24 Sep One hours sleep before midnight is worth two after midnight – a Traditional Chinese Medicine guide to sleep.
One hours sleep before midnight is worth two after midnight – A Traditional Chinese Medicine guide to sleep.
By Carolin Power from Power Acupuncture
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) we consider a good nights sleep to be extremely important in rebooting your hard drive, so to speak. If you find it difficult to get a decent rest, there are a few things we take into consideration when treating you. Firstly, if you have difficulty falling asleep it suggests to us that you may be a ‘what if’ person and maybe there is some underlying anxiety. If you wake up during the night, especially around 1-3am, it suggests to us that you may have some frustration going on, having difficulty planning or getting things done that you want to do. This all affects the acupuncture points we select to treat you as an individual.
Chinese herbs can also be used to calm your mind before bedtime. These Chinese herbs are a very specific formulation that focuses on the cause of your insomnia, and will be tailored to your issue. I’d love to name a few, but because it’s a formulation, and not individual herbs, it would simply not tell the whole story throwing a few names in there.
TCM says is that one hours sleep before midnight is worth two after midnight. Which translates to – try to get to bed before pumpkin hour!
The other thing is to not eat before going to sleep. Ideally you should have dinner before 8pm. Think of a landfill – it sits there in a heap, it generates heat and steam comes of it. The same theory applies if you eat late and then go to bed. Food sits in your stomach, the digestion process isn’t properly activated, heat is generated, which can lead to a restless nights sleep.
Gentle exercise that focuses on breathing is also a great way to end the day and prepare your body for rejuvenation. Qi Gong, a relative to Tai Chi, focuses on doing just that, slow movements and relaxation.
TCM also says is that one hours sleep before midnight is worth two after midnight. Which translates to – try to get to bed before pumpkin hour!
So if you have difficulty getting a good zzzzzzzzz in, come and see me and I’ll be sure to tailor and individual program to get your sleeping pattern back on a healthy track.
