I used to be the best sleeper. Then I had a baby and now my circadian rhythm seems to do jumping jacks throughout the day instead of the nice downward curve from morning ‘til night.

So now it’s 5:45 AM and I’m still not tired.

Which got me thinking about the Chinese Qi Time Flow.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), time is divided into two-hour blocks, each of which represent a different organ. Waking at a certain hour every night can mean that you have an imbalance in that particular organ.

Waking at 2 AM is not normal for me, but if it happened repeatedly, I would consider a Liver imbalance. An imbalance in the liver can present as anger, ailments of the tendons, nails or eyes, menstrual concerns, or even life plans. The liver houses the ethereal soul which influences life goals and finding a sense of direction. Liver actually encompasses 1 AM to 3 AM, so any time within that period could be a liver issue.

If you wake between 3 AM and 5 AM, then it is a lung imbalance. The lung governs Qi and respiration, controls blood vessels and dispersing of body fluids on the skin and down to the kidneys, regulates water passages, controls skin and hair and houses the corporeal soul. The corporeal soul is the most physical part of a soul and can be damaged by grief and sadness.

Do you wake up at the same time every night?