A good night of shut eye is part of the human condition and ancient Chinese rules involving mirrors and sharp objects remain to this day
2-MIN READ2-MIN ListenFran Luin BeijingPublished: 6:00pm, 14 May 2026Getting a proper sleep has been a problem for people throughout history and the ancient Chinese set up some rules and methods that are still believed to be effective today.
In Chinese culture, sleep time is believed to be an important period for the body to absorb and restore energy.
Ancient people were meticulous about the number of hours’ sleep they got and in what position they did so.
For example, it is deemed important to get sufficient sleep during the Zi hour, 11pm to 1pm, and the Wu hour, 11am to 1pm, because they are considered the periods of time when yin, darkness, and yang, light, exchange, when the body’s energy is the most unbalanced during the day.
They consider sleeping as a way to avoid qi, or vital life energy, and blood being impaired. While it is difficult to ensure sufficient sleep at noon in modern times, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) doctors still advise sleep during Zi hour to patients.
