🌿 Folk Prescriptions

In a company, Miss Ding said she always feels drowsy and exhausted at the beginning of spring, even though she goes to bed before 10 p.m. every night, yet she still yawns uncontrollably and lacks energy at work the next day. Why is this? Professor Liang Qinghua from the Institute of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine at Xiangya Hospital explained that from a TCM perspective, spring in the six qi corresponds to wind, and is often accompanied by dampness. Both dampness and wind are substances that deplete qi and injure body fluids, leading to heaviness and lingering fatigue. From a Western medicine viewpoint, spring drowsiness is a temporary physiological phenomenon caused by the body's physiological functions adjusting to seasonal changes and temperature fluctuations. As temperatures rise in spring, blood supply to the skin increases, resulting in reduced blood flow to the brain, weakening central nervous system stimulation, combined with gradually longer days and shorter nights, making it easy to experience drowsiness.
Professor Liang believes that a brief nap when feeling drowsy is necessary—don’t force yourself or become overly anxious. To combat spring drowsiness, one can splash cold water on the face, go to higher ground to look into the distance, smell essential oils like wind oil or cooling oil, and increase physical exercise, as stretching muscles and promoting blood circulation can stimulate the brain. Avoid taking medication casually, and don’t try to improve symptoms by drinking coffee or strong tea. In terms of diet, Professor Liang emphasizes that the body needs more fruits and vegetables in spring, so it’s advisable to eat more of these foods. With proper regulation, spring drowsiness will naturally disappear.
Author: Xie Mingxia, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University