This is the one topic I undoubtedly press on every single patient I have treated.  I have yet to meet a person that gets too much rest.  We live in a culture that is constantly on the run.  We value our freedom and free-time, yet fill our lives with so much work and “important” stuff that we push ourselves to and beyond the limit of what our bodies are physically and mentally able to do.

In Chinese Medicine, everything is about the balance of Yin and Yang.  In our world today, the Yang aspect dominates.  Everyone pushes and goes, without stopping to be still.  There can not be balance in our lives with this kind of mentality.  What disturbs me the most is that this way of thinking is being pushed onto the younger generations as well.  Sleep is when our body regenerates and rebuilds itself.  We are cellular organisms, and cells regenerate when our bodies are at rest.  When our lives are so busy and stressful, our bodies need to be strong in order to handle all of that stress.  Instead, we are frequently lacking in our physical abilities because simply put, we are breaking down faster than we regenerate.

People have incorrect concepts of sleep and its effects on our bodies.  Frequently, patients are surprised to learn that sleep has cumulative effects, both negatively and positively.  As my teacher would say, its like saving money.  Very difficult to create savings, and really easy to spend.  Appropriately, Sara Mednick, a Harvard sleep researcher and the author of, “Take a Nap!” calls the cumulative lack of sleep, sleep debt.

Patients ask how much sleep they should be getting.  While there isn’t a formulaic answer (there never is!), I can safely presume that they don’t get enough in most cases.  There have been times when a patient has come in, complaining of fatigue and low-energy, presenting with a pale and scalloped tongue (a deficiency sign), and with a weak but pounding pulse (a sign that this person is pushing beyond their capacity).  I’ll ask how much sleep they are getting on an average night, and the answer will be 5-6 hours.  Not enough!

So how much sleep should we be getting?  It’s different for everybody.  Listen to your body.  How is your energy level on a day-to-day basis?  Do you have trouble getting up in the mornings?  Do you drink coffee?  Do you get tired by the end of the day?