How to get your beauty sleep

A good night’s sleep isn’t only rejuvenating  it enhances your good looks. With the right amount of sleep, we are physically and psychologically healthier. We function better, therefore we feel good about ourselves. A relaxed person definitely projects a better image.

But there are times when sleep doesn’t come easy.

What are the signs of insomnia? According to the 10th edition of the Comprehensive Textbook of Psychiatry by Kaplan and Sadock, these are the signs: Difficulty falling asleep despite being tired; waking up frequently during the night; problem getting back to sleep when awakened; not refreshing sleep; difficulty concentrating during the day; waking up too early in the morning; daytime drowsiness, fatigue or irritability; and dependence on sleeping pills or alcohol to fall asleep.

Common causes of both the transient (short-lived) and short-term insomnia include the following circumstances: Excessive noise, like if you live along a busy street, the 24/7 sound of the engines of trucks, cars and even tricycles; coming home from a long airplane trip that may cause a jet lag; abrupt changes in work shift like those working in call centers; stressful situations like sudden death of a loved one, loss of a job, separation from a spouse, cyber bullying or aftermath of a disastrous typhoon or earthquake; discomfort from extremely warm or cold weather; sleeping in another place other than your comfortable bedroom, like if you are hospitalized; abrupt stoppage of your medications for inducing sleep;  changes from staying in the lowlands to a high altitude or mountainous place; and experiencing pains due to medical conditions like respiratory infections.

Now let’s look into the probable reasons why one may develop chronic insomnia. Most of the causes of long-term insomnia are commonly associated with an underlying psychiatric or medical condition. The psychiatric disorders that may cause chronic insomnia include the following: anxiety disorder; mood disorder, like a major depressive disorder or bipolar disorder; or a thinking disorder, like Schizophrenia. Insomnia may be an indicator of a depressive condition and in the above-mentioned disorders, it is one of the symptoms of the acute phase of a mental condition. For these mental conditions, a consultation with a psychiatrist is imperative as medications that will abate the insomnia and the associated mental illness will require the prescription of the psychiatrist.

There are also medical and physiological reasons for long-term insomnia.

Here are some self-help strategies to help induce your beauty sleep: 

[1] Make sure that your bedroom is noise-free, dark and cool. Remember that noise, light, and heat can disrupt  your sleep. Try using earplugs to mask outside noise. Keep the room cool. Use blackout curtains or an eye mask to block out light.

[2] Adhere strictly to a regular sleep schedule. Support your biological clock by going to sleep and waking up at the same time every day even during weekends. Get up at your usual time in the morning even if you’re tired. This will ensure your getting back to your regular sleep rhythm.

[3] Avoid break time and lunchtime naps. Napping during the day can make it more difficult to sleep at night. 

[4] Refrain from stimulating activities and stressful situations before bedtime, like vigorous exercise, big discussions/fights; watching TV, using the computer or playing a video game.

[5] Refrain from taking caffeine, alcohol and nicotine. Stop drinking caffeinated drinks at least eight hours before bed. Avoid drinking alcohol in the evening. While alcohol can make you feel sleepy, it interferes with the quality of your sleep. Avoid smoking cigarettes at night since their nicotine content is a stimulant.

[6] Condition your brain for sleep. The brain produces the hormone melatonin to help regulate your sleep-wake cycle. Since the substance melatonin is controlled by light exposure, less natural light during the day will make you feel sleepy, and excessive artificial light at night will suppress the production of melatonin and make it harder for you to go to sleep. To help regulate your sleep-wake cycle and prepare your brain for sleep, increase your light exposure during the day by: taking breaks outside in sunlight, removing your sunglasses when it’s safe to do so and opening blinds and curtains during the day.

[2] Limit artificial light at night. To increase your melatonin production, use low-wattage bulbs, cover windows with blinds or heavy curtains in your bedroom, avoid bright, white light and turn off television and computer screens at least one hour before bed. If you can’t make your bedroom dark enough, try using an eye mask.

[7] Learn to associate your bed with sleep and not with sleeplessness. Do not lie awake at night worrying about worst-case scenarios. Use the bedroom only for sleeping (and sex if with your spouse or partner). So don’t work, read, watch TV or use your computer in your bedroom. Get out of bed when you can’t sleep. Get up, leave the bedroom and do something relaxing, such as reading, drinking a warm cup of caffeine-free tea, taking a bath or listening to soothing music. When you’re sleepy, go back to bed. Move bedroom clocks out of your view from your bed.  

[8] Learn to recognize self-defeating negative thoughts and replace them with more positive and realistic ones. For example: “If I don’t get some sleep, I’ll fail to have a good presentation and jeopardize my job.” Replace this with a positive thought: “Even if I can’t get a good night’s sleep, I will rest and relax and I will still be able to have a good presentation in the morning.”

[9] Relaxation techniques can be helpful in achieving the relaxation response, including: deep breathing exercise,  meditation, visualization, yoga and tai chi.

You must seek professional help immediately if your insomnia is not abated by the self-help strategies listed above, if it is already causing major problems at home, work or school. You need professional advice if your insomnia occurs almost every night and is getting worse and if you’re  already experiencing distressing physical symptoms like chest pain or shortness of breath.

(For questions on love, looks and relationships, please e-mail me at nina.halilijao@gmail.com or send your letters to Dr. Angela Aida W. Halili-Jao, Suite 309 Medical Arts Bldg., St. Luke’s Medical Center, E. Rodriguez Ave., Quezon City.)