Put down that iced latte at this hour and take a word or two from this article – good sleep. With so many things keeping us awake and a truckload of things to worry about, sleep doesn’t come as easy as it used to. The Philippines now ranks first in Southeast Asia and fourth worldwide in sleep deprivation, according to a March 26, 2025 ANC report citing the Philippine Society of Sleep Medicine.
There are also those who are not diagnosed with sleeping disorders yet still don’t get the quality of Zs that their bodies need. There are countless factors that contribute to poor quality of sleep that a lot of people are going through. Dr. Merci Angelie Letigio-Uy, head of the Sleep Health and Wellness Center of the University of Cebu Medical Center, shared on Nov. 12, 2025, some common causes of poor quality of sleep or lack thereof.
Sleepless lifestyle
While the nightlife is appealing, hustling for that next paycheck is the norm, and hopping from place to another is the way to go about life, our lifestyles are a strong factor in how good our quality of sleep is. People who smoke, drink, or those who have inconsistent sleeping patterns are bound to have constantly disturbed circadian rhythms, which is the body’s internal 24-hour clock that regulates sleep-wake cycles.
Dr. Merci said that the solution is to establish a routine, which is key to developing sleeping habits. Always make sure to squeeze in enough hours of sleep, preferably six to eight hours.
Blue light overexposure
Living in a highly digitized world has made most of daily life a walk in the park, but it has also been one of the many causes of people’s lack of sleep. Constant blue light exposure from our gadgets, such as laptops and handheld devices, might be one of the main reasons why a trip to snoozeville could be an arduous one. According to Dr. Merci, constant doom scrolling or spending hours in front of screens can suppress melatonin production, the hormone that helps us fall asleep.
The solution Dr. Merci suggested is to ditch late-night scrolling and practice zero screen time an hour before sleep. Developing this habit is essential to maintaining the production of melatonin and ensuring better quality of sleep.
Anxiety
Who doesn’t go by their day without feeling the weight of their own anxieties and worries every day? As life gets increasingly demanding, it is hard to find time to rest and not be swept away by the current of our problems.
The solution, Dr. Merci said, is that it is crucial to tackle our obstacles one day at a time and always find time to rest despite the hectic schedule. While we can’t control most of the things that come along the way, it is important that we emotionally let go of some of the heavy matters that we can’t control.