Activities, functions and pathological changes in the human body are affected by climate and season. Many people often stay up late working, sometimes even working into the wee hours of the morning or staying up all night. After a certain period of time, issues will gradually arise in their bodies, such as frequent inflammation, memory loss, and tinnitus. This is because nighttime is when yin fluid is produced in our bodies, and staying up late will affect its proper production. With insufficient yin fluid, relatively effulgent fire will manifest (fire due to a lack of yin instead of too much fire itself), manifesting as dry mouth, oral ulcers, dry eyes, tinnitus, memory loss and other symptoms.
Chronically staying up late reduces immunity, increases the risk of various diseases, and may also cause sudden cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases due to over fatigue. It is also associated with negative emotions such as anxiety and depression.
It is worth noting that if chest tightness, feeling flustered, abnormal sweating, dizziness and other conditions frequently occur after staying up late, one should see a doctor to rule out the progression of any serious conditions.
Although we already know that staying up late is harm to our health, if conditions do not permit us to change this situation, are there any ways to reduce the harm?
If staying up late cannot be avoided, Wolfberry and Mulberry Herbal Tea will be a choice (Preparation: 3 g of Chinese Wolfberry Fruit (Gŏu Qĭ Zĭ, Fructus Lycii) and 5 g of Mulberry (Sāng Shèn, Fructus Mori) are brewed with boiling water before drinking). Since Fructus Lycii nourishes liver and kidney, improves vision and moistens lung, and Fructus Mori can nourish yin and blood, promote fluid production and moisten the intestines, this herbal tea can nourish yin so as to reduce the harm caused by staying up late. It should be noted that this is not suitable for people with deficiency-cold of spleen and stomach.
If one feels sleepy when staying up late, and finds it difficult to keep working or studying, a cup of American Ginseng Tea can be drunk to refresh oneself, but remember that those with symptoms of common cold and diarrhea should not drink ginseng.
Adequate sleep is important. For those who have to stay up late at night, a noon nap is very important.
In addition, two misunderstandings regarding staying up late should be noted. First, late-night snacks should be forbidden. In fact, because staying up late consumes energy, some dietary supplementation is in order. Food with even and nourishing properties, such as Lily and Lotus Seed Sugar Water, and Chinese Dates and Tremella Sugar Water are suggested, as these can not only increase the intake of water, but also supplement energy. Secondly, exercise is good for improving one’s physical function after staying up late. In order to keep fit, many people choose to exercise, but intense exercise is inappropriate after staying up late because people are often tired at that time. If one insists on exercising, Chinese traditional exercises such as Five-Animal Exercises and Eight Pieces of Brocade Exercises are a good choice because they can adjust the balance of qi and blood, yin and yang.
