Hope for a good night’s sleep; keep these four tips in mind

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Put simply, one’s daily routine should be regular; over time, habits are formed and a biological clock is established, making it difficult to change this pattern. Therefore, it’s essential to sleep scientifically — here are four rules for sleeping: The first rule is to go to bed before the midnight hour. In the concept of health preservation at Shaolin Temple, sleeping is considered the most important thing in life. If one does not go to bed before the hour of Zi every day (which corresponds to 11 p.m. to 1 a.m. the next day), many elderly monk doctors will say when treating them, “I will not treat you.” ”It’s not that treatment isn’t available; it’s that it can no longer be cured. Those who stay up late for long periods, regardless of gender, directly damage their livers; over time this affects their kidneys as well, leading to a deficiency in both energy and blood in the body. When looking in the mirror every day, one will notice that the complexion appears dull and grayish. At this point, daily use of nutritional supplements and regular exercise still cannot reverse the damage caused by lack of sleep or poor sleep quality. Therefore, it’s fine to get up early, but staying up late is absolutely not acceptable. Many people who are listless have the habit of staying up late, which often tends to damage the liver, vital energy, and gallbladder. Such people often have poor eyesight as well; they tend to be depressed and rarely experience happiness (this is due to the impact on lung energy, which fails to be properly released over time). Some people think that if they go to bed late at night, they can make up for it during the day, but in reality this is not possible. Either they can’t fall asleep or don’t get enough sleep; and even if it seems like they have made up for it, their body’s vital energy has already been significantly damaged. Article 2: While sleeping, one should avoid thinking about anything. \"Consider this body as if it were nothing; or like sugar in water – first the big toe melts, then the other toes, followed by the feet, calves, and thighs, until ultimately it disappears entirely, allowing one to fall asleep naturally.\" This is the ideal mental state for Zen medicine practitioners when falling asleep. Often, insomnia stems from persistent distractions at the time of going to bed. At this time, avoid tossing and turning in bed, as it wastes energy and makes it harder to fall asleep; the best approach is to sit up for a while before going back to sleep. In fact, for modern people, if they want to fall asleep by 11 p.m., it is also crucial to go to bed early to allow their emotions to settle, giving their mind time to calm down gradually. “\"Sleep your mind first, then your eyes,\" – that’s what this means. If that still doesn’t work, you can try simply stretching your legs before going to bed, then sitting cross-legged or in lotus position on the bed, placing your hands folded on your legs and breathing naturally, feeling your body’s pores expanding and contracting with each breath. It’s most effective if tears or yawns occur; once you feel sleepy, just lie down and go to sleep. Article 3: It is advisable to take a short nap or sit in silence to rest at noon. At noon (roughly from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.), if sleeping is not possible due to limited conditions, one can sit in silence for fifteen minutes with eyes closed to rest the mind. Zen masters who meditate in the Zen hall are all accustomed to taking a nap at noon. Actually, if you close your eyes and truly sleep for 3 minutes at noon, it’s equivalent to sleeping for two hours, but you need to time it precisely at noon. At night, one must fall asleep at the exact middle of the night; 5 minutes is equivalent to six hours. Article 4: Sleep and rise early. Monks lead a life governed by the sounds of morning bells and evening drums; even in winter, they do not get up after 6 a.m., and in spring, summer, and autumn, they try to get up before 5 a.m. For maintaining good health, getting up early is beneficial for the body’s metabolism. The advantage of waking up early is that it allows the body to eliminate metabolic waste. If one gets up too late, the large intestine does not get enough time to function properly and cannot carry out its excretion tasks effectively. Furthermore, the body’s digestion and absorption functions are most active between 7 and 9 a.m., making it the \"golden time\" for nutrient absorption. So, never stay in bed too long; dizziness and extreme fatigue are often caused by oversleeping. I believe everyone is aware of the importance of sleep, but sometimes they don’t know how to ensure they get a good night’s sleep. These four rules mentioned above are excellent tools for developing good sleeping habits; everyone should learn them!