Approaching sleep problems and natural sleep cures from a Chinese Medicine point of view

In order to have a sound sleep the human energy system must enter a Yin state. If the energy is in a Yang state sleep difficulties are likely to result. These sleep problems can arise from both excess and deficiency conditions. Essentially that means either too much Yang energy or too little Yin energy. In Chinese Medicine the most common energy patterns that result in too little sleep are

·         Blood deficiency resulting in too little Yin

·         Heart and Kidney Yin deficiency

·         Timid (deficient) Gallbladder

·         Heart Fire resulting in excess Yang

·         Liver Fire resulting in excess Yang

·         Phlegm Heat resulting in excess Yang

·         Wind Heat resulting in excess Yang

In general, Yin Deficiency is very common. Difficulty falling asleep, heart palpitations, general tiredness, poor appetite, blurred vision, dizziness when awake, poor memory, and a pale face are all indications of Blood Deficiency. You can eat foods that support blood like beef, spinach, eggs, red grapes, vitamin A, vitamin B12, Biotin, Choline, Folic Acid, Inosital, and vitamin E.

The indications for Heart and Kidney Yin Deficiency include waking frequently during the night coupled with difficulty falling asleep, dry throat,  sweating during the night, poor memory, heart palpitations, dizziness when awake,  mental restlessness, ringing in the ears, and lower backache.

Timid Gallbladder is often coupled with Heart Deficiency. Its principle indications are waking up early and not being able to get back to sleep, sleeping lightly, profuse dreaming, being easily startled, timidity, tiredness, breathlessness, and lack of assertiveness. Timid Gallbladder is also very common.

Waking up during the night, nightmares, mental restlessness during the day, dreams about flying, thirst, and heart palpitations are indications of Heart Fire. An option is to eat foods that benefit the heart including beef, beets, cherries, corn, fennel, green tea, mango, melons, milk, shitake mushrooms, and white rice.

Restlessness in sleep, nightmares, irritability during the day, a bitter taste in the mouth, thirst, and headaches indicate Liver Fire. Foods that support the liver include beef, beets, celery, cheese, garlic, Biotin, Folic Acid, vitamin K, Beta-carotene, Iodine, Manganese, Silicon, and Zinc.

Restlessness in sleep, tossing and turning, feelings of heaviness, dizziness during waking, nausea, lack of appetite, and a sticky taste in the mouth all indicate Phlegm Heat. The best approach to take is to eliminate phlegm and dampness causing foods in your diet. That includes dairy products, oily foods, fried foods, excessive eating, wheat, pork, alcohol, sugar and sweets, oats, pears, and beef. Foods to eat include aduki bean sprouts, alfalfa, asparagus, barley, celery, corn, garlic, horse radish, jasmine tea, kidney beans, lemon, onion, oregano, parsley, peppermint, radish, turnip, almonds, tofu, grapefruit, and thyme.

If you experience any of the above set of symptoms on a regular basis and have difficulty sleeping, then Chinese Medicine may be an excellent alternative for you. However, as you may notice, some symptoms are common to multiple conditions. A qualified Chinese Medicine practitioner should be able to help diagnose exactly which condition you are experiencing and should be able to help you balance your energy.  Acupuncture, herbs, and acupressure all may be helpful to restore the balance of energy. However, for long term results, it’s a good idea to consider what in your lifestyle is resulting in energy imbalance. Diet is one of the most important considerations in this respect.

There are also energy balancing tools that you can use. These will be covered in future posts.