How would Perl know how long a given no-op loop is supposed to run?
For example, very old games, like from the early '80's, were written using CPU timers (which are your do-nothing loops). They were built for a computer whose speed was within certain parameters. When you improved your computer, those games got so fast it was ridiculous. (Try playing Pong where the ball moves faster across your screen than your computer can track a keypress!)
sleep is built so that it receives a certain amount of time. It passes that as a message to the operating system who knows how long a second is. Perl should not make those determinations. That's what operating systems are for. :-)
So, use the right tool for the right situation. If you need sleep, then use sleep. If you need a no-op loop, then use a no-op loop. (There are uses for them other than spinning your computer's wheels.)
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