| Since one third of our lives are spent in bed, it is hard to overlook the significance of sleep. Tips to improve sleep, from traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) theories to clinical practices, can therefore benefit your life. |
人生三分之一的时间是在床上度过的，因此睡眠的重要性不容忽视。传统中医理论和临床实验均证明，改善睡眠有益于健康。 |
| TCM practitioners believe that spring and the liver have the same property of "mu" (wood), thus the liver tends to be over-active, making people touchy. |
中医学认为，春季和肝脏有着与“木”相同的属性，因此肝火容易过旺，使人们变得焦躁敏感。 |
| The stomach and spleens have the "tu" (earth) property and are the opposite of "mu". If the opposition between these two properties becomes too strong, people will feel uncomfortable. |
胃和脾脏有着与“土”相同的属性，而与“木“相反。如果这两个属性之间的对立过于强劲，人们就会感到身体不适。 |
| "Obviously, being angry and uncomfortable makes it hard to fall into sleep," says Dr Li Haicong, director of the Office of Geriatrics at the China-Japan Friendship Hospital in Beijing, who is also an experienced TCM practitioner. |
北京中日友好医院老年病科主任、中医学资深专家李海聪指出：“显而易见，生气和身体不适容易导致失眠。” |
| The solution is to calm down the activity of the liver, and to reduce the burden on stomach and spleen, which can be fulfilled by a light diet and gentle exercise. |
解决失眠的办法是降低肝火，同时减轻胃和脾脏的负担，后者可以通过清淡的饮食调理和适当的体育锻炼来得以实现。 |
| "Do not have too much strong-flavored food. Avoid intake of stimulating food or drink, such as pepper, alcohol and coffee," Li says. |
李大夫指出：“切忌口味过重。避免食用刺激性的食物或饮料，如辣椒、酒、咖啡等。” |
| Strongly recommended food includes fish, pork, duck, lily root, Chinese yam, asparagus lettuce, lotus seed, apples and bananas. Chicken, mutton, beef and oranges are not advisable in spring. |
专家力荐的食物包括鱼、猪肉、鸭肉、百合根、山药、莴苣、莲子、苹果和香蕉。专家不建议在春季食用鸡、羊肉、牛肉、桔子。 |
