It could be the lack of sleep but sub parameters are in @_ which makes it rather hard to address them thru $_, as you do in your code.
This has very little to do with the core dumps. If some function requires you to have root access, I doubt it will core dump on you. Are you using a stable release? ancient release?

Greetz
Beatnik
... Quidquid perl dictum sit, altum viditur.