Insomnia & Other Sleep Issues

Imbalances in Qi, Blood, Yin, or Yang, often involving the Heart, Liver, Spleen, and Kidneys, can affect our sleep patterns. Treatments focus on calming the mind (Shen), nourishing deficiencies, and resolving underlying imbalances.

1. Acupuncture

• Calms the Shen (mind/spirit): Points like Heart 7 (Shenmen), Pericardium 6 (Neiguan), and Yintang relax the nervous system and promote restful sleep.
• Balances Liver Qi: If stress and irritability keep you awake, points like Liver 3 (Taichong) and Gallbladder 20 (Fengchi) help smooth emotions.
• Strengthens digestion: Poor digestion can cause restless sleep. Stomach 36 (Zusanli) and Spleen 6 (Sanyinjiao) improve gut health.

2. Herbal Medicine

Herbs are prescribed based on the pattern causing sleep issues:

• Heart & Spleen Deficiency (light sleep, vivid dreams, waking easily)
  • Herbal formula: Gui Pi Tang – Nourishes Blood and calms the Shen.
• Liver Qi Stagnation & Heat (stress, waking between 1-3 am, irritability, vivid dreams)
  • Herbal formula: Suan Zao Ren Tang – Nourishes Liver Blood and soothes anxiety.
• Kidney Yin Deficiency (hot at night, night sweats, dry mouth, waking frequently)
  • Herbal formula: Tian Wang Bu Xin Dan – Nourishes Yin and cools the body.

3. Lifestyle & Dietary Adjustments

• Limit screens & bright lights before bed to protect Yin and Shen.
• Avoid caffeine, alcohol, and spicy foods at night, especially if you have heat signs (night sweats, restlessness).
• Eat blood-nourishing foods (dark leafy greens, bone broth, goji berries, dates) to support the Heart and Liver.
• Drink calming teas like chamomile, jujube seed, or passionflower.

4. Qi Gong & Breathing Exercises

• Slow, deep breathing before bed calms the nervous system.
• Qi Gong or gentle stretching in the evening helps move stagnant energy.

Since insomnia has different root causes, treatment is tailored to your specific imbalance. What kind of sleep issues are you dealing with?