Sleeping has become a major issue among Filipinos.
The Philippine Society of Sleep Medicine Inc. (PSSMI) recently revealed in a press conference that the country ranks #1 in Southeast Asia and #4 worldwide in terms of sleep deprivation.
Hence, it is no surprise that the demand for sleeping pills, gummies, and supplements has grown.
At the Uratex X Our Home event, in celebration of World Sleep Month, one of the questions raised was: Is it okay to take sleeping pills or melatonin every day?
Dr. Jimmy V. Chang, head of the St. Luke's Medical Center's Comprehensive Sleep Disorders Center in Quezon City, replied, "It depends on the medicine. It depends on the sleeping aid."
But he emphasized, "Melatonin is not meant to treat insomnia."
Read: Here are tips to improve your sleeping hygiene
What is Melatonin?
WebMD defines it as "a hormone made in the body that regulates night and day cycles or sleep-wake cycles."
Dr. Chang provided a similar explanation but clarified that it is not a cure for sleeplessness.
He elaborated:
“Melatonin is actually secreted by our brain in response to the day and night cycle. Ang primary use of melatonin is for jet lag. It's to sync your body with the day and night cycle.
"So it is controlled by a part of our brain that secretes melatonin. "Again, melatonin is very common. You can even buy it parang over the counter.
"At around 8 P.M., pag madilim na, our brain naturally secretes melatonin na.
"And then once it peaks, it tells us, 'Okay, it's time to sleep.' Then during the night, as the night goes on, melatonin starts to decrease. And pagdating ng morning... it's time to wake up na.
"It follows the day and night cycle of where we are.
"So that's why when we travel to other locations, may jet lag, di ba? So our body has adapted to the day and night cycle of that area.
"Therefore, yung secretion mo ng melatonin, hindi pa siya matched doon. That's why we have jet lag."
But guess what? There is actually a more readily available and even more powerful alternative to melatonin.
“The greatest influencer of what time your body will dictate kung anong oras ka matutulog is sunlight.
"So again, if you have jet lag, the best thing that you can do is expose yourself to sunlight early in the morning.
"Then eventually, your body will adjust that timing to match the day and night cycle.
"So the thing that controls the melatonin in your brain is sunlight. "So even if you take a lot of melatonin, if you don't expose yourself to sunlight in the morning, then it's useless.
"So actually, yung sunlight, mura pa, libre pa siya."
What if you work at night?
“For people who are shift workers, meaning they have to sleep during the day and work at night, there's melatonin that can be used…
"I-close mo lahat ng blinds sa room and then take melatonin…"
He said it’s like tricking your brain into thinking it’s nighttime.
He added, "You're like tricking your brain to go to sleep during the day.
"So melatonin works that way. It just regulates your body clock."
Read: Meet the sleepless seamstress who has not slept in three decades
WHAT'S affecting a good night’s sleep
Sleeping pills can help, but they are not the ultimate solution to sleep problems.
The most important thing is to find out the root cause of sleeplessness.
"If there are factors affecting your sleep and you just take the pill, those factors are still there.
"And without the pill, of course, you're going to still have sleep difficulties.
"So what we do in our clinic is we first identify the factors affecting sleep and eliminate them."
There are two common misconceptions here.
Time of Sleep
First, napping is okay, but it can actually make it harder to fall asleep at night.
Dr. Chang advised, “Avoid daytime napping. Short naps of at least 30 minutes are fine, but anything longer can cause headaches.
"There’s an initial refreshing feeling, but when it's time to sleep at night, it becomes difficult."
Second, sleeping late and waking up late is not a good habit.
"Wake up at a regular time every morning regardless of the amount of sleep obtained.
"Some people say, 'I slept at 3 A.M., so I’ll wake up at 9 A.M.' or 'I didn’t sleep well, so I’ll wake up at noon.'
"Hindi na siya nababawi.
"And the problem is, your brain doesn’t know what time you should actually be sleeping."
In a nutshel, the best sleeping window starts at 10 P.M. if you want to wake up at 6 A.M.
The number of hours needed depends on age, and anything that disrupts your sleeping pattern should be avoided.
Quality of Sleep
Getting enough sleep is not enough if its a restless sleep or "mababaw lang."
Dr. Chang added, "So instead of feeling refreshed the following day, you have a headache.”
This is where sleep hygiene comes in.
The sleep doctor said there are "things we do around bedtime that can help us get better sleep."
First, avoid sleep disruptors.
He continued, "Caffeine. Some people are very sensitive to caffeine. If they drink coffee after lunch, their sleep gets affected.
"For people with insomnia, I prohibit caffeine after lunch.
"If you’re a coffee drinker, just have it in the morning, but avoid it after lunch."
Next, avoid alcohol before bedtime.
"Typically, it should be avoided at least four hours before sleep. Alcohol might help you fall asleep, but it will make your sleep very fragmented and shallow. So you wake up multiple times."
Second, "exercise regularly" because it helps the body maintain a natural sleep cycle.
However, he warned, "Don't do rigorous exercise within four hours of your target sleep time."
Lastly, if you’re having trouble falling asleep, set aside time for unwinding.
"Allow at least one hour to unwind before bedtime.
"A lot of people can’t shut down their brains because of work or stress, so you need wind-down time.
"Take a warm bath, listen to music, use aromatherapy—anything that helps you relax one hour before bed.
"Keep your bedroom quiet, dark, and comfortable.
"And, of course, your sleeping environment should be comfortable. Your mattress, bedding, and pillow should all be good."
Lastly, consistency is key.
Dr. Chang underlined, "Maintain a regular sleep schedule. As I mentioned earlier, follow your schedule, don’t sacrifice sleep, and make it a priority.
"Then schedule everything else around those seven hours."
If a proper sleeping routine doesn’t work, "then we add the sleeping pill as an aid."
But Dr. Chang admitted his hesitation about recommending it, as patients might see it as the ultimate solution.
"We don’t want patients to become dependent on sleeping pills."
And if all these still don’t convince you to prioritize sleep, consider its impact on your health.
"Lack of sleep is linked to serious health conditions, including cancer, acid reflux, high blood sugar, and cardiovascular diseases."
Prioritizing sleep is not just about rest—it’s about protecting your overall well-being.