Do you ever wonder why each night you wake up exactly at 3:00 am? or you need to go to the bathroom right at 5:00 am? Well, you are about to find out. There is more to it then disrupted sleep. What if I told you that an acupuncturist could treat your wrist pain, asthma or digestive concerns just by knowing when you wake up throughout the night? Pretty remarkable and it is possible.Your sleep is everything. Being restless in the morning or having challenges staying asleep is just the beginning to understanding your entire organ system according to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Our body is very sophisticated. In fact,it is so sophisticated it has its own internal alarm system to keep processes in line. It has a natural rhythmic flow of vital energy known in the East as Qi. Commonly referred to in the West as your circadian rhythm.
This vital energy flows through 12 organs at specific times of the day in a 24-hour cycle. During sleep, vital energy is drawn inwards through your meridians and organs to restore your system. During the day, this vital energy continues to travel through your body to support your system. Each cycle must complete its round in circulating fluid, absorbing nutrients, regulating hormones, restoring function, expelling toxins and balancing your emotions. This organ transition occurs every two hours. What is the primal clock based on? The sun and moon of course! Yes, the sun and moon ultimately are the conductors of your health. Sounds like a stretch, right? Let me demonstrate how it is not. Once we view it in the Eastern paradigm, it will all make sense.
In order to understand, we must learn about yin and yang. Yin Yang is at the center of Eastern Medicine. Life exists in duality and this duality forms a whole. We see this duality all around us. Think of -man and woman, health and disease, physiology and anatomy to name a few. Yin and yang symbolizes two halves which complete wholeness. Yin and yang are opposite energies. They are interdependent and cannot exist independently. As long as you are alive, yin yang are complementary and connected. Yin and yang balance one another. They are not absolute or static. They are dynamic. If one is disrupted, the equilibrium shifts and there is an imbalance in wholeness. Each half is attempting to seek new balance within one another.
The best way to think of the duality of yin yang in terms of sleep is night and day. Yin is night. Yang is day. Your sleep begins with cues from sunrise and dusk. Before lights, iPads and TV, our cues were nature. Yang rises with the sun; while, yin rises with the moon. Conversely, yang descends with the moon and yin descends with the sun. The pivot points are at sunrise and sunset. When the sun began to come up, our body transitioned into yang. When dusk began, our bodies transitioned into yin time.
As the sun rises each morning and descends in the evening, your body prepares this innate ebb and flow. When your body has a healthy day-night schedule, your organs know the exact time to begin their process for balance of yin and yang. On the flip side, if you are waking up each night at 5:00 am unable to fall back asleep, your organs are disrupted and set back.
As acupuncturists, we can diagnose organ imbalances based on your organ schedule. Yes, the status of your health may lie in the times you are woken up in the night. It’s important to note, these times in the day for a more accurate focus of your condition. Are there times you need to run to the bathroom in the morning? Do you wake up each night tossing and turning at a certain time? Do you notice a dip in your energy through the day? These are all very important moments to note.
In the East, we strongly evaluate the status of your yin and yang throughout the day. Knowing this information can help us diagnose which organ is instigating or contributing to your imbalance. You may come in with wrist pain that has nothing to do with your sleep; however, after some investigation we may find the meridian that goes through your wrist is weak from the time you wake up each night. For example, if you share you are waking up each night between 3:00a to 5:00a, we will know this is your Lung organ. The lung meridian has a pathway through your forearm and wrist. A simple treatment to address your lung meridian may bring you relief. In fact, addressing both the yin and yang aspects of that meridian may be the desired approach. In my practice, the organ clock is often used to create a harmonious treatment. In this example, the opposite time on the organ clock for lung is your bladder. Treatment of both the lung and bladder channels, can bring relief to your wrist pain.
Are you curious to know the times? Below is an outline of each, along with its associated action, emotion and dysfunctions for your reference.
TCM Organ Clock
3:00a-5:00a is the Lung time. This energy begins here in this channel and travels through the pathway of the entire body. Your breath is the beginning of this Qi movement. If you are waking up during this time, you may be dealing with grief, sadness or depression. Physical imbalances of your respiration, asthma, or getting colds easily.
5:00a-7:00a is Large Intestine time. This is the optimal time to have a bowel movement and eliminate toxins from your body. If your body is out of balance, emotions of feeling stuck will be felt or challenges in “letting go”. This will reflect in your physical form as constipation, incomplete bowel movements or fatigue.
7:00a-9:00a is Stomach time. This is the optimal moment for digestion and absorption. It is encouraged to have a big breakfast as it sets the tone for your day. Physically, your body will feel symptoms of acid reflux, bad breath or abdominal pain if unbalanced. The emotion when out of balance is disgust or despair. Think of being malnourished, you may feel despair.
9:00a-11:00a is Spleen time. This is the most optimal time to digest food for building blocks of your body. This is the golden hours for extracting nutrients, regenerating tissue, restoring energy and transportation of your building blocks. Imbalances physically will be distension, bloating, gas, fatigue and craving sugar to function. Emotional imbalances are being pensive. Its encouraged to eat foods that support this organ such as dates, congee, lentils, sweet potatoes or yams.
11:00a-1:00p is Heart time. This is the time to decompress, relax or take a cat nap. The heart organ dislikes fluctuations of any sort. This means increase in heat, stress or caffeine. Imbalances will lead to palpitations, insomnia, tightness in the chest and dream-disturbed sleep.
1:00p-3:00p is Small Intestine time. This is the time to make sure you are hydrated. During this time, your body is separating nutrients from waste. The clear is being sorted from the turbid fluids. To flush your system, water is encouraged. When out of balance, the small intestine will cause gas, vomiting, bloating and shoulder pain.
3:00p-5:00p is Urinary Bladder time. This is a time the hydration from the previous two hours is excreted. Here the stored fluid is secreted. If you are not hydrated, your energy will take a toll. When the urinary bladder is out of balance, you will experience incontinence, burning urination, incomplete urination or yeast infections.
5:00p-7:00p is Kidney time. This is the moment that is in charge of our development, reproduction and growth. We believe a property referred to as “essence” is stored in your kidney. Essence is responsible for healthy reproduction and development. An imbalance will reflect in premature graying of hair, sexual dysfunction, knee pain or low back pain.
7:00-9:00p is Pericardium time. This organ is generally needed for support. It is encouraged to decompress during this time. It is encouraged to do yoga, light stretching, meditation or read. An imbalance will reflect in carpal tunnel, sleep disturbance, or nausea.
9:00p-11:00p is San Jiao time. This is an organ unique to traditional Chinese medicine. An imbalance will lead to poor sweating, body odor and swelling.
11:00p-1:00a is Gallbladder time. The gallbladder stores and excretes bile. Fats are to be digested during this time. If you have an imbalance, you will have poor quality of sleep, hip pain or shoulder pain. Emotionally, the imbalance will display challenges in making a decision, poor judgment or being timid.
1:00a-3:00a is Liver time. Liver is in charge of blood circulation according to traditional Chinese medicine. Blood is needed to warm your body along with propelling nutrients to tissues. Poor circulation of Liver Qi will lead to headaches, migraines, irregular menstruation, anemia and restless leg. Emotional imbalances will be seen with resentment, repressed anger or frustration.