As I write this, I race to finish before it’s too late to get a good night’s rest.  In Chinese Medicine, we have something that we call the body clock.  So there are ideal times for us to get to sleep.  Basically, if you get to sleep (not bed), between 11 PM – 1 AM, it’s a good thing.   Past 1 AM, most likely one will have a restless night of sleep.     The body clock has six 4-hour time slots associated with each element with the exception of the fire element, which has two 4-hour time slots.  So why do we need to get to bed before 1 AM?   Well the truth is that Liver organ meridian which is associated with the wood element starts at 1 AM and needs you to be asleep so it can process your day…hence, any mental or emotional stress is processed during this time.  Remember, the wood element is responsible for the smooth flow of chi (energy for lack of a better translation) and emotions.  So if you are feeling stressed- any kind (mental, emotional, physical) during the day….you need to get a good night’s rest at the optimal time so your liver can process your stress.  So what time will you be going to bed tonight?  Well, I’ve made it before the 1 AM mark and after today…I’m feeling like I need to beat the clock before it strikes 1 AM.  Good night!