Ever wonder, why you can’t fall asleep? The reason you can’t sleep is more than likely because you have insomnia. Acupuncture and TCM can help address the root cause of insomnia and sleep disorders. According to the Cleveland Clinic, “1 in 3 adults worldwide have insomnia symptoms, and about 10% of adults meet the criteria for insomnia disorder.”
What are the symptoms of sleep disorders?
Trouble falling asleep
Waking up frequently throughout the night
Waking up early and not being able to go back to sleep
Feeling worried, anxious, or having racing thoughts before bed or when waking up
Irritability or depression that affects sleep
How can acupuncture and TCM help?
Most clients/patients are trying to look for a non-drug alternative to treat insomnia and sleeping disorders since sleeping medicine can often come with its own side effects. Acupuncture and TCM can help provide a natural way to help treat sleep issues, and can have more lasting effects than other alternatives.
Here are some of the benefits:
Promoting more restful sleep by regulating the nervous system
Increasing energy, and reducing fatigue
Improving memory, and concentration
Decreasing anxiety, and stress levels
Improving digestion, and reducing headaches
What are common reasons for having trouble sleeping?
Stress and family (work, family, etc)
Side effects of medications and using caffeine, alcohol, or nicotine
Inconsistent sleep schedule
Poor sleep hygiene (eating right before bed, excessive screen time at night)
Other medical conditions like restless leg syndrome, and sleep apnea
What are the side effects of poor sleep?
Feeling tired even after a full night of sleep
Drowsiness, and tiredness during the day
Increased irritability, or anxiety
Trouble concentrating, or memory loss
Headaches, and digestive issues
Increased muscle tension and tightness
Insomnia describes a variety of different symptoms associate with sleep disturbance, including inability to sleep, difficulty falling asleep, frequent waking, restlessness at night, disordered sleep cycle, and dream-disturbed sleep.
Approximately one third of all adults experience occasional or persistent sleep disturbances. Sleep deprivation or disruption of circadian rhythm can lead to serious impairment of daytime functioning. Most adults sleep 7-8 hours per night, although the timing, duration, and internal structure of sleep vary considerably among apparently healthy individuals as well as age.
It is important to distinguish true insomnia from transitory insomnia due to external or temporary changes. Outside noise, sudden weather changes, inappropriate bedroom temperatures, consumption of coffee or other stimulants prior to bedtime, eating late, recent emotional upsets, vigorous exercise and disordered biorhythms of shift workers may all cause a person to sleep poorly. Once these factor are removed, sleep usually returns to normal and the sleep disturbance cannot be considered true insomnia. Similarly sleep disturbance due to pain, itching, asthma and breathing disorders should not be diagnosed as insomnia.
In TCM, insomnia is associate with instability or agitation of shen (mind) and occurs because:
The shen (mind) is not adequately anchored or secured due to deficiency of blood or yin.
Overstimulation and agitation by heat prevent the shen (mind) from settling quietly when it’s time for sleep.
The shen(mind) is “locked in” and agitation by constraint from qi and/or blood stagnation.
The heart and the shen (mind) share an intimate and interdependent relationship as the heart is the residence of the shen (mind). Shen is associate with disturbances of consciousness and perception and some aspects of the heart function.
The shen (mind) can be disturbed by the rising qi of anger or repression of emotion and is linked to the Liver causing sleep disturbance particularly sleepwalking.
Due to the heart’s central position as the “emperor” and the Shen is the resident are affected by all emotional patterns. Some are more damaging than others, particularly prolonged worry and anxiety or severe shock.
Insomnia may accompany many syndromes and disorder, and can be a major obstacle to recovery if it is severe. Insomnia may be a symptom of such conditions as neurological and psychiatric disorders, hypertension, hyperthyroidism, menopausal and premenstrual syndrome, and anemia.
Clinical Handbook of Internal Medicine-The Treatment of Disease with Tradition Chinese Medicine
Will Maclean Jane Lyttleton
“The scary thing about insomnia is not the hours lost for sleeping, but the re-run of thoughts you’ve been trying to forget”-Unknown
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