About 3 out of 4 adults experience some aspect of insomnia at some point in life. There are many variations of insomnia. People either can’t fall asleep or stay asleep. Some have restless and dream-disturbed sleep. Some people experience it for short periods or for a few days a week, while others may have insomnia for months at a time.
How we sleep can give us clues as to what type you have. For instance, do you sleep on your back with your arms over your head? That is due to a heat condition. If you sleep on your belly, it due to stomach deficiency. Snoring is due to mucus that interferes with the stomach meridian or it may be due to rebellious qi.
What is the solution? Medications are one solution, but many people are seeking more natural and healthier options and as a result, are increasingly turning to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Acupuncture. TCM has great success at treating insomnia no matter what the cause. It is important because insomnia impacts our quality of life.
Some Main Causes of Insomnia in TCM.
Worry are you constantly preoccupied and have too many worries? This tends to hurt the spleen, lungs and heart. A weakened spleen has a hard time synthesizing red blood cells, which effects the heart. If the blood to the heart is weak, the mind can’t rest.
Anger raises the heat of the liver, the organ related to anger. Too much heat in the liver will trouble the mind, which leads to insomnia and nightmares. We call this liver yang rising in TCM and it is a common diagnosis. If this describes you, we have excellent acupuncture and herbal formulas that will set you right as rain in no time.
Overwork: working too much without proper rest or going through chronic stress will disturb sleep. This will hurt the kidneys whose function is to provide a good anchor so that the mind rests at night. Weakened kidneys will not have enough energy to balance out the heat of the heart. It can generate too much heat in the heart whenever there are ongoing stresses and emotional disharmonies. The restless spirit will not have rest and therefore we have insomnia.
Irregular Diet: a poor diet such as overeating or eating spicy foods, fatty foods and warming foods increases the moisture and heat in the body. This creates a condition called damp heat in the stomach which causes (you guessed it) insomnia. It isn’t a good idea to order that late night pizza. Chances are you will be up all night with stomach discomfort.
What can you do now at home to help? Here are a few ancient Chinese secrets to provide some relief.
Acupressure Points for Insomnia
PC 6 is located on the inner side of the wrist, about three finger-widths away and in the middle of the forearm. Great point for insomnia, nausea, stomach pain and headaches.
Anmian or Peaceful Sleep is the master point for treating insomnia because it anchors the Shen (mind). It is very calming and promotes good sleep. It is used for both restless and interrupted sleep and for nightmares and excessive dreaming. Massage both at the same time using your thumbs. Apply firm but soft pressure for a few minutes in a circular motion. You can also do this while you are lying on your back. It is located in the depression, at the junction of the skull base and mastoid process, just below the ear lobe.
Heart 7 known as Shenmen or spirit gate. It is a great point for sleep disorders. It nourishes the blood of the heart and is excellent at calming the mind. It can also be very soothing for manic-depressive disorders. Located at the ulnar end of the distal wrist crease with the palm facing upward. Press the point with the opposite thumb for a minute. Repeat to other side.
Chrysanthemum Tea or Ju Hua in Chinese medicine, is used to cool and calm those suffering from too much heat and impatience. We all have people in our lives who can get a little hot under the collar so sneak a little Chrysanthemum into their drink! It is great to reduce red eyes and inflammation if you have a cold or flu.
Struggling with insomnia can greatly reduce your quality of life. If you need help, don’t hesitate to call for a consultation and treatment.
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