Why Sleep Disturbances Are Common in Summer
According to Five Element Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine
If you find yourself tossing and turning more during summer nights, you’re not alone—and it’s not just the heat to blame. From the lens of Chinese Medicine and Five Element Acupuncture, summer is a unique season that influences both our physical and emotional health, including our sleep.
Let’s take a deeper look at why rest can feel elusive this time of year.
Summer and the Fire Element
In Five Element theory, summer is governed by the Fire element, which is associated with:
The Heart (our emotional center + home of the Shen, or Spirit)
The Small Intestine (helps sort thoughts + emotions)
The Pericardium (protects emotional boundaries)
The San Jiao (regulates body temp + communication)
The emotion of joy
The Shen, or Spirit/Mind
Expansion, warmth, and connection
The Fire element is all about movement, heat, and outward expression. Just like plants blossom and people tend to be more social and energized in summer, our internal Fire also rises. But when this Fire becomes excessive—whether due to actual external heat, overexertion, or emotional overwhelm—it can lead to restlessness, anxiety, and disturbed sleep.
How Fire Affects the Heart and Shen
The Heart in Chinese medicine is more than just a pump—it houses the Shen, which governs consciousness, emotions, and sleep. When the Heart is in balance, the Shen is calm and we sleep soundly. But during summer, the Fire element can become overactive, causing the Shen to become agitated or unsettled. This can show up as:
Difficulty falling asleep
Waking during the night (especially between 11 pm – 1 am)
Vivid or disturbing dreams
Feeling emotionally overwhelmed or overly stimulated
In clinical practice, these symptoms are often signs of Heart Yin deficiency, or sometimes Heart Fire—patterns that involve a lack of cooling, nourishing fluids to anchor the Shen at night.
Environmental and Lifestyle Factors
It’s not just the energetics—the season itself sets the stage for poor sleep:
Longer daylight hours disrupt natural melatonin cycles
Heat and humidity can make it hard to get comfortable
Social calendars often ramp up, meaning less downtime and overstimulation
Dietary shifts (like more sugar, caffeine, alcohol, or spicy foods) can aggravate internal Fire
Even positive emotions like excitement and joy—emotions of the Fire element—can become imbalanced and lead to over-activation rather than grounding.
How to Sleep Better in Summer: Chinese Medicine Tips
Chinese medicine teaches us to live in harmony with the seasons. Here are a few simple ways to support better sleep and soothe your Shen in summer:
Wind down earlier in the evening, even if it’s still light outside
Limit stimulants (including screen time) after sunset
Sip cooling teas like chrysanthemum, mint, or passionflower
Avoid overly spicy or greasy foods at night; no need to restrict, just have them in the daytime
Include calming foods like cooked leafy greens, watermelon, and lotus seeds
Try acupressure or acupuncture focused on Heart and Pericardium channels
Carve out quiet time—joy doesn't always have to be loud or external
Final Thoughts
Summer is a time of light, connection, and expansion—but that doesn’t mean we’re meant to burn the candle at both ends. If you’re finding it harder to rest, it may be your Heart and Shen asking for balance.
Five Element Acupuncture can offer individualized support to help restore harmony so that your nights are as nourishing as your days are vibrant.
I am here to help! Feel free to schedule your appointment online to tend to your sleep and if you are a new patient, email me robin@bodypositiveacupuncture.com
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