I know first hand what lack of sleep can do to us.
But on simpler terms, when we lack sleep, we are less alert and we are mentally less productive.

Yesterday, I read an article: “Why you need sleep in order to Succeed” by Anne Field

“Sleep is not a luxury,” says Dr. James O’Brien, medical director of the Boston SleepCare Center in Waltham, Massachusetts. “It’s a necessity for optimal functioning.”

When you sleep, your brain catalogues the previous day’s experiences, primes your memory and triggers the release of hormones regulating energy, mood and mental acuity. To complete its work, the brain needs seven to eight hours of sleep. When it gets less, your concentration, creativity, mood regulation and productivity all take a hit.

There was a tip at the bottom about how to get more from your sleep.

In retrospect, one tip about sleeping in darkness confirms a few sleep stories I’d like to share.

Darkness seen

My brother once worked for a TV news broadcasting company. At one time, he was working the police beat, following reports of evening crimes, accidents and the many “news” items that occur between 10pm to 6am — the graveyard shift.

Then he would come home at around 7am and try (try!) to get some sleep.

He blocked out his room’s windows with cardboard and tape, trying to shield as much sunlight from coming into his room. The room was dim, but not dark.

Then he would wear an eye patch to block off even more light entering his eyes.

One time I asked him “why do you bother blocking out the windows when you’re wearing your eye patch anyway?”

He replied: “I want to see the darkness.”

It was an attempt to be funny, I think (with my brother, you’re never really sure).
But I think it was an enlightened joke — he wasn’t totally in the dark there.
He wanted to sleep in darkness.

Confucius says, “Our skin has eyes”

An officemate, Rain, told me about her conversation with a Chinese friend. They happened to talk about sleep. Rain mentioned to her Chinese friend that she sleeps in her airconditioned room with the windows closed and the lights on.

Chinese friend told Rain that the body needs to sleep in darkness.
“Your skin has eyes. It cannot sleep well in bright light.”

It was odd hearing this explanation. I brushed it off back then as a myth told to children so they will not be afraid of the darkness.

The sleep tip

In the article I read yesterday, there were a few tips on how to get the most out of your sleep. One tip was:

Darken the room completely. Your brain creates a hormone called melatonin that senses when it’s dark out and primes you for sleep. If you try to sleep amid too much light, your brain may decide you’re not ready for bedtime after all.

Read the full article on the Business Mirror: Why you need sleep in order to Succeed” by Anne Field

So there *was* some truth to my brother needing to sleep in darkness even though his eyes were already covered. His *body* wanted to see the darkness.

Our skin doesn’t *really* have eyes. But our skin is indeed affected by light. When our body is in darkness, it tells the mind that we’re ready to get a full night’s restful sleep.

And when we wake,
we can bask in the shiny new day,
and radiate our inner brightness!

ka edong
ma-bright

I took a leave from work yesterday. Because yesterday, I went through a surgery that knocked me out for a couple of hours.

I found out about my medical condition through a series of medical examinations in connection with my employment. Within two weeks of discovering the need for my surgery, I took the necessary tests and confirmed my surgical appointment for Oct 24.

Through these past three days, I am thankful for many things.

• I am thankful that I discovered the need for this corrective surgery.
• I am thankful for my current company for the medical benefit that covers a huge part of the medical expenses.
• I am thankful for my manager and friend, A, who challenges me to do better and supports and understands me when I need her help. I am thankful for my team mates and friends at work who said prayers and supported me in many other ways.
• I am thankful for my PSI family especially Tita Vickie for the prayers and white light as I was going through my surgery. Thank you Tita Vickie and Tito Sonny for visiting me at the hospital, I really appreciate it!
• I am thankful for my doctor, Doc Allen Reyes, for the very successful operation and the clarity and patience in helping me understand the surgery I went through. Thanks, friend! I thank the staff of St. Luke’s who have been very professional, very courteous and amiable. I’m glad their patient with the kulit patient they had named Edwin.
• I am thankful for Jorey and Noee, my bestfriends-couple for the always humorous conversations. Glad you were here, mga kapatid!
• I am thankful for my honey who stayed by my side through this whole experience. Huuuuug! Thanks for the lugaw and chocnut and for a whole lot more!
• I am thankful for my dad, mom and kuya eric who took time out from their normal days to be with me through this surgery. Dad and mom have always been there in the most important parts of our lives. I thank you for being there and I love you so much! Atchi and kelmer, thanks for the prayers and the moral support!
• And to the many relatives and friends who said their prayers for me and sent their warm wishes.

I am recovering well.

It was a unique experience what I went through. It was very pleasant getting my treatment at St. Luke’s. I feel like I’m in a hotel! Very clean place, very pleasant staff. I am blessed to have the medical coverage for St. Luke’s.

I remember being quite excited coming into the operating room. I was scanning the place as they rolled me into the operating room on my hospital bed. I remember they strapped me unto the bed and started connecting so many tubes and devices on my chest and arms. They put a hairnet on me and taped on a sterile cap on my head, telling me it was a “hair spa”. Hehehe!  I’m sure they were jolly partly because they saw I was jolly. I remember the oxygen mask and the smell pleasant smell. Ahhh, so this is what it’s like to inhale oxygen. Reminds me of the oxygen bars I’ve seen on TV or heard about through friends.

I remember my Anesthesiologist (aka “Anes”, sounds like “Honest”) positioning me on my side like in the fetus position. She warned me of the pain I would feel on my back as she put in something to make my lower body numb. It was a tingling feeling. That’s almost the last that I could remember.

I remember waking up in the middle of the surgery, I think, but dozing off quite quickly as well.

Next thing I remember I was at the recovery section of the OR. I couldn’t feel my feet, legs and butt. I remember the nurses coming and going, checking on my vital signs and the pain reliever they gave through my IV.

I remember waking and dozing off. While awake, I would test how much of my legs I could feel, and to what extent I could move my legs and toes. I remember hearing my name and replying like a schoolboy “Present!” :D .

I’m up and about now. Although I still have two bottles of vodka … este IV and a pain reliever pinned to me, I able to walk and move around enough to write this article on my laptop.

I am blessed. I thank our good Lord for all the blessings and all the love I have been showered with. Bless my body which You have healed, bless my heart that continues to love and love life!

ka edong
loves life!