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Everyone may have had the experience of sleeping well at night, but suddenly at three or four o'clock in the morning, your eyes wake up, and your body seems to have a timed alarm clock, which can easily pull you out of your dream.
When I woke up, I wanted to fall back asleep but couldn't do so, so I lay on the bed and tossed and turned until dawn. What's going on with this phenomenon? Is it too much stress, anxiety, insomnia, or is the body sending you some kind of signal? Why is it always three or four in the morning? Could it be that some parts of the body are "blocked"?
Ms. Wang, 45 years old, is usually in good health and has a regular lifestyle. But lately she found herself waking up at three or four o'clock in the morning and having trouble falling asleep after that. At first she thought it was stress, but even after she relaxed at work, the problem persisted.
She began to feel anxious and even wondered if something was wrong with her body. After several examinations, the doctor told her that perhaps some parts of her body were "blocked", which caused her to wake up early frequently. This took her by surprise.
So, what are the two "blockages" that caused her to wake up at three or four in the morning? Could we also have the same problem? What is the scientific basis behind this? With these questions in mind, let's find out.
Metabolic Stress in the Liver – Midnight's "Detoxification Factory"
The liver is regarded as an important "detoxification factory" of the human body in traditional Chinese medicine, and its health directly affects the quality of our sleep. Especially at night, the liver is responsible for removing toxins from the body. From 11 p.m. to 3 a.m. every night, it is the time when the liver metabolism is most active.
If the metabolic burden on the liver increases and toxins cannot be excreted in time, the body will give a warning by waking up early. That's why many people wake up at three or four a.m. and feel like they can't go back to sleep. At this point, the liver's functioning has reached its limit, and the body needs to adjust.
Long-term drinking, excessive staying up late, and irregular diet will increase the burden on the liver. The poor metabolism of the liver directly affects the deep sleep period during sleep, resulting in the body being unable to enter a state of complete rest. This "blockage" of the liver can cause you to wake up in the early hours of the morning and no longer be able to fall into a deep sleep.
This is the case for Ms. Wang. Staying up late and eating irregularly led to an increase in the metabolic pressure on her liver, and her body signaled to her by waking up early. The doctor advised her to adjust her routine and rest to reduce the burden on her liver, and after a period of conditioning, the problem improved.
The health of the liver is not only related to the detoxification function, but also related to the overall energy distribution of the body. If the liver function is not good, metabolites in the body accumulate, the body's self-repair function will also be affected, and sleep will naturally be difficult to maintain.
Poor liver metabolism not only leads to early awakening, but can also lead to a range of other problems. People with poor liver metabolism for a long time may feel symptoms such as fatigue during the day, lack of energy, and poor appetite. These are all when your body asks you for help, prompting you to take care of your liver health.
Poor qi and blood - the "alarm" of the heart
Another major reason for waking up in the early morning may be related to poor qi and blood. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that qi and blood are the foundation for maintaining the vital activities of the human body. If the blood and qi are not running smoothly, the blood supply to the heart is insufficient, which may cause the body to send out an "alarm" in the early hours of the morning, making it impossible for people to continue to sleep peacefully.
After the examination, Ms. Wang found that her blood lipids were high and her heart was under heavy burden. The doctor told her that when the flow of qi and blood is not smooth, the heart's ability to supply blood and oxygen decreases, and her body will feel uncomfortable, especially in the early morning, when the circulation of qi and blood is relatively slow. In fact, poor qi and blood can directly affect the function of the heart, which in turn interferes with sleep.
Poor qi and blood not only affect the heart, but also the brain. The brain needs an adequate supply of qi and blood to maintain normal functioning. If the flow of qi and blood is not smooth, the brain cannot get enough oxygen and nutrients, which will lead to sleep disruption and early awakening problems.
Poor qi and blood are closely related to modern living habits. Sedentary lifestyle, lack of exercise, and unbalanced diet can all lead to obstruction of the flow of qi and blood. Especially in middle-aged and elderly people, with the growth of age, the circulation ability of qi and blood gradually weakens, the oxygen supply capacity of the heart and brain decreases, and the situation of waking up early in the morning will be more obvious.
After Ms. Wang's lifestyle adjustments, her qi and blood flow have improved. She began to exercise regularly and eat a light diet, which gradually reduced the burden on her heart. After a period of conditioning, the problem of early awakening has been alleviated, and the quality of sleep has also improved.
Poor qi and blood can also lead to symptoms such as dizziness, cold hands and feet, and chest tightness. If you wake up frequently during the night and these symptoms are accompanied by these symptoms, you may need to consider the problem of qi and blood flow.
The adequacy of qi and blood is directly related to the overall state of the body. If you want to improve the problem of waking up early in the morning, in addition to paying attention to the health of the liver, the operation of qi and blood should not be ignored.
Mental and emotional "blockage" - the pressure that lurks in the bottom of the heart
In addition to liver metabolism and qi and blood problems, mental and emotional factors are often one of the important reasons for waking up early at three or four o'clock in the morning. The fast-paced and high-pressure life of modern society makes many people not have enough time to process their emotions during the day. As a result, these unprocessed emotions can lurk at night and become "invisible killers" that affect sleep.
Ms. Wang once recalled: "Sometimes, when I wake up in the middle of the night, a lot of trivial things from the day suddenly pop up in my mind, and I can't sleep anymore when I think about it. "Doctors told her that mental and emotional problems tend to go unnoticed, but they have a very big impact on sleep.
Especially when people are in a state of long-term tension and anxiety, the nervous system in the brain is constantly in a high-pitched state, and it is not able to completely relax even at night.
This kind of mental "blockage" is often manifested as difficulty falling asleep, light sleep, frequent early awakening and other phenomena. Especially those who have high mood swings or work stress during the day are more likely to wake up early in the morning.
This is because when the brain is under high stress, the body spontaneously enters a state of "alertness", always ready to respond to external "threats". Even when sleeping, the brain is not completely relaxed, and the body is ready to "wake up" at any time.
It is important to note that mental stress not only affects sleep, but also has a ripple effect on various systems in the body. Long-term anxiety and stress can lead to endocrine disorders, affecting the normal function of digestive, immune and other systems. The body enters a state of "fight or flight" stress, causing the nervous system to become overactive, sleep to become intermittent, and even to recurrent early awakenings.
Doctors suggest that mood management is one of the keys to improving sleep quality. For those who often wake up in the middle of the night, proper relaxation training such as meditation, deep breathing, yoga, etc., can help the body and brain gradually relax.
Under the advice of the doctor, Ms. Wang tried to do some simple relaxation exercises every night before going to bed, and gradually "detached" herself from the tension of the day. After a period of adjustment, she found that not only did she no longer wake up early, but she also fell asleep much easier.
Behind emotions often lie deep psychological problems. Many people choose to suppress and avoid stress rather than face it positively. This "blockage" not only affects the inner emotional balance, but also manifests itself in various ways, affecting physical health, especially sleep.
Doctors warn that long-term emotional depression may induce more serious psychological problems, such as anxiety and depression. A common manifestation of these psychological problems is sleep disturbances, especially waking up early in the morning.
Therefore, if you find yourself in a state of chronic stress and frequent early awakenings, it may be time to seek professional counselling help.
Mental and emotional blockages do not form overnight, it is often closely related to stress in life, unresolved emotional problems, etc. Through self-regulation and psychological counseling, you can gradually release the inner pressure and create a more comfortable rest environment for the body and brain.
summary
Frequent early awakenings at three or four o'clock in the morning may be related to poor liver metabolism and poor flow of qi and blood. The "blockage" of these two will make the body feel uncomfortable, which in turn will affect the quality of sleep. These problems can be gradually alleviated by adjusting your work and rest, improving your diet, and exercising. Maintaining good lifestyle habits is the only way to keep the body's self-healing mechanism running smoothly and to have a good quality sleep.
Bibliography:
Basic Theories of Traditional Chinese Medicine