From the perspective of Chinese medicine, if you wake up at 4 a.m. with coughing and shortness of breath, it may be a sign of bad lungs. Waking up at 4:00 a.m. may be a sign that the body’s qi and blood are insufficient to be transported properly when the lung meridian distributes qi and blood, causing lung diseases to easily flare up at this time, resulting in symptoms such as coughing and shortness of breath. However, waking up at 4 a.m. does not necessarily mean that an organ is bad. If there are no uncomfortable symptoms after waking up as well as on a daily basis, it may be due to other factors or just waking up by chance. The reasons for waking up at 4:00 a.m. include drinking more water before going to bed, which leads to increased nighttime urination, or the presence of sleep disorders that lead to an increased number of awakenings, often related to mental factors, such as the presence of tension, anxiety and other adverse emotions during the day, or in a state of neurasthenia. If there is discomfort, it is recommended to seek medical attention promptly to clarify the cause by systematic examination. If there is respiratory discomfort, it may be related to bad lung, so you can consult the Chinese medicine department and under the guidance of the doctor for conditioning and treatment. Chinese herbs such as Chuanbei and lily of the valley are effective in nourishing the lungs, and can be used daily to make tea or decocted with other Chinese herbs as prescribed by the doctor. Avoid staying up late at night, combine work and rest, relax and have a healthy diet, which can improve sleep.