Why do we suffer from insomnia? How should we deal with it? Traditional Chinese Medicine explains the symptoms and treatment methods for insomnia.

Why do we suffer from insomnia?

Symptoms related to insomnia are a well-known health issue among urban dwellers. Clinically, improving insomnia is a necessary health indicator for the recovery treatment of all diseases. The classic Chinese medicine text "Huangdi Neijing" pointed out thousands of years ago the correspondence between the physiological rhythms of the human body and the natural seasonal rhythms. It emphasizes that the functions of various organs in the human body follow the natural daily and seasonal cycles. For example, getting up early in the morning is like spring, representing the revival and fullness of bodily functions at this time. Noon is like summer, representing the peak of bodily functions.

In the afternoon, like autumn, the functions of the body begin to decline.

At night, sleep is like winter, where all bodily functions enter a state of rest and recuperation.

This physiological rhythm closely corresponds with the natural seasons, reminding us to follow natural laws, adjust our daily routines, and maintain health. For example, going to bed early and getting up early, and taking a nap at noon to match the physiological rhythm of the body to maintain health.

Causes and symptoms of insomnia

Chinese medicine health preservation methods, such as nurturing yang in spring and summer, and nurturing yin in autumn and winter, aim to achieve harmonious coexistence with nature. It compares the upper part of the body (the head) to the sky, the lower part (the feet) to the earth, and the middle part (the five organs) to human affairs to nourish the body. The qi of food and water from the earth connects to the throat. Professor Huang points out: all diseases, like the four seasons, have their interrelatedness among all bodily organs and tissues. "Preventing disease before it occurs, and preventing changes once disease has occurred" is the focus of Chinese medicine in treating insomnia. Common patients often neglect the following common complications.

1. Preventing disease before it occurs: Initially, patients may experience fatigue, mental tension, pallor, neck and shoulder fatigue, etc. The disease is located in the superficial upper body.

Low immunity: Long-term lack of sleep can reduce the body's resistance and increase the risk of infection. Respiratory diseases: Lack of sleep can reduce lung function and increase the risk of respiratory diseases. Eye problems: Lack of sleep may lead to eye fatigue, dryness, and other issues.
Skin problems: Lack of sleep can lead to internal damp heat, causing skin allergies, dryness, and acne. Menstrual irregularities: Sleep disorders can affect women's endocrine balance, leading to menstrual irregularities.
The impact of forward head posture on health: It can induce varying degrees of cervical spondylosis and exacerbate the vicious cycle of insomnia. From the perspective of Chinese medicine orthopedics, forward head posture directly affects the blood vessel pathways supplying the brain from the neck and shoulders, causing blockages.
Increased brain hypoxia: This can lead to symptoms such as headaches.
It affects the blood and qi circulation of the organs, leading to various health issues related to brain hypoxia, such as snoring, memory decline, visual disturbances, tinnitus, fatigue, and excessive sleepiness.

2. Preventing changes once disease has occurred: Chronic illness can affect the internal organs. Clinically, common patients often neglect superficial symptoms, and over time, diseases can gradually penetrate deeper through the meridians, often affecting the six fu organs, increasing the incidence of various digestive system or metabolic disorders.

Stomach: Lack of sleep can lead to stomach yin deficiency, manifesting as decreased appetite, indigestion, acid reflux, etc. It affects the absorption and metabolism of fluids, leading to issues such as abdominal distension and poor appetite.
Small intestine: Lack of sleep can easily expose the small intestine to heat pathogens, affecting fluid metabolism and leading to constipation. Symptoms may include diarrhea, loose stools, or constipation.
Bladder: Lack of sleep can lead to bladder yin deficiency, potentially causing internal dampness, resulting in frequent urination and urgency, and increasing the incidence of urinary tract infections. Gallbladder: Lack of sleep can expose the gallbladder meridian to heat pathogens, affecting the liver's drainage function, leading to symptoms such as rib pain and chest tightness, and prolonged illness can lead to liver stagnation.
Triple warmer: Lack of sleep can weaken the triple warmer, manifesting as night sweats and fatigue. It affects normal fluid metabolism, causing internal dampness and edema. Large intestine: Lack of sleep can weaken the large intestine, affecting its fluid metabolism, manifesting as constipation and abdominal pain, leading to issues with bowel movements.

3. Disease entering the five organs: If the digestive symptoms of the six fu organs persist (metabolic dysfunction), it can increase the burden imbalance on the heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys (the five organs), further increasing the incidence of common urban diseases and the risk of various tumors. Over-reliance on symptomatic medications without addressing the root cause, combined with factors such as aging, can be the last straw for disease progression.

Stress hormones: Long-term lack of sleep can stimulate the secretion of stress hormones, affecting physical and mental health.

Cardiovascular diseases: Chronic insomnia can lead to sympathetic nervous system hyperactivity, increasing the risk of cardiovascular diseases, primarily manifesting as excessive heart fire (insomnia and forgetfulness) and heart blood deficiency (chest tightness and shortness of breath). This is related to synergistic effects from long-term staying up late, excessive drinking, and emotional agitation. Emotional disorders: Decreased sleep quality can lead to anxiety, depression, and other mental disorders.
Liver diseases: Primarily manifesting as liver stagnation (emotional distress), liver heat (irritability), and liver wind (dizziness and headaches), compounded by work stress, irregular diet, emotional fluctuations, and long-term medication affecting liver and kidney filtration.
Spleen diseases: Primarily manifesting as spleen and stomach weakness (loss of appetite, indigestion), often caused by improper diet, overwork, and emotional distress. Lung diseases: Primarily manifesting as lung deficiency (prone to colds) and lung heat (cough with phlegm). Often caused by environmental pollution, work stress, and emotional depression.

Kidney diseases: Lack of sleep can lead to kidney essence deficiency, affecting kidney metabolic function. Early manifestations include kidney deficiency (lower back and knee weakness) and kidney yin deficiency (nocturnal emissions and premature ejaculation). Often related to medication side effects, spleen and stomach dysfunction, lack of exercise, and excessive sexual activity, with aging being the last straw.

Detailed explanation of insomnia treatment methods in Chinese medicine.

Traditional Chinese Medicine "To treat a disease, one must seek to treat the root cause". If one relies on sleeping pills, painkillers, stomach medicine, or symptom-relieving medications for a long time, it can affect the normal function of the liver, gallbladder, and kidneys, leading to their inability to fully perform their metabolic and excretion functions. "All medicines have some toxicity"; this increases the risk of various liver, gallbladder, and kidney diseases. For example, long-term use of sleeping pills can suppress heart and kidney function, affect the circulation of heart fluids, and subsequently lead to other symptoms such as long-term sleep deprivation, forgetfulness, and palpitations.

Source: Identify the root cause of the disease through observation, listening, questioning, and pulse diagnosis, for example.

Observation - tongue color, facial color, lip color, sitting posture.

Listening - voice tone, intonation, breath.

Questioning - medical history (cervical spondylosis, headaches), bowel movements, dietary habits, exercise habits, medication habits.

Pulse diagnosis - mainly involves pulse reading and skin examination.

By using magnetic massage on the neck to find the pain root caused by blocked qi and blood, and to improve sleep-related "tender points" early, for example: insomnia is often found behind the ears.
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Tender points of blood and qi blockage appear at acupoints such as the three yin intersection point on the foot. Prevent related meridian qi and blood blockage and the normal peristaltic function of the gastrointestinal tract.

Observation: Inspect the location of symptoms and provide overall treatment for each symptom, adjusting the ecological cycle within the body.

Inspect your dietary habits: avoid cold drinks, strong flavors, fried foods, snacks, late-night meals, and overeating or undereating, as well as long-term reliance on laxatives, which can affect deep sleep quality.

Inspect your health status and various bodily warning signs to prevent symptoms from continuously triggering other more serious changes. For example: inspect the fatigue condition of the neck before and after work, and use "Yidian Ning Cooling" containing menthol to press the affected area for 1-2 minutes to prevent fatigue accumulation.

Prevention: Traditional Chinese Medicine emphasizes prevention before illness, preventing changes in existing diseases, and seeking to treat the root cause of diseases.

When treating insomnia, attention will also be paid to the blood oxygen supply to the brain from the neck. Prevent blockage of the qi and blood pathways from the neck to the brain that can trigger diseases, such as headaches, cervical spondylosis, endocrine disorders, and menstrual pain.

By using magnetic massage on the neck to find the pain root caused by blocked qi and blood, and to improve sleep-related "tender points" early, for example: insomnia is often found at acupoints such as the three yin intersection point on the foot, where tender points of blood and qi blockage appear. Prevent related meridian qi and blood blockage and the normal peristaltic function of the gastrointestinal tract.

Observation: Inspect the location of symptoms and provide overall treatment for each symptom, adjusting the ecological cycle within the body.

Inspect your dietary habits: avoid cold drinks, strong flavors, fried foods, snacks, late-night meals, and overeating or undereating, as well as long-term reliance on laxatives, which can affect deep sleep quality.

Inspect your health status and various bodily warning signs to prevent symptoms from continuously triggering other more serious changes. For example: inspect the fatigue condition of the neck before and after work, and use "Yidian Ning Cooling" containing menthol to press the affected area for 1-2 minutes to prevent fatigue accumulation.

Prevention: Traditional Chinese Medicine emphasizes prevention before illness, preventing changes in existing diseases, and seeking to treat the root cause of diseases.

When treating insomnia, attention will also be paid to the blood oxygen supply to the brain from the neck. Prevent blockage of the qi and blood pathways from the neck to the brain that can trigger diseases, such as headaches, cervical spondylosis, endocrine disorders, and menstrual pain.