Meet the Chinese Body Clock: Is this Why You’re Waking Up at Night?

The Chinese body clock is a tool that is used in traditional Chinese medicine, which suggests that the body has a specific schedule of self-care and that different organs self-regulate within the body at specific times throughout the day and night. It can even help us to look deeper into our imbalances and find a way to keep them balanced.

If you are looking for ways to improve your daily routine and general well-being, then the Chinese body clock is something that you might want to consider. It can be followed to help with a variety of daily functions and to increase your general health, mood, and wellbeing. It can help you to understand what you are feeling at certain points in the day or night and why it is happening.

In this article, we are going to tell you everything that you need to know about the Chinese body clock, including what it is and how it can be used. We will also provide you with detailed information about the different intervals within this practice to help you to better understand what it all means. So, to find out more about the connection between our organs and emotions, just keep reading. 

What is the Chinese Body Clock?

In order to fully understand and comprehend the Chinese body clock, it is important to be aware of the concept of qi. Qi is a word that is often used in Chinese medicine to describe energy, and it describes energy in literally every sense of the word. It is thought that your body has its own qi, as well as thought and emotion.

Something else that you should know is that qi is something that is constantly changing and transforming as it makes its way throughout the body or between people and objects. The Chinese body clock has been created upon the concept of qi. It takes place over 24 hours, and it is thought to move in 2-hour intervals throughout the organ systems. When you are sleeping, it is believed that qi will draw inward in order to restore your body.

When it comes to the Chinese body clock, it is thought that between the hours of 1am and 3am are the most important, as this is when the liver will be cleansing the blood and preparing for qi to move outward from the body again. We will leave the cycle of the Chinese body clock below for you to read about.

  • 1AM – 3AM – The liver (Deep sleep, detox blood, rest and recovery, planning)
  • 3AM – 5AM – The lungs (Deep sleep, dreams and memory, detox lungs)
  • 5AM – 7AM – Large intestine (Wake up, release bowels, meditate)
  • 7AM – 9AM – The stomach (Breakfast, good concentration, walk)
  • 9AM – 11AM – The spleen (Clear thinking, spleen converts, food to Qi)
  • 11AM – 1PM – The heart (Blood circulation, high energy, eat lunch)
  • 1PM – 3PM – The small intestine (Sort and absorb food, low energy, nap time)
  • 3PM – 5PM – The bladder (Energy restored, liquid waste released, work and study)
  • 5PM – 7PM – The kidney (Store nutrients, build bone marrow, suppertime)
  • 7PM – 9PM – The pericardium (Protection, light reading, sex, self-love)
  • 9PM – 11PM – Triple burner (Endocrine and metabolic balancing, getting sleep)
  • 11PM – 1AM – Gall bladder (Sleep, release bile, cellular repair, build blood cells)

This 24-hour body clock is divided into 12 two-hour intervals of qi, which moves throughout the organ system at different points in time. Chinese medicine practitioners use the organ body clock to help them to determine the organ that is responsible for certain diseases.

They believe that every single organ has a certain repair schedule that is practiced on a daily basis, which offers you the opportunity to learn more about how to treat yourself for improved health and well-being. It also means that you can find out exactly which organ system or emotion needs strengthening or resolving. You will be able to use your symptoms and body cues as a guide

What Can the Chinese Body Clock Be Used For?

The Chinese body clock can be used to make the most out of your specific organs and bodily functions when they are at their peak times. This is thought to allow you to better understand what is happening inside your body and be able to easily identify a problem when one occurs. 

Is There Any Truth Behind the Chinese Body Clock?

Something that you should be aware of is the fact that there is little scientific research to suggest that the Chinese body clock is accurate, or to suggest that these two-hour intervals can actually help to maximize your organ use.

However, there is lots of research that would suggest that the human body does have a biological clock that affects everything from sleep to athletic performance. It is also known that the body has certain rhythms, which help with things like body temperature regulation, eating habits and digestion, and other bodily functions.