Get out of bed or die!

Exciting title, no? I think so, too.

Unfortunately for those of us in the world that love our sleep, it's kind of true.

Observe.

So people that sleep less than five and more than eight hours a night have a greater risk of dying? Of course, the reasons why are not certain and may have something to do with sleeping pills. Still, that's depressing.

But I'm not in the mood to pout, so we're going to try something new and put a positive spin on it. The glass half full, and the grass is greener on my side. How exciting!

Reasons why the discovery is a good thing:

• It's another way to extend your life! On top of your multivitamins, regular exercise, yearly check-ups, de-stressing therapy sessions, no-smoking/drugs/alcohol policy, and organic-all-natural-no-trans-fat-multi-grain-heart-healthy diet, here's another way to make it for a few more birthday cakes!
• School has something going for it. You wake up to your alarm, angry that it's not the weekend anymore. Your mom says good morning, to which you reply something like, "Mumble, mumble, school, grumble, mumble." How dare the institution take away your right to sleep as late as you want! Now that whole hateful view can disappear (sort of) from your thoughts. Why? Because not only is school making you smarter, but the lack of 'enough' sleep is extending your life. You can bet they had that all planned out, too.
• You're awake longer. And what does that mean? You get to experience more life! Much more because first, you get those extra hours on a daily basis you would have been snoozing. Second, the extra years you will be alive because of those daily hours. Think of all you can do with those extra few hours a day. The possibilities are endless.

• Be the genius (or the smart-ass). You're at a party with friends, or at work, or with your parents. They look over, examine you, and say, "Have you been getting enough sleep? You need at least a good eight hours to be fully rested." To which you could reply with a series of answers:

1. To sound smart: "According to a BBC report, studies show that you live longer with an average of six to seven hours of sleep a night."
2. To sound cocky: "Actually, there's a BBC report on a study that showed you die sooner if you sleep that long."
3. To sound.....well, to make yourself unlikeable: "Is that how much sleep you get a night?" they answer: "Yes, every night." You pat them on the hand, smile, and say, "The BBC says you'll die sooner. Don't worry, I'll let everyone know what a good sleeper you were at your funeral."

So there you have it. Who knew such a downer could turn out to be so useful?