How Do You Sleep At Night?

Posted by : foongpc | Wednesday, March 4, 2009 | Published in

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Sleep! That's my favourite past time. In fact, I love sleeping so much it is listed in my top 5 things I enjoy doing! Don't ask me what's the other 4. Hehe.

Nowadays, people are just not getting enough sleep! I know because I'm one of them! But I think I better do something about it cos I learnt that lack of sleep is really bad for health.

In fact, not having enough sleep will make you vulnerable to the following:

1. Weight gain
You read that right. People who sleep less than 6 hours a day have changes in their hormones that will enhance their appetites and resulting in weight gain. Don't believe? Read the report here.

2. Diabetes
Sleeping too little on a daily basis will lead to onset of Type 2 Diabetes. It seems that if you deprive yourself of enough good quality sleep for a week, your insulin and blood sugar level will mimic those of a diabetic patient. You can read more here and here.

3. Heart Diseases
Lack of sleep will lead to heart blockage and even palpitations of the heart. It appears that too little sleep promotes build-up of calcium in the heart arteries leading to formation of plaques that causes blockage and heart attacks. To know more, read this report.

4. Aging
During our sleep, our body produces growth hormones that prevents aging. If you sleep too little, your body will not produce enough of these growth hormones. Coupled with changes of other hormones due to lack of sleep, you will end up aging faster than normal. Read here if you wish to stay young!

5. Cancer
Believe it or not, cancer cells are present in our body at all times. When you are healthy, your immune system keep these cancer cells in check, preventing them from multiplying and taking over control of your body. Our immune system is strongest during sleep, so imagine if you sleep very little. Our body will not be able to produce enough natural killer cells to kill those cancer cells, giving the cancer cells a chance to multiply and become stronger. Read about increased cancer risk due to lack of sleep here.

So for the sake of health, I hope you will make sure you have enough good quality sleep every night from now on.


Now I was tagged by Khengsiong and as you all know, I dislike tags and memes! But I decided to do it since this meme is about sleep and therefore, relevant to this post. Sorry to those who have tagged me earlier. I'm bypassing your tags to do this meme first cos I actually wanted to blog about sleep. So here it is...

===== Start Of Meme =====

How do you sleep at night?


Is your sleep affected by the national angst? Do you drop off easily, as you always did? Or does it take a while to get to sleep?

No, my sleep is not affected by the national angst, whatever that is! If it refers to the current economic situation or the political situation in the country, I do get troubled by it but luckily, it does not disturb my sleep! I sleep very easily, and can even drop off in the middle of a conversation! I even nodded off at traffic lights before until the car behind started honking! Haha!

What strategies, if needed, do you use to get to sleep?

Pills? Sheep? Late night television show? And/or…?

I don't need any strategies to get to sleep since I have no sleeping problems. But I heard that sex helps. So maybe you want to try that out! If you don't have a partner, masturbation helps too! For imsomniacs, you may want to check out my 20 ways to get to sleep.

What strategies do you have to get back to sleep?

Since I don't wake up in the middle of my sleep to go to pee, I don't have a strategy for getting back to sleep. Wake up your partner for more sex or if your partner treasures his or her sleep, you are better off resorting to self masturbation. Haha!

Are your dreams affected?

Are they more anxious than before? Do they wake you up in a sweat? Or are they peaceful, innocent, undisturbed by the general malaise?

Dreams? Sometimes I have scary dreams which wake me up in the middle of the night, but I immediately go back to sleep and the dream actually continues from where it stops! Sometimes, there will be part 3 and part 4 too and I experience a whole mini-series in one night of sleep!

At other times, I dream a lot about food, probably because before I sleep, I read too many food blogs! Haha! Strangely, during those dreams I could never get to taste the food no matter how I tried! Each time when I was about to reach the food with my hands, I woke up! Now, any dream experts out there can teach me how to have lucid dreams, so I can control what I'm dreaming about? : )

===== End Of Meme =====

The rules of the meme are:

  • Answer the questions
  • Link back to the original meme
  • Tag others to participate

I'm tagging the following people whom I think are night owls like me. Haha!

Mariuca (This is my revenge - enjoy! LOL!)

Lisalicious (Sorry! I know Khengsiong already tagged you, but I'm doing it anyway!)

Tekkaus (This is for not visiting my blog lately, Haha! )

Monica (This is for reading my blog at 4am - confirmation of a night owl! Haha!)

Anyone who thinks he/she is a night owl or has problem sleeping at night.

(53) Comments

  1. Anonymous

    I also read somewhere that when you get older, you sleep less and less. Is that true Foong from your experience? LOL

    March 4, 2009 at 12:53 AM
  2. Anonymous

    Now I can't sleep because I need to jaga my mailbox... scare later KFC voucher come and it get stolen... zzz

    March 4, 2009 at 3:19 AM
  3. Anonymous

    Well, if you have sleeping problems, do come to my blog. I have lot of chicks to keep you entertained for the night!

    March 4, 2009 at 4:14 AM
  4. Anonymous

    I sleep with my eyes closed... Hehehehehe!!! No wonder I've got a weight problem!!! Not sleeping very well... Old age!

    March 4, 2009 at 8:03 AM
  5. Anonymous

    I used to sleep with ease, but these days, it's getting more difficult as I keep waking up every now and again. Aging.

    March 4, 2009 at 9:22 AM
  6. Anonymous

    u left out one important thing, pimples! lack of sleep will give us an outburst, free of charge... tat's the reason y i make sure i have enough sleep hehe.. :D

    March 4, 2009 at 9:37 AM
  7. khengsiong said...

    Thanks.

    Read the 20 ways to sleep. But nobody do the massage for me...

    March 4, 2009 at 10:02 AM
  8. levian said...

    sleeping (besides food) is the best past time ever. XD beauty sleep keep us from aging eh, best point. :p

    March 4, 2009 at 10:30 AM
  9. Anonymous

    Wah... one whole night jaga my mailbox ler... now a bit sleepy liao... die la, how ler?

    March 4, 2009 at 11:44 AM
  10. Merryn said...

    how do i sleep at nite? with my eyes close, hugging my bolster and my socks on.. definitely lying down.. :)

    March 4, 2009 at 1:17 PM
  11. Anonymous

    wah .... not enough of sleep also can lead to cancer? scary.

    i love sleeping too. r u going to form a sleeping club?

    March 4, 2009 at 2:03 PM
  12. HappySurfer said...

    Foong, your number 1 point is counter what I've always heard - that too much sleep causes one to put on weight. hmm...

    Still, good info you are sharing. Thanks.

    March 4, 2009 at 2:50 PM
  13. Anonymous

    sleep to much is a waste of time, sleep more than enoguh should be alright, if scared of pimples sleep early wake early... BAngun pagi, gosok gigi, makan...

    March 4, 2009 at 3:35 PM
  14. JL said...

    I read somewhere that another of your past time is masturbation. XD

    Wah so your strategy for going to sleep is sex? God then I must go get a partner lo~~~ XD

    March 4, 2009 at 4:00 PM
  15. Mariuca said...

    Wah u oso night owl Foong? Woot!!!

    March 4, 2009 at 4:05 PM
  16. Mariuca said...

    Ohhhhhhhh this is sweet revenge for sure, tagging me with a hard one yeah? I know who to tag when I do this later.....NICK!!! He he eh he he, u hear me Nick? ;)

    March 4, 2009 at 4:06 PM
  17. JL said...

    Oh forgot to say this, I sleep at ghastly hours, so if you're a night owl too, high 5!

    March 4, 2009 at 4:06 PM
  18. Mariuca said...

    Btw, u made it to my Top 10 Mariucans list for Feb at MPG, congrats!! :):):)

    March 4, 2009 at 4:07 PM
  19. Anonymous

    One advantage if you don't sleep (plus you need to have good time management), you can get things done earlier and faster.

    March 4, 2009 at 5:03 PM
  20. Lisa said...

    hahaha so bad!!

    but thanks anyway

    do you know i am collecting all the tags so that i can do one post for it ??? lolx

    yes i am so lazy

    March 4, 2009 at 5:42 PM
  21. lina said...

    MY FIL sleeps a bi then wake up a bit then sleep some more. Old age like that one kah?

    Maybe if I reach old age, I can become a night owl and sit in front of the computer prowling at blogs to ensure I become First Commenter. Hehehe Right now, I need my 6 hours minimum to get me acting civilised during the day! XD

    March 4, 2009 at 6:07 PM
  22. foongpc said...

    babette, I wouldn't know since I'm not that old yet! Haha!

    neo, haha! Your KFC voucher is on the way. No need to jaga your mailbox today. I didn't use Fed-Ex. Won't reach so fast! Just normal Pos Malaysia snail mail LOL!

    jasmine, wow! Visit your blog no need to sleep already lah! Insomnia will become worse! Haha!

    March 4, 2009 at 10:27 PM
  23. foongpc said...

    suituapui, haha! At least now I know you are not a fish! LOL! Old age hard to get to sleep? Maybe you need more sex? LOL!

    mei teng, I almost dropped off to sleep posting this! I just love sleeping - it's my hobby! Feeling sleepy now... : )

    gallivanter, what's troubling you? Maybe not enough sex lah! LOL! : )

    March 4, 2009 at 10:31 PM
  24. foongpc said...

    nic, we're talking about diabetes, heart attacks and cancer and here you are talking about pimples? Haha! Wah, didn't know you so vain - you sleep just to avoid pimples on your face! You metrosexual male, is it? : )

    khengsiong, you are welcome : ) Nobody to massage for you? Quickly get a gf! Or a wife! Or just visit Golok : )

    levian, I think sleeping and food can fight! Don't know which one will win for me. Haha! It's not called beauty sleep for nothing! : )

    March 4, 2009 at 10:38 PM
  25. foongpc said...

    neo, go to sleep! No need to jaga your mailbox. You think Pos Malaysia so efficient meh? : )

    merryn, haha! Me too, minus the socks! LOL!

    renaye, yeah scary. Better get enough sleep every night! A sleeping club? Haha! Why don't you form it and I'll volunteer as the Secretary? LOL!

    March 4, 2009 at 10:43 PM
  26. foongpc said...

    happysurfer, you may be right. I think you'll put on weight if you sleep too much or too little! I learnt that you'll get heart disease and diabetes by sleeping less than 6 hours or more than 9 hours everyday! So, you might just be correct! : )

    horizon, haha! Sleep early, wake up early is ideal, but I think most young people cannot do it. maybe the older ones can lah. But nic got to do it lo cos he's so vain : )

    JL, where? Where did you read that? I have no problem sleeping so this is just my suggestion, not that I practise it! Oh, if you can't get a partner, no worries. Self masturbation works too! : )

    March 4, 2009 at 10:49 PM
  27. foongpc said...

    mariuca, yes I'm a night owl, but I'm trying to sleep earlier for the sake of good health! You should too. Oh yes, go ahead and tag Nick, haha!

    What! I made it to your Top 10 mariucans list? How can that be? Really? Yay!! Didn't expect this at all! : )

    March 4, 2009 at 10:52 PM
  28. foongpc said...

    JL, you are a night owl too? Yay, High 5! If I knew this earlier, would have tagged you! Oh, you can do the tag if you like! OK, do the tag, JL! : )

    hyperX, I wish we have 36 hours in a day. Then I'll sleep for 8 hours and still have 28 hours left to do what we want to do! Now only have 18 hours to do things cos spend 6 hours sleeping! : (

    March 4, 2009 at 10:58 PM
  29. foongpc said...

    lisalicious, yeah me very lazy to do tags too! Since khengsiong already tagged you this meme, you just do once only! Now that reminds me I have yet to do your tag which you tagged me last year! Gosh!

    lina, I guess older people have problems sleeping. Or their sleeping quality not very good. I hope I will never be like that, cos I really enjoy my sleep uninterrupted! Yeah, aim for FC when you are older. Now sleeping more important. Haha!

    March 4, 2009 at 11:02 PM
  30. Rad Sujanto said...

    what if you have a nap too long that you can hardly fall asleep at night? any tips?

    March 5, 2009 at 1:30 AM
  31. Tekkaus said...

    War...why wanna punish me? I've been a good boy o. Ha =) I wanted to have a lot of rest but I just can't. =/

    March 5, 2009 at 4:28 AM
  32. Anonymous

    good idea. the activities of the sleeping club will be finding a comfortable to sleep and dream of leng chai or lenglui for u.

    RYC: it's not i don't want to bring extra cash. it's budget. i only budgeted to buy clothes below RM50 and i had already achieve that target that day so no more buying for the rest of the day even though my head is screaming of desire.

    meow meow.... can chat with u on msn??

    March 5, 2009 at 7:46 AM
  33. eiling lim said...

    Lucky I always like to sleep and also sleep early! lol... 10.30pm early right?

    March 5, 2009 at 8:25 AM
  34. Anonymous

    weight gain is the first thing i experienced if i have irregular sleeping patterns. can easily grow 3-4kg a month!!!!

    March 5, 2009 at 11:00 AM
  35. Angie Tan said...

    I think I had severe lack of sleep and lost some weight instead.

    Anyway, we all need a good night's rest. Besides the # of hours, we need good quality sleep too.

    I've slept for 8 hours but had the light on and didn't feel rested.

    March 5, 2009 at 11:46 AM
  36. foongpc said...

    rad, I guess you should not nap too long in the afternoon. It will spoil your body's circadian rhythm and create sleepless nights. A short nap of between 15-20 mins is fine.

    tekkaus, very sorry for that! Definitely rest is more important. You are under no obligation to do the tag, or do it when you are free : )

    renaye, haha! That's the activity of the sleeping club? Too sleepy to start that kind of club! Haha! Chat with me is possible, but there's some problem with my laptop. After installed msn, it crashed! Giving me some problems, so will have to fix that first, but now just too sleepy to do that. LOL!

    March 5, 2009 at 12:31 PM
  37. foongpc said...

    eiling, wow! You sleep at 10.30pm? What is this? Which generation are you from? Haha! But honestly, it's good for health and not forgetting beauty. No wonder you look so good, and I thought it's all because of the limestone water from Ipoh : )

    xin, really? Wow! Then you must really be disciplined and have regular sleeping time!

    March 5, 2009 at 12:40 PM
  38. foongpc said...

    angie tan, you are totally opposite from xin! Oh, you must not sleep with the light on or else your body cannot produce enough melatonin which controls your sleep. That's why you won't feel rested.

    I sleep in complete darkness otherwise the quality of my sleep will be affected.

    March 5, 2009 at 12:41 PM
  39. Anonymous

    I got to sleep at least 7-8 hours every day.

    March 5, 2009 at 3:23 PM
  40. LifeRamblings said...

    i'm not pretty much of a night owl. i need at least 7 hours of beauty sleep at night.

    March 5, 2009 at 5:08 PM
  41. LifeRamblings said...

    besides, i don't want to walk around the office in a zombie state. haha

    March 5, 2009 at 5:09 PM
  42. Monica said...

    Foong I didn't know you're also a night owl...lol

    March 5, 2009 at 6:56 PM
  43. Monica said...

    wah next time I don't wanna read your blog at 4am la...haha! anyway thanks for tagging me :-D

    March 5, 2009 at 6:58 PM
  44. Monica said...

    oh I've lost some weight due to irregular sleeping patterns...lol!

    March 5, 2009 at 7:07 PM
  45. Mariuca said...

    Foong! u oso joined FCC??? Eh I wan wan to be ur FC here!!!!!!! Thanks so much for joining, YAY! :):):)

    March 5, 2009 at 7:53 PM
  46. Mariuca said...

    Ooooooh I shall stalk ur blog tonight, wooot night owl mah! ;)

    March 5, 2009 at 7:54 PM
  47. Faisal Admar said...

    Sometimes this topic make me confuse and I know it's a debatable topic!

    Someone told me that sleep late can cut your life shorter.

    Someone else told me that if you sleep a lot then you've wasted your life more than 70% for sleeping and how many days left for you to do something good for yourself and the one you love?

    So, what say you? :P

    March 5, 2009 at 8:14 PM
  48. foongpc said...

    jam, I guess you must be very healthy! Good for you! : )

    life ramblings, sleep is good - you are doing the right thing. And no, it's not advisable to walk around like a zombie : )

    monica, I am but I'm trying to sleep earlier for the sake of good health. Wow! You lost weight due to irregular sleeping patterns? Don't need to diet lah, like that! LOL!

    March 5, 2009 at 11:43 PM
  49. foongpc said...

    mariuca, I see monica, JL and faisal all joining, so I also tempted lah. Kiasu mah, hehe.
    Oh, I'm so scared somebody is stalking my blog late at night. Shall I call the police? LOL!

    faisal, well, my advice is sleep early and wake up early. Then you will have long life and good health and energy to do all the things you want to do. I think sleep 7-8 hours enough, don't sleep less or more than that. Btw, I all talk only, cos I'm not practising this myself! I must sleep earlier!! LOL!

    March 5, 2009 at 11:50 PM
  50. Ayie said...

    Hi foongpc, nice article. I also read on e in yahoo and got enlightened with it. Sleep is very essential and we have to take care of our body.

    I happened to check my blogluscious treats, for some reason I didn't receive any comment alert for that one so it's only today that i got aware of your comments. Thanks for the visit!

    March 7, 2009 at 2:34 AM
  51. foongpc said...

    ayie, thanks. I try to sleep more nowadays cos it's essential for our health! Don't worry about the comments at your blog : )

    March 9, 2009 at 2:42 PM
  52. Instant Host said...

    How do you sleep at night?
    Are you all alone or holdin' someone tight?
    Do you see me when you close your eyes?
    How do you sleep at night?

    May 6, 2009 at 7:00 PM
  53. Miyakaa said...

    Hello! I also suffer from insomnia since I was younger. I didn't know that it could cause such serious health problems until now. I've recently been gaining gain quite a while, but was it caused by my sleeping problems? Even though I've had insomnia since I was young, I've only gained weight for the past 2 years. It's probably one of the causes too. I've found some ways to fall asleep fast but it would take quite a while to sleep on a regular basis.

    It takes time and efforts too.

    September 10, 2010 at 8:25 PM