Behind every public figure's appearance lies a personal health and beauty regimen. This series examines the diets, workouts, treatments, and lifestyle choices of people in the spotlight.

Tablo
Tablo

Epik High member Tablo has revealed he has been averaging only four hours of sleep a night for the past month due to insomnia. Despite trying warm water, warm milk, exercise, sunlight exposure, melatonin, magnesium and meditation, he said he still cannot fall asleep easily.

"Insomnia has come back over the past month," Tablo said on his YouTube channel. "I'm averaging about four hours of sleep a day, and at my age that's dangerous." He added that the prolonged sleep deprivation has left him so worn out he sometimes loses track of what he is saying.

He described a range of remedies he has tried: drinking warm water, warm milk and chamomile tea, exercising and getting sunlight, and taking melatonin and magnesium supplements, as well as meditating — none of which produced satisfying results.

The causes of insomnia are wide-ranging and include stress, lifestyle habits, underlying conditions and medications. For people in middle age and beyond, changes in sleep architecture and circadian rhythms that come with aging can add another layer of disruption.

Lying in bed for hours but still not rested? Deep sleep declines with age

As people age, sleeping the same way they did in their youth becomes increasingly difficult. Total sleep time tends to shorten, sleep grows lighter, and the number of nighttime awakenings rises.

Slow-wave sleep — the deep sleep involved in physical recovery and memory consolidation — makes up a smaller share of the night. As a result, even after spending enough hours in bed, many people no longer wake up feeling truly rested.

A meta-analysis published in the international journal Sleep confirmed these patterns. Researchers analyzed 65 studies covering 3,577 participants between the ages of 5 and 102 and found that as adults grow older, total sleep time, sleep efficiency and the proportion of slow-wave sleep all decline, while the amount of time spent awake after falling asleep increases.

Not all of these changes can be attributed to normal aging alone, however. Pain, nocturia, medications, alcohol consumption, sleep apnea, and conditions such as depression and anxiety can also disrupt sleep.

Anyone who snores heavily, experiences breathing interruptions during sleep, or feels overwhelming daytime drowsiness and fatigue despite spending adequate time in bed should consider whether a sleep disorder such as sleep apnea may be involved.

Feeling sleepy early in the evening, waking before dawn — the body clock shifts with age

Not only the depth of sleep but also its timing can change with age. The body has an internal clock that regulates sleep and wakefulness in sync with the day-night cycle, and this rhythm tends to shift earlier as people get older.

The amount and pattern of melatonin secretion — which normally rises at night — can also change with age. When the circadian rhythm advances, people may find themselves feeling drowsy in the early evening and waking naturally in the early hours of the morning.

For this reason, getting plenty of bright light during the morning and daytime hours is important, as is reducing light exposure in the evening. Daytime sunlight signals the body clock that the day has begun, helping keep the sleep-wake rhythm consistent.

Before bed, it helps to dim bright lights and limit prolonged exposure to bright screens such as televisions and smartphones. Strong light at night suppresses melatonin secretion and can delay the time it takes to fall asleep.

'I worked out hard at 9 p.m. and felt even more wired' — the timing of exercise matters

Tablo said he once tried intense exercise around 9 p.m., thinking that physically tiring himself out would help him fall asleep. Instead, the heightened alertness that followed the workout lingered and made it even harder to get to sleep.

Regular exercise can improve overall sleep quality, but vigorous activity immediately before bed raises heart rate, body temperature and alertness — and for some people that can actually interfere with sleep rather than help it.

The Korean Sleep Research Society recommends exercising regularly during the day but avoiding overly intense workouts within three to four hours of bedtime.

The bedroom environment also plays a role. Minimizing light and noise and keeping the room at a comfortable temperature can make a difference. Maintaining a consistent daily rhythm — waking at roughly the same time each day and keeping naps short — is also beneficial.

A month of insomnia disrupting your days? Find the cause rather than just trying harder to sleep

A few restless nights happen to everyone. But when insomnia persists for weeks despite multiple lifestyle changes — as in Tablo's case — and begins to affect daytime functioning through fatigue and difficulty concentrating, it should not be dismissed as simply being "someone who can't sleep."

It is worth examining whether an underlying condition or medication may be driving the insomnia, and seeking specialist sleep care if needed. For chronic insomnia, cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I), which addresses maladaptive sleep habits and sleep-related anxiety, is one established treatment option.

Getting good sleep is not just about piling on more remedies in an effort to force sleep. Staying in bright environments during the day, creating conditions at night that allow the body and brain to rest, and — when insomnia persists — identifying the root cause are the priorities.


rainbow@heraldcorp.com