The question gets asked frequently.
The Chinese clock can help guide us in the right direction as to why you might be waking up at the same time.
Every 2 hours, our energy runs through a different meridian. When there is an imbalance of energy in a certain meridian, there could be issues sleeping during the related time. Let’s take a look at the different Chinese clock times.
9 PM TO 11 PM – TRIPLE BURNER
Do you feel stuck in flight or fight mode? Are you stressed out, and your mind is racing too much to fall asleep? The Triple Burner is responsible for intake, transformation, and elimination. When this meridian is disrupted, you may feel on edge; like your emotional and physical well being is threatened. It’s possible that you fall asleep but wake up quickly after, feeling disoriented and confused.
11 PM TO 1 AM – GALL BLADDER TIME
Have you been feeling frustrated, or judgmental of yourself and others? In Chinese medicine, the gallbladder channel begins right outside of the eye. Diet can play a role in gall bladder disruption, so it is important to assess what foods you are eating and what types of oils you are using in your food.
1 AM TO 3 AM – LIVER TIME
This is the most common time frame that patients complain of waking up. “The Witching Hour”. This time frame corresponds with the Liver, which has a massive impact on our entire system. Liver disruptions can result in hormonal imbalances, digestive issues, anxiety, anger, and frustration.
3 AM TO 5 AM – LUNG TIME
A 3 to 5 am wake up time is often associated with deep grief and sadness that has not been processed. Many people like to wake up around 5 am, and if that is your intention, it is a great time for meditation and a focus on deep breathing.
5 AM TO 7 AM – LARGE INTESTINE
The large intestine is responsible for “letting go”. Do you hold on to things? Try to control everything? Holding on and control build more and more toxicity and waste accumulation in our bodies that can lead to constipation and other digestive issues. Many people also naturally wake up on the later side of this during this time period.
This is a great tool to help identify what is going on internally. By narrowing down these patterns, we can focus acupuncture treatments to help treat the root of what could be causing your disturbed sleep.