If you’re one of these nocturnal beings who are more alive at night, you can relate to the feeling of tossing and turning in bed forcing yourself to get a few hours of sleep, especially if you have a hectic and early schedule the following day.
After a long day at work, sleep should be the best refuge from the daily grind, but this is not so for everyone. Some of us lay awake for hours, wake up too early or can’t fall back asleep, and the more we force getting some sleep, the more awake and frustrated we become.
Check what happens when you turn off the lights. Do you go over the day’s events over in your mind? Do you replay the day’s mistakes and failures? Do you think of deadlines that you haven’t met? Do you dwell on problems involving money, work, family, health, relationships, and all other problems?
Then don’t wonder why sleep is elusive.
Variety sent out a few questions to several individuals in the island on what they do to conquer sleeplessness, and here are some interesting answers:
What they do and what they say
U.S. Assistant Attorney Jim Benedetto said that sleep is not that elusive for him, although he gets bouts of insomnia from time to time.
“If I can’t sleep, I check my e-mail or surf the web (doesn’t work). Sometimes reading another half hour helps. A hot shower or bath helps too, especially with a small glass of brandy or port wine. He also said reading tax law helps, because “if that doesn’t put you to sleep, nothing will!”
For bartender Lito Espino, getting busy the whole day and watching TV does the trick until he dozes off.
Luis Villagomez, Hyatt Regency marketing communications assistant manager that falling asleep is not a problem but when it does, he reads or watches TV.
“Keep a book, stay away from intense exercise and pamper yourself with a relaxing bath. I’m sure it’ll be easier to fall asleep,” Villagomez said.
Workforce Investment Agency Executive Director Edith Deleon Guerrero said that most of the time, her body is tired but her brain keeps on going each time she goes to bed at 9 p.m.
To fall asleep, she recommends reading, eating right, exercise, taking vitamins, and most importantly, to listen to your body.
“Stress is a big killer so give yourself lots of tender loving care,” Deleon Guerrero said.
Eric Gregoire of the U.S. Attorney’s Office said that he drinks warm milk and reads in order to fall asleep easily. He also recommends staying away from drinking alcohol close to bed time, avoiding spicy foods at night, not looking at the time if you wake up, and getting more exercise earlier in the day.
“Don’t alter your sleep patterns too much on weekends and don’t stay up too late and become over tired,” Gregoire said.
U.S. Park Ranger Susan Fishman-Tudor resorts to crossword puzzles if sleep is elusive. She also suggests relaxing and not drinking coffee after noon, and not to start reading something interesting.
Aya Matsumoto of Pacific Eagle Enterprise Inc. said she sleeps with her dogs and have to get up when they want to pee outside.
“I sometimes can’t sleep again so I watch TV or read a book,” she said.
Honoria Tenorio of the Humanities Council said that she reads if she finds it hard to fall asleep.
Watching a boring movie sometimes helps Pacific Islands Club food and beverage assistant Paul Dujua fall asleep.
“I am never into taking sleeping pills, so I won’t recommend that. I also don’t recommend doing anything that is interesting. The objective is to slowly doze off,” Dujua said.
He recommends the following: Find your most comfortable position in your bed or couch, close your eyes, breathe in a steady and relaxed pace and clear your mind of any thought.
Bedtime for Brilliant Star Montessori School principal Richard Sikkel ranges from 8 p.m. all the way to 2 a. m. depending on how much stuff he has to do.
“I usually have no problems falling asleep at night but if I can’t sleep, I read a book or surf the internet,” Sikkel said. He recommends physical work/exercise to capture elusive sleep easily.
“Work in your garden or go for a run,” Sikkel said.
Marianas High School teacher Tyce Mister said that he usually never have a hard time falling asleep, but if he can’t sleep, he reads to calm down and do deep breathing to relax the body and clear the mind.
“I suggest that you exercise regularly and cut out the caffeine so you can fall asleep easily,” Mister said.
Maisie Tenorio said she doesn’t have sleep problems unless she has a big event the next day and is nervous about it.
“To sleep, I usually take several deep breaths to relax my mind and that usually helps,” Tenorio said.
Thelma Cabrera of the Marianas Medical Center said that if she finds it hard to sleep, she unwinds first and find a relaxation technique or a movie to settle down, go to the gym and be tired or watch TV for hours. If all else fails, she takes a sleeping pill.
CNMI Museum executive director Robert Hunter said that he usually hits the bed like a rock and sleep solidly until 6:30 a.m.
“I’ve learned to sleep on command, but don’t usually need to employ them, because when I hit the sack at 1-2 a.m., I basically black out,” Hunter said.
His suggestion for those who are having a hard time sleeping would be to stay up longer.
“I know there are the exceptions, but I figure we’re no different from little children… if you wear them out, they’re more likely to pass out,” he said.
David Khorram, ophthalmologist at the Marianas Eye Institute said that he has no trouble falling asleep.
“Every night before bed, I spend some time in prayer and meditation, and I think that is usually enough to clear my mind and allow me to fall right to sleep. If I can’t sleep, it’s usually because something is weighing on my mind, but that is rare. In those cases, I might get up and watch some stand-up comedy on You Tube. I enjoy the laughter,” Khorram said.
“If the comedy doesn’t work, then I pray,” he said.
He said that usually does the trick but if not, he takes Benadryl.
Dianne Esplin, a registered nutritionist says she listens to talk radio or audiobooks, or listen to something boring.
“Often when I can’t sleep, it is because my mind is racing on something that is bothering me. An audio book that isn’t too exciting distracts my mind enough to relax,” Esplin said.
Marianas Health Services administrator George Cruz said he usually finds it hard to fall asleep each night, so he works.
“Don’t sleep or take naps during the day. That’s what I try to do,” Cruz said.
CNMI Military and Veterans Affairs executive director Ruth Coleman said that if she just can’t sleep right away, she would try to read her e-mails, watch TV or read.
“If I just can’t sleep, I would normally clean up and do other chores I would normally put off for the next day. My suggestion is to seek professional help to see what could be done to help you sleep,” Coleman said.
General suggestions
From a medical point of view, the cause of insomnia should be determined first.
Dr. DeLinda Wills, a surgeon said that falling asleep is one area where she has no problem.
“I can fall asleep at the drop of a hat. I can go to bed at any time, sleep like a rock and wake up pretty much in same position as when I first drifted off,” Wills said, but she added she does not take the ease at which she falls asleep for granted.
“My insomniac friends hate me, really, and I understand why, it is a terrible thing not being able to fall asleep. I have several friends whose nightly regimen of Benadryl, Melatonin, occasionally with Ambien or Sonata still leave them staring at the ceiling for hours at night watching the clock,” Wills said.
She suggests for those with sleep disorders to have an evaluation by their primary care physician for initial assessment of their insomnia.
“This PCP can then either offer treatment or refer the patient for additional studies to evaluate their sleep disorders if necessary,” Wills said.
