Traditional Chinese Medicine Unravels Sleep
By admin on 2014-12-17

Traditional Chinese Medicine views almost all sleep disorders as stemming from either a deficiency in qi or from a surplus of qi in body organs, mainly the kidneys and heart.

The kidneys, like all the body's organs, store energy. When the kidney's ability to store energy is compromised, sleep disorders can result. According to TCM, kidney energy deficiency can prevent the kidney from holding the energy inside. When this happens, the energy ascends and disturbs the heart (spirit). This, in turn, keeps the person awake.

As a person gets old, as part of the natural aging process, the energy reserves of the kidney are depleted. The energy can be restored by taking remedies that tonifies the kidneys. This is done primarily with herbal remedies. In addition, qigong postures and exercises are beneficial to the kidneys, and can thus help the sleep process.

Studies have shown that some insomnia may be due to a deficiency of endorphins (the body's own natural painkillers), and thus acupuncture is often a useful therapy. During acupuncture, patients tend to become drowsy or even fall asleep, possibly because of increased levels of central nervous system endorphins.

Some violent emotions impair liver qi, which stagnates, transforms into fire, invades heart shen and causes mental derangement and insomnia.

Excess consumption of greasy or sweet foods can result in the retention of fluids and phlegm in the stomach, causing stomach qi malfunctioning and, eventually, insomnia.

Palpitation and insomnia are the result of exhaustion of liver and kidney essence. If vital essence is prevented from replenishing the heart, the breakdown of the normal physiological coordination between the heart and the kidneys will occur. These conditions may also result in excess heart fire or blood qi deficiency in the heart and gallbladder. Anyone of these scenarios can manifest as fear and timidity on the part of the patient.

Body's Natural Daily Cycle

Traditional Chinese Medicine also stresses the need to observe the body's natural daily cycle. The "organ time clock" specifies certain times for restoring the energy of certain organs:

11:00 P.M. to 1:00 A.M. for the gallbladder

1:00 A.M. to 3:00 A.M. for the liver

3:00 A.M. to 5:00 A.M. for the lungs

5:00 A.M. to 7:00 A.M. for the large intestine

It helps to go to bed early for optimum benefits. 9-hour sleep time is the most preferable.