Do you or your friends have trouble sleeping at night? There are many different TCM patterns resulting in insomnia. Some people cannot fall asleep, others fall asleep but keep waking throughout the night, and others wake up too early in the morning, before the scheduled time to wake up. There are various causes for these sleeping patterns.
You body recovers from its daily stresses during sleep, and when your sleep is disrupted or shortened, your energy level is naturally low, as a result. You may feel more tired and drained the next day and feel difficult to focus and concentrate to get your tasks done. However, if the stresses are not taken away, and the sleep pattern is not restored back to normal, day after day, your energy level will continue to decrease.
Insomnia can be caused by many factors, including anxiety and mental stress (if you are worried about something important to you), disturbing dreams accompanied by poor sleep quality (if you have encountered some psychological trauma); or maybe it's due to food stagnation (if you overeat at dinner or if you eat dinner too late at night); caffeine also affects your sleep (if you are sensitive to it and if you consume it in the afternoon or evening). Insomnia affects women particularly during peri-menopausal period when they have hot flashes and nightsweat, and oftentimes aging people have to wake up during the night to use the restroom. Perhaps you have allergies and nasal congestion when catching a cold, or if you have sleep apnea, all of which limits the amount of oxygen your brain picks up and makes you sleepy and tired the next day. Perhaps you are in school and have an important exam or a presentation tomorrow but you are not quite ready for it yet. Sleep is so important, yet there are so many factors affecting a good night's sleep!
In TCM theory, each internal organ takes turn to rest during the day and during the night. According to TCM, the most important time to be asleep is at 11pm to 3am. If it takes you a while to fall asleep, then it's a good idea to start preparing to fall asleep at 10:30pm and give yourself half an hour to fall asleep, so by 11pm your body and your internal organs can rest. From 11pm to 1am, it's the Gallbladder time, and the period of 1am to 3am is the Liver time. And these are very important hours for your Liver and Gallbladder to detox while your body is at rest. From a Western medicine perspective, research studies have shown that your pineal gland releases melatonin in the dark, which helps with regulating your sleep cycle and protects your body against cancer.
If you have trouble falling asleep, you can try drinking some hot water with long yan rou (Longan dried fruit, Arillus Euphoriae Longanae, 龍眼肉) during the day or in the evening. The sweet and tonifying nature of this herb will help you fall sleep and stay asleep. Acupuncture treatment helps very much with reducing stress and calming your mind. A Korean practitioner has suggested soaking your feet in warm water to ground you and prepare you for sleep. It's a good idea to exercise during the day to increase oxygen intake. If you are the food stagnation type, try having an earlier and smaller dinner to help prevent food stagnation. Avoid stimulants such as caffeine or tobacco; likewise, avoid stimulating videogames or heated arguments in the evening. Learn to write down and schedule your tasks in your timetable. Rest your mind and lift up your troubles, for you cannot change or control anything by worrying about it.
Sleep is so important to our health, and there is so many hindrance to a good night's sleep. I wish you will overcome whatever challenges you encounter and sleep well!
2009年2月3日 星期二
According to the Season of Winter
Huang Di Nei Jing, one of the inner classic texts of TCM, advises us to live according to the seasons. Living according to the seasons means to modify your lifestyle slightly to benefit your health condition in that particular season of the year. Living in harmony with your environment can keep you from being harmed by the climate, and can keep your body at its optimal health. Just as you would go swimming in the summertime and not plunge into the ocean during winter time (unless you are an athlete like Michael Phelps), it makes sense to stay warm and nourish your body during the colder seasons.
I would like to share a few example of how to live harmoniously with the seasons in winter time. Winter is season that is of the yin nature. It is cold and can injure yang easily. To prevent injuring the yang, it is wise to eat foods that are heavier and dense, such as meat and gravy. It is best to eat foods that are warming in nature, such as stews and hearty soups, root vegetables, whole grains and nuts. Avoid cold and raw foods such as salads and cold drinks, which can again easily injure the yang. Winter is a time of gathering and storage, it is natural for you to gain a few (holiday) pounds. Don't worry about it, it will come off when springs arrives, if your activity level keeps up with the season of spring.
In winter time, your body needs more sleep and rest, as there is less sun during the day. Decrease your activity level and allow your body to rest. Get up after the sun comes up, and go to bed earlier. Allow the sun to warm up the air before you get up, so you don't need to warm up the atmosphere with the yang of your body.
Winter is also related to the Kidneys, which is where your vital energy is stored in the body. This is your energy reserve, your back up battery, your savings account, your 401k. Kidney energy is very important in growth, maturation and reproduction. It is the source of all other energy in the body. Therefore, replenish your Kidney energy during winter time, stay warm and eat well, get plenty of rest and do not overly exert yourself. One particular substance to avoid in order to avoid draining of your Kidney energy would be coffee. I know how delicious that cup of coffee sounds in the morning, but in a long run, you are much better off without it. Instead, you may find Chinese herbs more nourishing to your body and giving you the energy that you need to get through the day.
I would like to share a few example of how to live harmoniously with the seasons in winter time. Winter is season that is of the yin nature. It is cold and can injure yang easily. To prevent injuring the yang, it is wise to eat foods that are heavier and dense, such as meat and gravy. It is best to eat foods that are warming in nature, such as stews and hearty soups, root vegetables, whole grains and nuts. Avoid cold and raw foods such as salads and cold drinks, which can again easily injure the yang. Winter is a time of gathering and storage, it is natural for you to gain a few (holiday) pounds. Don't worry about it, it will come off when springs arrives, if your activity level keeps up with the season of spring.
In winter time, your body needs more sleep and rest, as there is less sun during the day. Decrease your activity level and allow your body to rest. Get up after the sun comes up, and go to bed earlier. Allow the sun to warm up the air before you get up, so you don't need to warm up the atmosphere with the yang of your body.
Winter is also related to the Kidneys, which is where your vital energy is stored in the body. This is your energy reserve, your back up battery, your savings account, your 401k. Kidney energy is very important in growth, maturation and reproduction. It is the source of all other energy in the body. Therefore, replenish your Kidney energy during winter time, stay warm and eat well, get plenty of rest and do not overly exert yourself. One particular substance to avoid in order to avoid draining of your Kidney energy would be coffee. I know how delicious that cup of coffee sounds in the morning, but in a long run, you are much better off without it. Instead, you may find Chinese herbs more nourishing to your body and giving you the energy that you need to get through the day.
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