 hours sleep but then I'm back to five so far its working out..

Computer Games Rock said...

Wow, I sleep exactly the right amount of hours I need, so I age just as much as I should!!

Peggy Eddleman said...

Tammy-- I predict that sleep will show up on your doorstep with a puppy dog face and a dozen roses and beg you to fall in love again. Some day, some day.

Kristine-- That's what caffeine is for, right?

Ozzland-- I will be FOREVER jealous.

Computer Games Rock-- Awesome! Not only do computer games rock, but you rock.

RaShelle Workman said...

I'm a BIG lover of sleep, but I never get enough. Dang it!!!

Jessie Humphries said...

I used to love sleep more when I was young. Now I love fresh morning air. After being deprived of so much through the birthing years I think I am just over it right now. Which reminds me of another quote, "I'll sleep when I'm dead!" Hah.

Kimberly Krey said...

I steal all sorts of sleeping hours to write, and I'm totally with you: Less sleep for finished pages = great trade off. It's on those mornings that I wake up looking extra haggard, you know, eyes darker and puffier than usual, I'm talking about the days I wish my bathroom was wider so I could step further away from the mirror in order to soften the violent facial affects of my staying up night after night. It's in those moments I realize I should probably be getting a wee bit more of that ever-so-needed beauty sleep. Ah, the joys of writing.

Peggy Eddleman said...

RaShelle-- It's amazing how hard it is to get, isn't it?

Jessie-- Ahh. Fresh morning air. That right there makes less sleep totally worth it!

Kimberly-- Hahaha! Yes, that's totally what we need. Mirrors that are further away!