Is staying up late more often associated with kidney yin deficiency or yang deficiency?

Generally, frequent late-night stays are more likely to lead to kidney yin deficiency, and in rare cases may be accompanied by symptoms of yang deficiency; a specific diagnosis should be made based on individual symptoms. Detailed analysis is as follows:

Long-term sleep deprivation depletes the body's yin fluids, leading to insufficient kidney yin and resulting in symptoms associated with kidney yin deficiency. Common manifestations include dry mouth and throat, dizziness, tinnitus, soreness and weakness in the lower back and knees, insomnia with vivid dreams, and heat sensations in the palms and soles. This occurs because staying up late damages yin, impairing its ability to restrain yang, thus giving rise to internal deficient fire—consistent with the pathological mechanism of kidney yin deficiency.

If late-night work is combined with excessive fatigue or exposure to cold, symptoms of yang deficiency may appear alongside kidney yin deficiency, such as aversion to cold, low energy, and increased nocturnal urination. However, this scenario is relatively uncommon. The primary condition remains kidney yin deficiency, with yang deficiency typically being a secondary development.

In daily life, one should avoid chronic sleep deprivation as much as possible, ensure adequate sleep, and minimize the depletion of yin fluids. If related discomforts have already occurred, dietary adjustments can help—consuming more yin-nourishing foods such as tremella fungus and goji berries—combined with moderate exercise and avoiding overexertion, to support kidney yin nourishment and restore the body’s yin-yang balance.