My dad hasn’t been able to sleep properly for the past few weeks. He went to the GP, who gave him Belsomra. This made my mum mad, because dad probably drinks three coffees a day, including at night sometimes, and has a glass of wine probably every night. Also is a workaholic. Works Monday to Saturday, probably at least 60 hours a week. Always has to be doing something, unless he’s knocked out because of sleep. I wish I had that work ethic. He also watches the TV with the light on for some reason.

I think and hope it’s just a sleep hygiene thing.

I called him today and he told me that he took two melatonin tablets that my mum got from iHerb when I was having difficulties falling asleep myself (probably due to poor sleep hygiene). Each tablet has 300mg of melatonin. The usual dosage is 200mg. So he’s taken 3x the optimal dose. He was also supposed to follow up with the GP about his blood test results, probably the first one he’s ever done in his life. I’m suspecting he has low iron, because he’s not a huge meat eater, and there wouldn’t be a good absorption rate with the amount of coffee he drinks.

My mum was concerned, so we got her Vitamin D tablets, that look like the melatonin ones, and swapped them out. Bit unethical due to the use of deception, but a fun way to potentially see the placebo effect in action.

It absolutely shits me how many men don’t give a crap about their health. Maybe because I have had health education and value my health, I care about this stuff. I don’t exercise enough or have amazing nutrition habits (I find it difficult to eat three meals a day), but if something’s up physically, I will go to the GP if I feel it’s necessary. Perhaps I’m a borderline hypochondriac. Women tend to care more, I’ve observed, but this is a generalisation.

Considering my dad’s friend’s father just passed away unexpectedly, probably from a lifestyle related condition, it goes to show how generational help-seeking behaviours are. It sucks how my dad’s attitude is, “If I drop dead, I drop dead.”

I think it’s the same with accessing mental healthcare as well, although that is a LOT more stigmatised. My dad says the “woke generation” is too soft and doesn’t want to work, but I know that if I ever raise a child, I might do a better job at validating their emotions, and recognising acting out as being a bad person, rather than someone in need of regulation. I don’t blame him, because he never got the education and the grounding about mental health stuff. Maybe I could talk to his HR people and ask them if they can do a session about mental health stuff.