There are recommended time periods for our activities, in accordance to TCM theories. This corresponds to the Chinese hours represented by the Earthly Branches. Qi is present, not just in our environment, but also within us. The Yin-Yang theory applies here too. Qi has its peaks and its troughs for each of the 12 organ meridians.
The big picture here is to have a way of life that is in sync with the universe and nature - performing the right activities at the right time ensure that the Qi flows properly and hence leads to optimal outcomes. Sounds familiar? :)
子 Zi (11pm to 1am) - Gall Bladder 膽 － Best time for deep sleep
丑 Chou (1am to 3am) - Liver 肝 － Best time for deep sleep
寅 Yin (3am to 5am) - Lung 肺 － Best time for deep sleep
卯 Mao (5am to 7am) - Colon 大腸 － Best time to wake up, exercise, moving bowels
辰 Chen (7am to 9am) - Stomach 胃 － Best time to have a sumptuous breakfast
巳 Si (9am to 11am) - Spleen 脾 － Best to have had breakfast earlier; avoid cold drinks
午 Wu (11am to 1pm) - Heart 心 － Best time for lunch and interaction; folks with heart diseases beware
未 Wei (1pm to 3pm) - Small Intestine 小腸 － Best to have had lunch; good for problem solving
申 Shen (3pm to 5pm) - Bladder 膀胱－ Best to drink tea and lots of water; good for efficient work
酉 You (5pm to 7pm) - Kidney 腎 － Best time for (light) dinner and avoid sex after dinner
戌 Xu (7pm to 9pm) - Pericardium 心包 － Best to soak feet in warm water; some reading; sexual activity
亥 Hai (9pm to 11pm) - Triple Heater 三焦 － Best time to start going to bed
