No. Sleepless in Leyte is not the title of a new movie or the Philippine adaptation of that wonderful Hollywood-produced romantic comedy starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan. What it is, though, is what I'm experiencing now. I can't sleep, and believe me, I've been trying to get a date with the sandman for the past three hours.



So what does a regular Joe/Juan do on nights when he can't sleep? Here's a list of activities that I engage in whenever I can't seem to pull ol' Morpheus down to earth:

Eat Comfort Food. Sure, it's unhealthy, especially if you have a sweet tooth, but what the hey! Eating your favorite comfort foods can do wonders for your mood and probably help set the stage for sleep to set in. Just remember not to give in to sleep's embrace when you're still full.

Watch Television. Naturally, you need a television, preferably one that is in the bedroom or an area of the house that has a comfortable sleeping surface like a sofa, to do this. Scan channels with the goal of looking for the most boring television show imaginable. That should be enough to send you to dreamland.

Surf The Internet. It's fun and entertaining, particularly if you know which sites to view, and your eyes will tire faster than you can say "surf the internet." Just don't get too engrossed in surfing as you may find yourself drowning in a wave of information.

Play Video Games. If you're a video games fanatic, it won't long before you find yourself in front of the computer or console. The problem with this activity is you might not get the sleep you want as you tend to go on and on. This is so true when it comes to playing massively multiplayer online games. Tons of activities, so little time, not even for sleep.

Read A Good Book. I usually resort to reading a book whenever I feel I'm at the edge of sleep but need a little push to get me snoring. After reading one chapter of a good book, I often find myself at Morpheus' door—yes, even when I get to the exciting parts of a book.

Indulge In A Hobby. Right now, my hobbies include blogging, despite the fact that blogging is also a profession for me. So whenever I can't sleep, I sit in front of my trusty computer and type away or do a little blog tweaking. I also find the time to network with the help of reliable social networking tools like Twitter and Facebook.

Study Something Of Interest. What interests you? When I was a child, I was fascinated by all things scientific, often rifling through pages of Scientific American and my family's entire encyclopedia collection. This is probably the reason why I experiment a lot. So I spend time studying, and later applying what I learn.

Write About ... Anything. This is how the literati get off, by writing just about anything under the sun, and where their passions lie. I am fortunate that I am both a journalist and a blogger. I get to flex my writing muscles by writing about anything I fancy and posting them on my blogs.

Annoy Someone Who's Asleep. Do this at your own risk. I'm not recommending it for people who value their physical well-being as people who are asleep and rudely awakened are often explosive. It's fun, though, in an odd sort of way, but you shouldn't do it more than once a year ... if you value your life.

[Image: Transitioning.org]