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### Traditional Chinese Medicine Perspective
In **Traditional Chinese Medicine**, the hours between **3 and 5 a.m.** are associated with the lung meridian.
Practitioners often interpret this period as connected to **emotional release, breathing, and letting go of stress**. While meridian pathways are not anatomically proven in modern medicine, the framework highlights the importance of emotional health and mindful breathing.
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## The Physiological Reality
Modern sleep science offers several evidence-based explanations for why people often wake during the pre-dawn hours.
### Sleep Cycle Transitions
Human sleep follows repeating **90-minute cycles** that move through stages including:
* Light sleep
