Let's start with a question: What do you usually do before going to bed at night?
Do you spend the last moments of your day playing on your phone or watching videos? Or do you take advantage of this golden period for health preservation?
If you belong to the latter group, then this article is tailor-made for you; just follow the advice given. If you are in the former group, it's still worth giving these tips a try as they can be beneficial to your health.
Without further ado, let's get straight into the topic and discover what these three actions are—
Five-Finger Combing: Stimulate Meridians and Promote Sleep
According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the essence of all organs converges on the head, which is considered the meeting point of all yang meridians. The twelve regular meridians and the eight extraordinary meridians converge on the head, where there are over 40 acupoints, accounting for one-quarter of all acupoints in the body.
Massaging the scalp with your fingers before bed every day can stimulate these acupoints, smooth the meridians of the head, and have health-preserving effects such as opening the senses, calming the mind, refreshing the brain, and promoting sleep.
However, while combing the hair with your fingers appears simple, there are specific techniques to ensure its effectiveness.
**Specific Method:**
First, partially bend your fingers and use them like a comb, applying force through your fingertips (avoid using too much force with the tips of your fingers, as it may hurt your scalp). Start from the center of your forehead and comb gently toward the back of your head, the nape of your neck, and then to both sides. Comb about 20 times each night until you feel a warm sensation in your scalp.
**Note:**
Start by combing from front to back, then to both sides. The movements should be slow and gentle, avoiding any pain.
Earlobe Massage: Aid Sleep and Boost Kidney Qi
According to TCM, the ear has numerous acupoints, and stretching and pressing different parts of the ear can regulate the functions of the internal organs. The theory behind auricular acupuncture therapy originates from this concept.
An ancient health preservation method states, “Rubbing the earlobes, regardless of the number of repetitions, is said to fortify the ears, boost kidney qi, prevent deafness, and also help with insomnia.”
To achieve the benefits of aiding sleep, boosting kidney qi, tonifying the brain, and replenishing deficiency, the main methods include:
**Earlobe Massage:** Place the palms of both hands symmetrically on the earlobes, slowly move downward and backward to the base of the ear, then upward to the ear helix, to the temple, and finally forward and downward back to the earlobes. Gently massage until the earlobes turn red and feel warm.
**Single-Finger Pressure:** Use the tip of your index finger to press the depression above the opening of the external auditory canal, where there is a reflex zone for the kidneys. Rub and press back and forth until you feel warmth and redness.
**Dual-Finger Pinching:** Use the tips of your thumb and index finger to pinch the acupoints on the ear to enhance stimulation. Press 1-2 times before bed, with 100 pinches each time.
Press the Sanyinjiao Acupoint: Strengthen the Spleen, Enrich the Blood, Regulate the Liver, and Supplement the Kidneys
For those who are irritable and have trouble sleeping, consider pressing the Sanyinjiao acupoint.
The Sanyinjiao acupoint is located at the intersection of the Spleen Meridian of the Foot-Taiyin, the Kidney Meridian of the Foot-Shaoyin, and the Liver Meridian of the Foot-Jueyin.
Regularly pressing this acupoint can strengthen the spleen, enrich the blood, regulate the liver, supplement the kidneys, soothe the mind, and aid sleep. It is particularly suitable for those who love staying up late and easily suffer from insomnia.
**Location:** On the inner side of the lower leg, 3 cun above the tip of the inner ankle, behind the medial border of the tibia.
**Method:** Place the thumb on the Sanyinjiao acupoint, with the other four fingers resting beside the tibia on the outer side of the lower leg. Make circular pressing motions with the thumb and apply pressure. Perform this action on both sides simultaneously, spending approximately 5 minutes on each acupoint.
Persistently pressing and rubbing the Sanyinjiao acupoint every night, or moxibustion if possible, or even tapping lightly, will reveal the miraculous effects of stimulating this acupoint.