If waking up in the middle of the night has become the norm, it’s advisable not to ignore it as it may spell trouble for your body and mind. The Chinese Organ Body Clock developed by Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) doctors states that chi moves around our body at different times of the day and if there is a certain blockage in any organs, it could force you to wake up.
By knowing the reasons why you are waking up in the middle of the night, you can then find the solutions to better sleep which can range from relaxing the mind, proper food intake to exercising regularly or even releasing your anger. Check out below for the possible reasons as to why you are waking up at a particular time.
Problems Sleeping Between 11 PM – 1 AM: Self-Esteem Issues
If one has a problem sleeping between this timing, it could mean you’re being too judgmental on yourself or others. According to the Chinese Medicine Body Block, being disappointed by a loved one can also trigger this stage of wakefulness, making you unable to sleep or forcing you to wake up during this time. Being mindful at times and not being too judgmental can help the situation and reading self-help books can also help in your confidence level.
Physically, having trouble sleeping during this time could mean that your gall bladder is trying to tell you to eat lesser fatty foods, smoke less and reduce caffeine. This is to ensure that your gall bladder is working at its optimum level and that it’s energy stores are not depleted by these harmful substances.
Waking Up Between 1 AM – 3 AM: Guilt & Rage
According to the Chinese Organ Body Clock, guilt and rage are associated with this timing. The anger lingering from the heated argument you recently had with your partner or at work could be waking you up in the dead of night and having excess of these feelings can also be contributing to it. Releasing anger and changing your perspective to seek clarity could be the solution.
Waking up between 1 AM and 3 AM could mean that your liver is struggling. Knowing how important our liver is, problems with waking up during this time should be addressed as soon as possible. It could mean that your liver is being overworked with all the toxins to deal with and a solution could be readjusting your diet to healthier eating and reducing alcohol.
Waking Up Between 3 AM – 5 AM: Grief & Sadness
Grief and sadness is linked to this timing. Waking up during this timing is suggestive of negative things that has happened in your life such as the death of a loved one or a breakup. Talking to family members or confiding in close friends can do a lot of good to your emotional well-being and although it can be difficult, finding ways to move on is important.
Physically, this is when our lungs collect the most oxygen to move it to other parts of the body to prepare it for a new day. Removal of toxins also happens in the process. If you find yourself coughing and waking up at this time, the solution could be to consume better foods and breathing in cleaner air.
Waking Up Between 5 AM – 7 AM: Feeling Stuck in Life
Feeling stuck about the lack of growth in one’s life is also a critical emotional problem if you wake up during this time. A good way to solve this is to have a morning ritual that makes you happy and driven such as planning the day ahead, listening to uplifting music or simple meditating to clear the mind for the day ahead.
There might also be problems with your large intestine if you’re waking up during this time. Having bowel movements during this time is normal and to help with the process, it is always important to drink lots of water.
Troubleshooting Made Easy
If you are unsure at what times you are waking up during the night, have a notebook placed beside you and if there is ever a time you wake up and can’t get back to sleep, record that time in that notebook. By tracking our pattern of sleep, we are able to troubleshoot it and find the best solutions for better sleep in the future.
