Sleep late, get up early

According to The Yellow Emperor's Inner Classic (Huáng Dì Nèi Jīng), health preservation in summer should be in accord with the summer climate, and we should obey the theory of “sleep late and get up early”. It’s better to fall asleep between 11:00 p.m. and 1:00 a.m., when yin qi reaches its peak, so that exuberant yang can be subdued through exuberant yin in the middle of the night so that we get a deep, restful sleep. It’s better to get up between 5:00 a.m. to 7:00 a.m. as yang qi is ascending and dispersing at this time. Do not sleep in a cold environment for a long time.

Summer heat damages fluids and consumes qi, so that people always feel tired and sleepy. It’s better not to go outside when the temperatures peak at noon, and take a nap for health preservation instead. Thirty minutes is recommended, and people can adjust the time based on their nighttime sleep quality and daytime level of work.  

How to use air conditioners reasonably in summer?

In summer, the air conditioner should be switched on only when the room temperature reaches 30°C or above, and is better to be kept at 25°C to 28°C during the daytime and 28°C at night. The temperature difference inside and outside should not exceed 6°C. The ideal room temperature is when people feel comfortable to work and study. The temperature may actually be too low when people feel chilly in the air-conditioned room. Moreover, it is better to open the door and the windows for 5 to 10 minutes after 2 to 3 hours of using the air conditioner to ensure that there is enough fresh air in the room.

In summer, the rain is abundant, and the summerheat with damp may easily damage the spleen. When the spleen fails to transport, transform, and raise the clear, people will present with edema, drowsiness, chest tightness, dizziness, anorexia, and joint paint.

To prevent pathogenic dampness, the living environment should not be humid but basically dry, and the rooms must be ventilated, moisture proof, and heat-insulated. If the room is too humid, and the air is damp, not only will the furniture be ruined, but the clothes also become moldy, and the yang qi of the body is damaged, especially in the elderly.