TCM for sleep disorders: how to put out ‘liver fire’ that prevents you getting the nightly rest you need, according to traditional Chinese medicine
- The liver regulates qi, the body’s life force, a Hong Kong traditional Chinese medicine practitioner says, and it is most active in the early hours of the day
- To prevent the organ overheating – a condition known as ‘liver fire’ – change your lifestyle and consider acupuncture, Samuel To says
It’s late at night. The only sound is the low hum of the air conditioner working hard to keep the heat and humidity at bay, and for some reason you cannot sleep. You’ve worked out during the day and you’re absolutely exhausted. No matter – the Sandman refuses to visit.
If you were to consult a traditional Chinese medical (TCM) practitioner about your predicament, they would almost certainly point to your liver.
The function of the liver in traditional Chinese medicine is to regulate the qi, or life force, flowing through the body. In mainstream medicine, the liver is the organ that performs a number of essential biological functions.
TCM practitioner Samuel To Ching-san is a graduate of the University of Hong Kong’s School of Chinese Medicine and he has a PhD in acupuncture from Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine. He has been practising TCM in Hong Kong for more than 13 years.
