Why You Might Be Waking Up at 1–3 AM?What Your Liver Has to Do With It?

Xiaoya Gao
Aug 1
4 min read

Do you find yourself waking up in the middle of the night, especially between 1:00 and 3:00 AM, and struggling to fall back asleep? Or maybe you often feel tense, irritable, or experience tightness around your lower ribs. These aren’t just random symptoms. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), they may all point to one source: your liver.

What the Liver Does at Night?

In TCM, the liver isn’t just a detox organ, it’s the home of the ethereal soul (called Hun), which governs our sense of purpose, vision, and ability to plan. During the day, this "active energy" helps us move through life. But at night, it needs to return to the liver along with the blood. When this return happens smoothly, we fall asleep naturally. When it doesn’t, we may experience insomnia.

There are two main reasons this might happen:

Excess Condition (Shi): If there’s stagnation or "blockage" in the liver—sometimes due to heat, inflammation, or even physical masses—blood has difficulty returning. As the liver reacts, we wake up. This is often accompanied by hypochondriac pain (pain under the ribs), abdominal tension, and irritability.
Deficiency Condition (Xu): In this case, the body doesn’t have enough energy to guide the blood back into the liver, also resulting in insomnia or restless sleep.

The Liver–Eye Connection

The liver meridian opens into the eyes, which means liver health deeply affects vision. Blurred sight or degenerative changes are seen as a sign of "liver yin deficiency," while seeing things in a distorted or reversed way (with normal eyesight) may reflect imbalance in "liver yang" - the directional, active energy.

How Aromatherapy Can Support Liver Balance

As an aromatherapist, I often observe that clients with liver imbalance tend to be easily frustrated, have trouble relaxing, and often report poor sleep between 1–3 AM. To help bring harmony back to the liver, especially when excessive heat is involved, we turn to cooling, liver-meridian-supportive essential oils.

Some excellent choices include:

Yuzu (Citrus junos)
Jasmine (Jasminum grandiflorum or sambac)
Roman Chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile)
Myrtle (Myrtus communis)
Bergamot (Citrus bergamia)
Petitgrain (Citrus aurantium var. amara)
Clary Sage (Salvia sclarea)
Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis ct. verbenone)

These oils can help disperse heat, calm the spirit, and gently guide the liver back into balance.

To maximize the effectiveness of our aromatherapy products, we recommend pairing them with meridian massage during use. You may choose to massage the entire meridian pathway or focus on specific acupoints.

Today, we introduce Taichong (LV3), a versatile powerhouse point along the Liver Meridian.

If you’ve ever wished there was a button to instantly relieve emotional tension, help you sleep better, and feel more grounded, there is. It’s called Taichong (LV3), and it's one of Traditional Chinese Medicine’s most powerful acupressure points.

Discover Taichong: Your Body’s Natural "Pressure Release Valve"

Find Your Taichong in 10 Seconds

Taichong is located on the top of your foot, in the natural "V" between your big toe and second toe, about three finger-widths up from the webbing, in the soft depression just before you hit the bones.

To find it:

Take off your socks and sit comfortably.
Run your finger up between your big toe and second toe until you feel a slight hollow before the bones meet, that’s your spot.

This is LV3, the third point on the Liver meridian, known in Chinese medicine as the source point of the liver, which means it can directly influence liver-related energy flow.

Why Taichong Matters

As the Liver Meridian’s Source Point (原穴), Taichong:

Directly regulates liver Qi (vital energy flow)
Acts as an "emotional exhaust port for stuck energy
Historically used for headaches, vertigo & menstrual imbalances

"Taichong resides two inches behind the great toe... relieves rib-side fullness and dizzy vision."– Hua Boren, Classic of 14 Meridians (Yuan Dynasty)

Why Is It So Powerful?

TCM practitioners call Taichong the “vent” for emotional and energetic congestion. According to 14th-century physician Hua Boren, this point helps clear fullness in the chest, ease dizziness, and restore calm when liver energy is out of balance.

Here are its five most remarkable benefits:

1. Improves Sleep & Calms the Mind

When liver energy is overheated or stagnant, it can cause irritability and restless sleep. Pressing Taichong helps cool liver fire and gently signals the nervous system to relax.

2. Releases Anger & Emotional Tension

Think of Taichong as your "emotional steam valve." Stimulating it helps vent irritability, frustration, or a sense of being emotionally blocked.

3. Relieves Headaches & Dizziness

Especially effective during springtime or stress-induced episodes, this point helps "settle the wind" in the body—a poetic way to describe scattered or rising energy.

4. Eases Menstrual Discomfort

For those who experience PMS, cramps, or irregular cycles due to stress or stagnation, Taichong can help restore flow and ease pain.

5. Refreshes the Eyes & Skin

In TCM, the liver “opens into the eyes.” When liver energy flows freely, the eyes appear brighter, less dry, and the complexion may improve too.

How to Massage Taichong for Best Results

The ideal times are early morning in spring or before bed, when liver energy is most active.

Basic Technique:

Sit comfortably and place one foot over the opposite thigh.
Use your thumb/Gua Sha tools to press the point firmly but gently.
Massage clockwise for 3 minutes, then counter-clockwise for another 3.
Aim for a sore but not painful pressure, the best pressure is to make you exhale deeply , not “ouch!”
Repeat on the other foot.

Advanced Tip: Apply 1 drop of ZenLiver oil on the point, and try alternating between press-and-hold for 30 seconds, followed by small circular motions. This combo boosts circulation and energetic flow.

⚠️ Safety Note: Consult your doctor before stimulating Taichong during pregnancy.

Pair It with Aromatherapy for Liver Support

Want to take it deeper? Pair your Taichong massage with a liver-balancing essential oil like our ZenLiver blend, specially formulated to support emotional release and cool liver heat.

Just apply a few drops to the area before massaging to calm the spirit and open emotional blockages.

🛒 Explore ZenLiver at: https://www.soularoma.net/product-page/zenliver (Ships in the U.S. only)

Your Soulful Ritual for Calm

In a world that never stops moving, giving your liver a moment to breathe is revolutionary self-care. Whether you’re calming nighttime restlessness or softening the edges of a stressful day, Taichong offers a way back to balance, one gentle press at a time.

Try it tonight. Your body and your soul will thank you.

Let your sleep be your deepest source of restoration.