Sleeping has always been valued by Chinese health experts. Chinese people have paid great attention to sleep and health care since ancient times. The ancients had a saying: "Don't look for immortal prescriptions to find sleep prescriptions." In fact, modern people face more serious sleep problems and should pay more attention to sleep and health. Understanding the ancient people's experience in sleep and health will give us some useful lessons.
1. The saying "I can't lie down at night without turning my head over" comes from "Qian Jin Yao Prescription". The original text says: "If you don't cover your head in winter nights, you will live longer." The head is the meeting point of all the yangs, where the yang meridians of the body gather, and the qi and blood circulate vigorously. Covering the head can easily affect the circulation of qi and blood, and can cause sweating on the head and dilation of the joints, thus allowing disease and pathogenic factors to take advantage of the weakness. More importantly, from a modern medical perspective, sleeping with your head down will affect your breathing and reduce your sleep quality. Therefore, the argument of lying awake is also very reasonable.
2 Mortals lie facing east in spring and summer, and west in autumn and winter
The head is the place where many meridians converge. The Qi it receives will flow from the head to the whole body like a shower. During sleep, the head The orientation is indeed a noteworthy issue.
Sun Simiao, a great doctor in ancient my country, advocated that when a mortal lies down, he should face east in spring and summer and west in autumn and winter. That is, sleeping with your head facing east in spring and summer welcomes Yang Qi, and sleeping with your head facing west in autumn and winter nourishes Yin Qi.
If you find it troublesome or need to replenish your yang energy, you can simply sleep with your head facing east, which is a good sleep regimen.
The authoritative "Book of Rites Tamamo" requires that "Hengdong's head should be placed first", that is, one should sleep with one's head facing the east all year round. It is said that the sun rises in the east.
3 How to sleep
The method of sleep has been studied and discussed since ancient times. Cao Tingdong, a great physician in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, summarized it in a particularly systematic way, and his two methods of manipulation and control are more highly praised by people. To do this, you must first think about the top of your head (the thoughts take the lead), then count the breaths silently (breathe through the nose, and remember the number of times silently), and then return to the Dantian (then return the thoughts to your own Dantian). Come). If you repeat this many times, you can make your mind settle down, gain and gain without distinction, and gradually fall into sleep. Vertical thinking is the opposite of control. You can let your mind wander in the vague and uninhabited areas (that is, distant, boundless, and boundless places). You can even forget yourself and gradually fall into a hazy sleep. middle.
No matter which of the above two sleep methods you adopt, you cannot operate it too hastily or improperly. The most important thing is to be calm and forget yourself.
So in ancient times, there was a difference between "寤" and "毤": "the spirit dwells in the eyes, which is called "寤"; the spirit dwells in the heart, which is called "meng".
Only when the heart and mind meet can one truly fall asleep.
4 Sleeping postures
The ancients were also very particular about sleeping postures.
"Xiyi Sleeping Jue" advocates: when lying on the right side, bend the right foot; bend the right arm and support the head with the hand; stretch the left foot and place the hand between the crotch. Lying on the left side, contrary to the front.
Buddhism stipulates that sleeping on the right side is called "auspicious sleep". This is also scientifically justified because the human heart is on the left side. If you lie on the left side, it may compress the heart.