Do you wake up every night at the same time? Here’s what it means.

Who hasn’t woken up at night to drink or use the bathroom? Nighttime awakenings are common and often infrequent. But for some people, waking up at night is very frequent. Sometimes it happens every night, several times a night. However, excessively frequent nighttime awakenings are not harmless to your health. It is during sleep that the body replenishes its energy reserves to face the day.

If sleep is too short or of poor quality, your mood may be affected, and you may feel tired throughout the day… Sleep “allows the body to recover, both physically and mentally,” reminds INSERM. “Poor quality/quantity of sleep increases the risk of irritability, depressive symptoms, as well as weight gain, hypertension, or infection.”

Having established this, we do everything we can to take care of our sleep. Nevertheless, it’s possible that, despite these efforts, nighttime awakenings occur at the same time every night, or very frequently. Why? According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, each time corresponds to a specific problem. This is because, according to this system, each organ in particular works intensely for two hours. We’ll tell you all about it.

According to Chinese medicine, waking up between 11 p.m. and 1 a.m. is due to a malfunction of the gallbladder. The gallbladder plays an important role.  “This pear-shaped organ (10 cm long) is located on the right side, under the liver, and produces bile ,” explains the Léon Berard Cancer Center.

It’s part of the digestive system. Bile, produced by the gallbladder, helps the body digest fats. If it’s not functioning properly, digestion is affected, even though the gallbladder’s function isn’t essential for digestion. So, if you wake up at that time, try to take it easy.

If you open your eyes every night between 1 a.m. and 3 a.m., you likely have a liver problem, according to Chinese medicine. During this time, the liver regenerates.

If you are experiencing pain, take care of your liver by starting the day with lemon juice in warm water, for example. If you continue to experience pain, don’t hesitate to consult a doctor.

If you wake up between 3 a.m. and 5 a.m., it could be a sign of a problem with your lungs, or your breathing in general, due to smoking or other causes. Psychologically, this can be likened to difficulty breathing, a feeling of being trapped.

If you wake up between 5 a.m. and 7 a.m., the large intestine is likely the culprit. Therefore, people who wake up during this time may experience digestive problems, constipation, or general bowel irregularities.

Probiotics, herbal teas… There are many natural remedies to improve digestion and gut health. If you feel that these symptoms persist, a consultation with a healthcare professional may be necessary.