Kapag usapang health, laging nababanggit ang diet at exercise, pero madalas makaligtaan ang pagtulog.
Hindi dapat.
Ayon sa lifestyle medicine physician na si Dr. Carissa Losantas, malaki ang epekto ng kakulangan sa tulog sa overall health.
Sa ginanap na OUR HOME x Dunlopillo event nito lamang September 20, 2025, binigyang-diin niya ang daily requirement na "7-9 hours of uninterrupted sleep at night."
Aniya, "That means, the following day, you should feel rejuvenated. If you don’t, if you still feel tired, and have no energy, then it it means you have impaired quality sleep."
Alam niyo bang kahit ang pag-ihi sa gabi ay may epekto sa quality ng sleep?
Kaya importante ang pagkakaroon ng sleep hygiene, na tumutukoy sa magagandang habit at nakagawian para sa mahimbing na tulog.
Narito ang ilang tips mula kay Dr. Carissa Losantas.
WHAT TO DO TO HAVE A GOOD SLEEPING HYGIENE
CREATE A CONSISTENT SLEEP SCHEDULE
Subukang matulog at gumising sa parehong oras araw-araw—kahit pa weekends!
Once meron ka ng routine, aayon ang katawan sa habit.
Sabi ni Dr. Carissa, "Because you're able to train yourself, your body, like, 'Okay, this, I'm starting my routine, I'm winding down.'
"And if you do this daily, then it's easier to sleep."
May tip ang doktora na isa ring health and wellness coach:
"You calculate, first, what time do you want to sleep?
"So for example, for me, I want to be in bed sleeping by 10 p.m.
"We actually start our routine at 8 p.m.—take a bath, have the kids, I bathe them, and then read a story, play around a little bit so that they exhaust their energy, and eventually, and then while they're playing, the lights are already out."
Kadikit nito ang pagkakaroon ng relaxing activities bago matulog. Puwede kang magbasa ng libro, makinig ng calming music, or mag-warm bath.
Paalala ni Dr. Clarissa, "Your brain is actually more active at night."
Kaya iwasan ang stimulating activities tulad ng pag-scroll sa social media o panonood ng action-packed series before bed,
Kung masyadong active ang utak bago matulog, mas mahihirapan kang mag-relax.
MAKE YOUR BEDROOM A SLEEP-FRIENDLY SPACE
Para maging conducive ang kuwarto sa pagtulog, siguraduhin na dark, quiet, and comfortable ito.
I-consider ang pag-invest sa blackout curtains, earplugs, o white noise machine.
Also, ang tamang mattress at pillow ay malaking tulong para maiwasan ang discomfort during sleep.
Keep your room cool—mas mabilis kang nakakatulog kapag tama ang temperatura sa paligid.
In short, "Make sure your bedroom is a sanctuary and a place for sleeping," ani doktora.
STAY ACTIVE DURING THE DAY
Ang regular physical activity ay nakakatulong sa pagpapabuti ng sleep quality.
Aim to exercise in the morning or early afternoon para mas maging restful ang sleep mo sa gabi.
MANAGE STRESS EFFECTIVELY
Ang anxiety at stress ang madalas na dahilan ng poor sleep quality.
To improve your sleep hygiene, practice relaxation techniques, like deep breathing, meditation, or gentle stretching before bed.
KEEP A SLEEP DIARY
Ang paggawa ng sleep diary ay makakatulong para malaman ang patterns ng iyong pagtulog at matukoy kung ano ang mga bagay na nakakaapekto sa sleep quality.
Simple lang—isulat mo kung anong oras ka natutulog at nagigising, pati na rin kung may mga interruptions ka during midnight.
May mga available apps na rin na puwedeng makatulong sa pagmo-monitor ng mga movements mo habang natutulog.
Ang goal ay makita ang mga patterns at triggers ng iyong sleep problems.
WHAT TO AVOID TO ACHIEVE QUALITY OF SLEEP
SCREEN TIME BEFORE BED
May isang bagay na dapat iwasan dahil nakakaapekto ito sa production ng melatonin, ang hormone na tumutulong sa katawan para ihanda itong matulog.
Saad ni Dr. Carissa, "I'm sure you've heard about blue light, the blue light, yeah, that comes from the phone.
"And what it does is it tricks our mind into thinking that it's daytime, when it's actually nighttime, when you're supposed to be sleeping.
"And your melatonin or endogenous, because all of us have melatonin, and it's released at night.
"If you do that, and if you're still room scrolling at night, then your melatonin isn't released properly.
"That's why you don't end up sleeping well."
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CAFFEINE AND ALCOHOL INTAKE
Madalas, ang caffeine ay isa sa mga pangunahing dahilan kung bakit hirap matulog ang isang tao.
Same goes for alcohol—akala ng iba, nakakatulong ito para matulog nang mahimbing.
Pero maaaring ma-disrupt nito ang sleep cycle, making you feel tired the next day.
Ayon sa research, nagpapaantok ang alcohol, pero hindi ito nakakatulong para maging mahimbing ang tulog mo.
HEAVY MEALS BEFORE BED
Iwasan ang heavy dinners o spicy food na puwedeng magdulot ng discomfort or indigestion habang natutulog ka.
Kung kailangan mo talagang kumain, go for a light snack, like a banana or a glass of warm milk to help you relax.
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NAPS
Nakakatulong ito kapag inaantok ka at gustong mag-reharge.
Pero kung hindi ito tama sa oras, maaari nitong maapektuhan ang sleep schedule sa gabi.
Limit naps to 20-30 minutes in the early afternoon.
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Remember, guys, we need to improve our sleeping hygiene hindi lang para makatulog nang maaga at wasto sa oras, kundi para makatulog ng mahimbing.