If you haven’t already done so and are waking up every night, notice the time you awaken. Is it between 1:00 am and 3:00 am or 4:00 or 5:00 in the morning? Surely, there is an explanation and a good reason this is happening. According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), which has been around for thousands of years, all of our organs traverse our body through meridians. There are 12 meridians in our body, each with a 2-hour time frame in a 24-hour period. Awakening during any of these time periods is very telling and is in fact important to understand why it is happening so that you are aware of some of the causes affecting your health and mind that you may be in control of and make changes to improve not only your sleep, but your health as well.

A very common time to awaken is between 1:00 am and 3:00 am, the time of the Liver. The Liver is responsible for detoxifying, releasing hormones in the body, and influences the smooth flow of energy, called Qi (pronounced “chi”), in the body. The Liver governs the tendons and ligaments and eyesight. Interestingly, as the Liver dominates the left side of the body, many people with Liver imbalances experience left sided complaints of pain or injuries. When there is an imbalance, either due to stress, anxiety, excessive alcohol consumption, or anger, the natural course of the Liver’s energy is stagnated–termed Liver Qi Stagnation. Symptoms typically result in irritability, moodiness, PMS, bitter taste, frequent sighing, red eyes, floaters, digestive issues, and migraines. Another common time is between 3 am and 5 am, which corresponds with Lung time. The Lung, in TCM and in Western Medicine, is responsible for the immune system; it opens to the nose, throat, and governs the skin. The emotion associated with the Lung channel is grief and sadness. If you are waking up around this time periods, you may have been affected by prolonged sadness and or grief. You will likely be at increased risk for illness as your immune system is suppressed.

Eating the right foods that nourish the Liver or Lungs, for example, can strengthen the energy of these organs– So can proper lifestyle, diet and exercise. Understanding the nature of our organ system and how each one interrelates is key for optimizing health and preventing chronic illness. Each organ’s energy flows into the next organ. All meridians are intrinsically and extrinsically related. Balance is key to optimizing health, and a truly holistic approach to wellness encompasses diet, lifestyle, exercise, Eastern and Western medicine.