Why We can't Sleep Well and What Should We Do to Change?

What affect our sleep?

According to the Huberman Lab Podcast of professor Andrew Huberman, we conclude the following reasons:

Body temperature affecting the biological clock

The circadian rhythm is an internal cycle that causes changes in our body's functions over 24 hours. The most noticeable changes are in body temperature, which affects how awake or sleepy we feel.

EXAMPLE

Your lowest body temperature happens about 90 minutes to 2 hours before you wake up. For example, if you usually wake up at 5:30 a.m., your lowest temperature might be around 3:30 a.m. Knowing this time can help you adjust your sleep schedule. If you are exposed to light, exercise, or eat 4 to 6 hours before this time, you might stay up late and sleep in. But if you do these things 4 to 6 hours after your lowest temperature, you'll likely go to bed and wake up earlier.

What can we learn to adjust our sleep

Humans are naturally active during the day and rest at night. Many studies show that trying to stay awake all night can harm our health. To adjust your daily routine, you can change when you are exposed to light, exercise, and eat. This helps you form a good habit of going to bed early and waking up early.

What kind of work and rest pattern do Chinese traditional medicine practitioners think is most suitable for the human body?

Guanzi said, "When people are in harmony with nature, then the beauty of heaven and earth arises." This means that human production and life should be in sync with the natural rhythms of yin and yang. Traditional Chinese medicine has the concept of "ziwu liuzhu," which the pure yang(阳）energy will arise at the hour of Yin (寅3 to 5 a.m.)and ends at the hour of Mao (卯:5 to 7 a.m.), suggesting waking up around 5 or 6 a.m. and going to bed around 9 or 10 p.m. In order to aligns with nature's rhythm.

The time from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m., known as the hour of Zi(子), is when the gallbladder meridian is most active, making it an essential period for effective sleep.It is the important time for gallbladder to take a rest.

For those who wake up at 5 a.m., it's best to take a nap around noon. During this time, the heart meridian is most active, is the best time to nourish the heart. Just as midnight sleep is important, a midday nap is also crucial for maintaining health.

Why live sync with nature is so important and why nowadays we suffer from the sleep & health problems?

In tradition chinese konwledge: Jingzhe(惊蛰）which means "awakening of insects," Jing （惊）marks the time when all hibernating animals wake up, and plants start to grow. "Zhe" （蛰）refers to hibernating animals, and during this solar term, animals like bears, snakes, frogs, and insects come out of hibernation.

It's not that someone goes around waking them up. These animals sense the increasing yang（阳） energy in nature, which prompts them to wake up.

Humans, being advanced animals, have also become less in tune with nature due to modern lifestyles. Good sleeping habits people often wake up around 5 a.m even if they don’t set an alarm. Less sensitive people might continue sleeping soundly.

In humans, what's dormant is the yang(阳） energy that has rested overnight. Around 5 a.m.it needs to awaken, much like planting seeds in spring.

How do you awaken itif you still fell sleepy? The answer is simple: you can just move. As soon as you move, your body's yang energy begins to flow.

You might feel very sleepy while lying in bed, unsure whether to get up. But once you get dressed and start moving, the sleepiness often disappears. This happens because your yang energy has been activated.

So, waking up early aligns with the natural cycles of yin(阴） and yang（阳）. Similarly, at around 9 p.m., as the yang（阳） energy begins to decline and the yin (阴）energy rises, it's time to prepare for sleep. Going to bed early helps to nourish the yang （阳）energy.

Try to change your bad sleeping habits.Whether you choose to change based on science or traditional Chinese medicine, Start from the little things and stop playing on your phone at midnight. I hope you have a good night's sleep and a healthy lifestyle, my dear friend!