You may have been waking up at the same time every night. That time could be an imbalance in a specific organ system said Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). According to TCM theory, our spiritual well-being and physical health are directly connected to internal systems and rhythms, which help govern our bodily functions.
Lack of Sleep: Effects of Sleep Deprivation
It’s a common fact that we all know, we need adequate sleep to regulate and function our body properly. Sleep is a very important thing for all of us. Lack of proper sleep can affect judgment, mood, and ability to learn and retain information, and also may increase the risk of serious accidents and injury.
Research has proven that having a sleep disruption for a few days can cause:
- Weight gain
- increased caloric intake and appetite
- Increase inflammation
- Increased blood pressure
- Increased cortisol levels
- Increased blood sugar levels and insulin
Long-term sleep impairment can cause:
- Diabetes
- Cardiovascular disease
- Early mortality
2. Wake Up Times And What They Mean
These processes and the changes that happen internally in response to our environment use the term “circadian rhythms” in Western medicine (aka traditional medicine). We will explore the relationship between disruptions in these rhythms and the development of illness even though it’s not 100% clear on all of the details and reasons behind why our rhythms have the effects they do.
According to TCM many of these blockages should be viewed physically and emotionally. Below are a list of wake-up times and the organs they are associated with.
– 10 pm- 11 pm: Hormones and Metabolism
In the first place, having trouble in sleeping is a sign of uncontrolled stress. First try to find the true root causes of your stress, which will lead to adrenal fatigue.
The inability to sleep at this time also can be endocrine imbalances including your thyroid or a problem with your metabolism said TCM.
– 11 pm- 1 am: Gall Bladder
You may have a hard time making decisions lately or feeling low in your self-esteem.
According to TCM, the gallbladder stores and excretes bile in physically and it’s in charge of self-esteem and decision-making in emotionally. If you can’t sleep at this time you are depleting your gall bladder’s energy stores, which will lead to poor self-esteem, poor judgment, or difficulty digesting fats.
- 1 am- 3 am: Liver
If you have been more irritable, frustrated or angry than usual, your liver may be in need of some rebalancing. You can quickly become deficient, especially if you are a female as the importance of blood for menstruation if you are not sleeping at this time.
The liver is also connected to anger in emotionally. you wake up the time between 1-3 am, you may have repressed anger or long-standing resentment.
Irregular menstruation, anemia, chronic fatigue, and headache are the symptoms of liver imbalances. You can aid your liver naturally with medicinal herbs, and by making some simple lifestyle changes.
– 3-5am: Lungs
If something particularly saddening or tragic happened, the lung is responsible for moving the energy through the meridians and to the entire body, as well as providing immune protection. That is also emotionally a part of grief. If you are struggling with grief or sorrow you’ll wake up at this time. Imbalances also will show up as wheezing, coughing, asthma, or getting sick easily.
It’s getting cleared out of the system if any toxins released and broken down earlier in the night.
In this time period the large intestine inactive. Having a poor diet and having it too late will make you wake up at this time.
– 5am-7am: Large Intestine
If you have been holding something that you’re having a particularly hard time letting go it is the best time to have a bowel movement. It’s physically and emotionally, the large intestine is all about ‘letting go’. Constipation, dry stools, skin rash, and feeling emotionally ‘stuck’ are the symptoms of malfunction.
How To Get A Better Sleep, Naturally
Setting a consistent bedtime is the first step in improving the quality of your sleep. By exercising regularly, avoiding caffeinated beverages after 2 pm, and shutting your devices down close to bed can make easy to get better sleep.
Another way to improve overall sleep quality you can have a nice cup of sleepy time tea with calming herbs like valerian root, passionflower, and skullcap. Everyone struggles to get consistent restful sleep from time to time but no denying sleep is important. Who needed a soothing, natural sleep aid before bed, I created my medicinal sleep tea Nightly Zen for patients.
If you’re struggling to get the bottom of your sleep issues, you can work with a naturopathic doctor or traditional Chinese medicine specialist to aid to find the cause of your sleep issues and create an individualized treatment plan for just for you.