My son has got into the habit of waking at 4am. Why does he wake at exactly the same time?

Traditional Chinese medicine believes different organs are active at certain times in the 24-hour cycle: 3am-5am is lung meridian time, so if he has lung problems (eg, chronic cough or asthma), this might be why he is waking. Another cause is liver and kidney yin xu, which can arise from exhaustion if he has been allowed to go to bed late for many years. Acupuncture can help (British Acupuncture Council, 020-8735 0400, acupuncture.org.uk).

I have recently been diagnosed as having oesophageal dysmotility syndrome and wondered if you could recommend anything?

The dysmotility - or, put simply, 'food getting trapped' - might be due to uncontrollable spasms or inflammation of the oesophagus. Supplements such as L-Glutamine, MSM or magnesium might help strengthen the muscle tissue, reduce inflammation and calm spasms. Perhaps there is low HCL in the stomach, causing it to repel food it can't deal with. This is most likely also to have a psychological or spiritual cause - the throat chakra can be affected by an inability to speak your feelings or emotional upset, resulting in that 'lump in the throat' feeling. The Australian bush flower remedies heal on many levels. Crowea helps spasms in the throat muscles and HCL levels. Bush iris clears the throat chakra; and bush fuchsia gives the courage to speak out. Flannel flower is for trust and clarity of expression (FlowerSense, 020-8567 9412, flowersense.co.uk).

· Emma Mitchell is a natural health therapist. Before following Emma's recommendations, you should consult your GP about any medical problems or special health conditions.

· Send your questions to Wellbeing, Guardian Weekend, 119 Farringdon Road, London EC1R 3ER. Email: ask.emma@theguardian.com.