When spring doesn't put spring in your step and you feel like sleeping, you may be suffering from springtime sleepiness. Don't cop more zs. TCM tells you how to get your qi moving, writes Zhang Qian.

Most of us feel invigorated in warming spring weather, but there are some people who feel tired and listless. While the world is waking up, they want to go to sleep.

This condition of low energy and fatigue is called chun kun (literally springtime sleepiness) in traditional Chinese medicine. It's a common symptom in the spring when the body fails to adjust to the changed warmer weather. Sufferers felt better in the cold winter.

It mostly affects some elderly people, the subhealthy and those who suffer from chronic ailments.

Getting more sleep won't help. Try a healthy schedule, a good diet and physical exercise.

Lack of sufficient blood and energy in the brain and organs causes spring drowziness, according to TCM. Usually, less blood flows to the surface of the body as capillaries contract in the winter cold. Thus, more blood flows to the brain and organs and provides more nutrition and oxygen where they are needed.

In spring, however, the capillaries relax. More blood flows to the surface, while comparatively less goes to the organs and brain.

If the body fails to adjust to seasonal changes, the organs and brain still consume as much oxygen and nutrition as in the winter. Then people feel sleepy.

Some people adapt to the changes in a short time, while others find it more difficult. The elderly and subhealthy usually require more time and are more vulnerable to spring sleepiness.

Those with chronic cardio-cerebral-vascular problems have more serious and long-term sleepiness problems. Those who use their brain a lot are also more likely to suffer sleepiness in spring than those who engage in physical labor most of the time.

A healthy waking and sleeping schedule is important to fight this kind of fatigue. Eight hours of quality sleep a day is enough for an adult, though not everyone needs that much. Prolonged sleep will only numb the cerebral cortex, causing more serious sleepiness, according to TCM.

Apart from regular sleep, try acupressure to help you wake up and get alert before you get out of bed in the morning. Rub the acupuncture points nei guan on the inner wrist and zu san li on the leg (see illustration.)

Physical exercise is invigorating and always good for the health. Jogging, swimming, ball games and even steam baths can help adjust metabolism and accelerate blood circulation. This sends more oxygen to the brain and relieves sleepiness. Be careful not to exhaust yourself.

Bland, protein-rich food like fish, eggs, milk and bean products help relieve fatigue. Fresh vegetables like spinach, shepherd's purse, cleome (spider flower) and carrots can help accelerate metabolism and expel internal toxins.

Avoid greasy foods and alcohol as they aggravate sleepiness.

Sleepiness in the spring is natural and usually disappears, but if it persists get a check up. It could be a sign of a more serious ailment, such as high blood pressure or high blood sugar.

For daytime sleepiness

Don't go to sleep.

Wash your face. Cold water can revive you.

Smell medicated oil.

Drink green tea.

Listen to lively music and move.

Stretch often to stimulate blood circulation.

Diet therapy

White hyacinth bean

congee

Ingredients: White hyacinth bean (bai bian dou), lotus seeds (15g), white fungus (10g), rice (100g)

Preparation: Soak fungus until it softens, then chop in slices. Cook all ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a quick boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Season.

Eat often.

Function: Reinforces yin energy, relieves fatigue and sleepiness, helps the spleen.

Rose congee

Ingredients: Dry roses (10g), rice (100g)

Preparation: Put roses and rice in a saucepan with water, boil quickly, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Season.

Eat often.

Function: Relieves sleepiness, lifts spirits, improves skin.

Ginseng soup

Ingredients: American ginseng (5g)

Preparation: Cook ginseng in a saucepan, bring to a quick boil, reduce to gentle heat and cook for 20 minutes.

Function: Refreshes, reinforces yin energy, dispels pathogenic heat.

Kapok flower, red kidney bean and crucian carp soup

Ingredients: Kapok (15g), red kidney beans (30g), one crucian carp

Preparation:

1. Soak kapok and beans in cold water for 20 minutes.

2. Fried the carp quickly.

3. Put all ingredients in a saucepan with water and bring to quick boil, reduce heat and cook for 20 minutes. Season. Eat often.

Function: Relieves sleepiness, works as diuretic, dispels toxins, benefits the spleen.

Acupressure in the morning

Nei guan

Location:

Two inches above the crease at the wrist on the palm side, between the two bones in the arm.

Press hard and rub for a minute before getting out of bed.

Zu san li

Location:

Three inches below the sunken place at the outside of the knee when the leg is flexed.

Press hard and rub before getting up.

(Shanghai Daily March 25, 2008)