I was talking to a friend yesterday while she waited for me to finish getting ready for a lunch event that we were both going to. I asked her how she could be perky and wide awake when we had left another party the night before at curfew time. And here I was, feeling lethargic and literally dragging my feet into wakefulness.
She said, well, it may be in her family. They were night owls and sleep usually around 1 or 2 a.m. That was jaw-dropping news to me because I try to always sleep early so I could wake up with the rising of the sun.
That statement from my friend intrigued me a lot, so I decided to investigate a little bit. From kindergarten, we have always been told: “Early to bed, early to rise. Makes a man happy, healthy and wise.” Not only were we encouraged to eat nutritional foods but it was important that we got ourselves a good eight hours of sleep every day. My grandmother, Nanay Tacquing, would entice me with promises of a nice, smooth skin, free of pimples, or that a complete cycle of sleep would make me grow tall and keep me on my toes all day.
But we have not counted on the pandemic to happen. Because people were “forced” to stay home and quarantine, they began to adopt really crazy habits. Since they need not commute to work in the mornings now, it was easy to stay in bed a little longer, allowing them to binge watch their favorite or new TV shows or movies until the wee hours. My big sister, I know, is famously guilty of this. Don’t recommend to her a good TV series or movie because she won’t stop watching all episodes until the very end, even if it means staying up to 5 a.m. and then sleeping till lunchtime. Such unusual sleep behavior can ruin our circadian rhythm which is tied to our wake-sleep cycle, thus causing a spate of health problems.
Studies show that if you don’t follow a regular sleep routine, that is, falling asleep and waking up within the same 45-60-minute window every day, you are primarily at risk for insomnia because the body finds it difficult to sleep with the light streaming in. Our brain must be thinking, aren’t you supposed to sleep when the world gets dark and your melatonin kicks in? Or of obstructive sleep apnea where you intermittently wake up during the night because, suddenly, you found yourself out of breath?
And the most usual consequence of sleep deprivation or disruption is weight gain because you tend to snack more on food when you’re up and about. The doctors say you can be an ideal candidate for diabetes, depression, as well as any of those cardio-vascular diseases, not to mention dementia.
Alright, we’ve only touched the tip of the iceberg. Naturally, there are other reasons why you lack sleep. One that most of you know is jet lag in travels, especially when taking a transcontinental flight. You zoom across different time zones that confuse the brain between night and day cycles. Then, it also happens to those who work in night shifts, i.e., working at night and sleeping during the day. The night owls also come into play but do you know that it’s more common among teenagers rather than the oldsters? Genetics also can be a reason.
And yes, as one ages, going to the bathroom in the middle of the night (also known as nocturia) becomes frequent and annoying, I can tell you that. Blame it all to changes in our urinary system which can affect a great proportion of aging seniors, 80 years and up. We might as well add the adverse effects of so many medications, prescribed and over-the-counter, that an aging adult takes every day. As you well know, antihistamines, for example, can make you drowsy while antidepressants will keep you wide awake.
One thing is sure, though. Just because you are getting older does not mean that you need less sleep. That’s a myth that has been disproven in many studies about aging.
The question is: how do we get quality sleep and improve our overall health?
From the Sleep Foundation of America comes these health tips:
1) Follow a consistent sleep schedule. Try to sleep at the same time each day. If getting that shut eye so early in the evening is problematic for you, try reading in bed, or maybe get a warm, soothing bath, or just enjoy some “quiet time”. No TV, please.
2) Seek out the sun, especially during the morning hours. Do you know that most seniors get only about one hour in direct sunlight each day? Since our circadian rhythm is influenced by the light that goes through the eyes, limiting your exposure to the sun advances the deterioration of neurons that control our internal clock and you tire out easily.
3) If you get into a flurry of activities, chances are, you will be too tired when night comes, so exercise daily. Get physical.
4) This is a no-brainer – avoid, if not reduce, your caffeine intake. Coffee and tea, even chocolates, alcohol, and tobacco can keep you awake. And, by the way, try to get dinner some 3-4 hours before sleeping, not only for better digestion but also for a much calmer disposition.
5) Take only short naps in the afternoon and definitely not when it’s near your bedtime. You cannot just transition from napping to full time sleeping in one go, or you will end up doing the crosswords or sudoku till the cock starts crowing.
6) This one is difficult to follow. Limit the use of electronic toys (your phones, computers, iPads, what else?) or totally ban these gadgets out of the bedroom when it’s snoozing time. Can you really bear being separated from and putting your phone in another room while you sleep? Besides, I find this tip a bit conflicting. How can someone call for help from bed, if needed, without a phone nearby?
Okay, got to go. It’s 10 p.m. and I’m late for my date with Mr. Sandman. See you in my dreams! – NWI
