And so, to sleep

MANILA, Philippines - Sleep is the fountain of youth.” We all must have heard this phrase at some point in our lives. It’s a saying that has endured the test of time, simply because it speaks the truth. Like exercise, proper nutrition, and sustaining a healthy inner-self, correct sleeping practices are essential in maintaining a balanced lifestyle. However, with so much happening throughout long days and nights, some often forget the importance of sleep. The simple act of sleeping may be fundamental to one’s overall health, but for many individuals, sleep gets pushed down the list of priorities: “Work hard, party harder.” Adding “disregard sleep” to that popular expression will make it a tad more accurate; “I can do more if I pull an all-nighter.” Possibly, but you might just snap at a friend or colleague because the lack of sleep has made you short-tempered and irate; and “All I need is a ‘power nap.’” Now that’s just deluding yourself.

A recent conversation about sleep with Dr. Jaime Z. Galvez Tan, professor at the University of the Philippines College of Medicine and former Secretary of the Department of Health, kept me wide awake. A product of the University of the Philippines College of Medicine, Prince Leopold Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp, Belgium, and The Bill and Melinda Gates Institute of Leadership and Management at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Maryland, USA, Dr. Galvez Tan recognizes the universal value of sleep. He contends, “In my practice of integrating Eastern and Western medical disciplines, I recognize that sleep is very important across cultures.”

“You cannot reclaim sleep. Once it’s missed, it’s gone like lost time,” Dr. Galvez Tan continues. With so many working overtime and pulling graveyard shifts, loss of sleep oftentimes becomes inevitable. This lifestyle is not really ideal in terms of getting the fullest out of your sleep. However, Dr. Galvez Tan says that sleeping for a sufficient number of hours, while paying close attention to certain practices, is adequate.

“I understand that there are day people and night people; that a dichotomy such as this exists. But there are certain ways to gain the most out of your rest hours, regardless of what time you do it,” he says. “Aside from sleeping between six and eight hours a day, sleeping in total darkness is one. Darkness naturally induces sleep and the production of melatonin. Another would be to have a defined time to sleep, and to stick to it.” Dr. Galvez Tan adds that drinking and/or exercising before sleep, sleeping after an argument or a stressful event, sleeping on a full stomach, and consuming caffeine before sleep can all negatively affect deep and restful slumber. “These are costless solutions for getting maximum quality out of your sleep.”

Yet some people really can’t just doze off, and have resorted to taking sleeping pills in desperation. Admittedly, it’s best to avoid the pill-popping habit. But when all else fails and one loses sleep over the inability to sleep, there are alternative natural products to help you get restful slumber. One of these is Sleepasil, a non-prescription supplement that is safe and non-addictive. JV Reyes, spokesperson for Sleepasil, says, “Sleepasil works in two ways. First, it works to relax you with herbs such as chamomile, passion flower, and hops. Then, when you are relaxed, the main sedative which is valerian root will take effect and make you fall asleep.” Of course, the ideal thing to do would be to find the herbs in their natural form, but the reality is that it would be too tedious to obtain all the components and then brew these together.  

Natural solutions are acceptable, but Dr. Galvez Tan is convinced that there are additional ways to get the right kind of sleep — even if it’s not at night. “You can wear sleeping patches to keep light from entering your eyes; the drapes or curtains in your room can be made thicker and darker to keep out any light from outside. By doing so, your body can still produce amounts of melatonin.” It would be good to remember that sleep is rhythmic and an important natural part of one’s daily routine. Adopting a sense of discipline towards sleep is the ideal alternative to knocking yourself out with a chemical pill.

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Sleepasil is available at Mercury Drug Store and other drug stores nationwide.

For more healthy alternatives, visit The Natural Shelf located at the Living Life Well Center, DLS-STI MegaClinic, 5th floor, SM Megamall Bldg. A, Mandaluyong City, Philippines. Or visit their website at www.thenaturalshelf.com

E-mail me at enricomiguelsubido@yahoo.com.