The core of health preservation lies in “following nature”, and daily schedule is the most basic, easiest to implement, yet most easily overlooked aspect. Modern people often fall into the misunderstanding of “staying up late and making up for sleep” or “reversing day and night”. Although they seem to get enough sleep time, they go against the body’s physiological rhythms. In the long run, this will only consume qi and blood and reduce immunity.
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) holds that the operation of qi and blood in the human body has a fixed rhythm: 1-3 a.m. is the time when the Liver Meridian is active. At this time, deep sleep is needed to help the liver detoxify and nourish blood. If you stay up late for a long time, it will lead to insufficient liver qi, resulting in dull complexion, irritability, decreased eyesight and other problems; 3-5 a.m. is the time when the Lung Meridian is active. A stable sleep at this time can nourish lung qi and enhance respiratory resistance; 7-9 a.m. is the time when the Stomach Meridian is active. Eating breakfast at this time can maximize nutrient absorption and reserve energy for the day’s activities; 11 a.m.-1 p.m. is the time when the Heart Meridian is active. Taking a proper nap of 15-30 minutes can relieve morning fatigue, protect the heart and avoid afternoon drowsiness.
The key to daily schedule health preservation is “regularity” rather than “duration”: adults should ensure 7-8 hours of sleep every day, try to go to bed before 11 p.m. and get up around 7 a.m. Avoid excessive sleep after staying up late (the make-up sleep time should not exceed 1 hour, otherwise it will disrupt the rhythm); the nap should not be too long to avoid affecting night sleep; stay away from electronic devices 1 hour before going to bed. You can help sleep by soaking your feet, listening to soothing music, drinking warm milk, etc., and reduce the intake of strong tea, coffee and spicy food to let your body naturally enter a resting state.
In addition, avoid sitting for a long time in daily life. Get up and move for 5-10 minutes every hour you sit, stretch your limbs and move your cervical spine to promote blood circulation, relieve joint stiffness, poor blood circulation and other problems caused by sitting for a long time, and keep your body in a state of “not declining with movement”.
