Waking up in the middle of the night is not always the most pleasant of experiences and it always points to some kind of issue you might be going through.
This habitual waking up, according to Traditional Chinese Medicine, has got to do with the flow of Chi through some of the more important meridians, and it is always related to a troubling issue.
Every meridian is active through a certain time of the day, depending on the time, so as to achieve balance in various aspects of our being. If there is some kind of obstacle in the energy flow, it will result in a disbalance which will manifest when the meridian is active.
Hence, waking up in the middle of the night is one of the signs that you are experiencing a disbalance in the energy flow. Read on to find out what each time of the night corresponds to and what waking up at that time means.
9 – 11 p.m. ~ Grumpy mode
This is the usual time to go to bed for most people after a strenuous and active day. It is also the time when the psychological load from our obligations and pressures is mostly felt, hence the anxious thoughts that arise from them.
During this time, the active meridian called the “Triple Burner” starts ruling over most of our natural functions. This meridian governs the endocrine system and the Hypothalamus, so if you wake up shortly after you’ve fallen asleep at this time might suggest a certain disbalance in these areas.
Moreover, this is the time when anxiety kicks in at its strongest, and having trouble sleeping during this time is associated with an overload in the Yang energy (the active energy).
The question you should ask yourself is: Do you need more pleasure in your life?
What you can do: Try doing the balancing Hatha Yoga breathing technique, which helps in calming down your Chi. Do meditations that focus on peace, and do dedicate some more quality time for yourself.
11 p.m. – 1 a.m. ~ Anger mode
This is the time when most are already asleep and dreaming. However, many find it hard to fall asleep or may even have problems with waking up repeatedly, thus losing sleep. Are you one of them?
In these hours, the active meridian is the “Gall Bladder,” which is related to persistent headaches and migraines. Do you have these problems?
Which is more, waking up at this time of the night may be related to anger you may be holding on to.
The question you should ask yourself is: Why do you feel angry?
What you can do: Take a nice relaxing bath before going to bed. Also, letting go and making peace with whatever you may feel angry with will do you more good than it will to whatever you are angry at. And if you are angry at yourself, remember this: your decisions (regardless of the outcome) mean that you acted in accordance with your true self and your current wisdom. Accept them.
1 – 3 a.m. ~ Hate mode
In this time, you should be on your snore-bus to dreamland. But if you keep on waking up at this time of the night, it might be related to some kind of hatred that is holding a grip on you. And it’s most usually self-hatred that causes this problem.
The active meridian in this period is the “Liver” meridian. Suffering from problems related to your stomach, liver, as well as arthritis or sexually-related issues may also cause the disbalance you are experiencing. Any of these sounds familiar to you?
The question you should ask yourself is: Why is it hard to forgive yourself?
What you can do: Do some healing meditation and start directing love and forgiveness toward yourself and your heart. There is nothing you should hate yourself about. Everything happens in life – don’t beat yourself up.
3 – 5 a.m. ~ Fight mode
In this time of the night, our bodies reach their lowest temperature and we should be in a deep state of sleep. However, if you keep waking up during this time, things might get tricky.
This time of the night, also known as the “Witching Hour,” is usually associated with mysterious energies that you might sense, or with the state of spiritual awakening. Furthermore, it might mean that you are being under attack by some malevolent energies.
The active meridian at this time of the night is the “Meridian of Lungs,” which is considered to be the most ‘magical’ one and it is related to the sense of freedom. Waking up at this time of the night may point to the fact that something may be blocking your path to that freedom or that you are trying to break free from something.
The question you should ask yourself is: Is there a reason you’re alert? Are you afraid of something? Do you think you’re under attack? If yes, why?
What you can do: Grounding can help you solve this issue, as it gives the excess energy back to Earth to repurpose and it clears you from any negative energy that might be lingering in your system. A prayer for protection and guidance is also a good technique that might help.
5 – 7 a.m. ~ Confused mode
Now, most of us are woken up by our alarm clock at this time of the day, as we usually get up to get ready for the day and get on with our stuff. However, there are some people who can postpone this and wake up a bit later.
If you’re one of these people but you can’t help waking up even though you don’t have to, then some kind of toxicity might be the underlying cause for the disbalance you’re experiencing.
The active meridian at this time is the “Large Intestine” meridian, which is responsible for the detox system of our body. Do you have problems with constipation, hemorrhoids, or allergies?
Psychologically speaking, is there any kind of toxicity that is burdening you? Negativity, things that you can’t let go of, burdens, or toxic people that keep lingering in your mind might cause the disbalance you are experiencing.
The question you should ask yourself is: What’s poisoning you? Is there a toxic feeling or person that makes you feel trapped?
What you can do: Try peppermint scent and tea to abolish any psychic and emotional parasites.
A professional writer with over a decade of incessant writing skills. Her topics of interest and expertise range from health, nutrition and psychology.