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Sleep and insomnia
Insomnia
Clinically, insomnia is defined as insufficient or poor sleep manifested by one or more of the following characteristics:
It is more difficult to fall asleep;
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Shallow sleep or sleep disturbed by dreams;
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Frequent awakening in the middle of the night, after which it is difficult to fall back asleep;
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Waking up too quickly in the morning;
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Unrefreshing sleep.
The most basic and simplest explanation for insomnia in TCM is an imbalance between yin and yang energies. Yang energy is an active and exciting state, while yin energy represents a quiet and peaceful state. Insomnia is caused by the distribution of yin energy. The mechanism itself is, of course, much more complicated, so it should not be expected that with a single pill, food or exercise, you will easily and immediately achieve sound and quality sleep. Sleep problems can only be adequately addressed through systemic knowledge and adjustment of behavioral patterns combined with treatments such as acupuncture or herbal supplements. The good thing about such an inclusive approach is that not only will your sleep improve, but your health in general.
Treating insomnia
In general, insomnia can be caused by many factors, which are mostly associated with mood and mental stress, diet and lack of vital energy. These cause internal disturbances, impaired circulation and an imbalance of yin and yang. In this case, the heart is the most damaged, but disagreements can also arise in the systems of the spleen, kidneys, liver, gall bladder and stomach.
In TCM theory, doctors clinically divide insomnia into two types:
Deficiency Type: The shen (spirit) is malnourished because it does not have enough blood or qi energy.
type of excess: the shen (spirit) is irritated by pathogens such as foreign invaders, fire, dampness, and blood stasis.
These two types can mix with imbalances of different systems. Insomnia can be very complicated. When you find that common sense is not helping you with this, please do not rush to take supplements or pills. Try to seek professional help at an early stage. If the individual suffers from other health problems, their systems can be very damaged, so individual and systemic treatment is necessary.
