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INSOMNIA AND ACUPUNCTURE – Part I – Causes
The word insomnia involves a large number of problems related to sleep such as having difficulty falling asleep, frequent awakenings, restless sleep, dream-disturbed sleep and waking up too early in the morning with an inability to go back to sleep.
Different kinds of insomnia are problems frequently experienced nowadays. About three to four adults have regular or occasional trouble sleeping. When looking for alternatives to medication, which its share of side effects, one realizes that acupuncture can be an interesting solution. So, here is the first article of our series on acupuncture to inform you about the benefits and possibilities this therapy can provide. First, we will identify the possible causes of sleep disorders and then suggest some solutions.
Causes according to Traditional Chinese Medicine:
Worries (in a broader sense, including excessive thinking or obsessive mental preoccupation): Being constantly preoccupied and having too many worries tend to “hurt” the spleen, lungs and heart. A weakened spleen struggles to synthesize red blood cells, which in turn can affect the heart. If the blood of the heart is weak, the mind cannot rest.
Anger (in a broader sense, including frustration, resentment and irritability): These emotions tend to raise the heat of the liver, the organ related to anger. Too much heat in the liver will trouble the mind, which, again, will have no place to anchor itself. This will lead to insomnia and lots of dreams or nightmares.
Overwork: Working too much without proper rest or going through chronic stress will also disturb sleep. This will “hurt” the kidneys, whose function is to provide a good anchor so that the mind rests at night. Weakened kidneys will not have enough energy to balance out the heat of the heart. It can also generate too much heat in the heart whenever there are ongoing stresses and emotional disharmonies. Once again, the restless spirit will not have a house to rest.
Shy Gallbladder: Some people have an innate weakness of both heart and gallbladder. These people tend to be shy and fearful, and have trouble making decisions. These inherent weaknesses tend to create morning insomnia.
Irregular diet: A poor diet, overeating or consuming too many fatty and warming foods, increases the moisture and heat in the body. This can lead up to what we call “heat-moisture” in the stomach resulting in insomnia. For example, a hearty meal taken too late at night can prevent good sleep and cause discomfort in the abdomen.
Childbirth: A significant loss of blood during childbirth can also result in a form of insomnia related with what we call ” blood empty”. Again, when blood supplies are not adequate to truly ground the mind wandering at night, it results in insomnia and excessive dreams often followed by having trouble falling asleep.
Residual Heat: Following a “wind-heat” invasion resulting from flu or other illnesses, residual heat may remain in the diaphragm and prevent the person from sleeping well. This heat will disturb the heart, house of the mind, and will lead to insomnia as well as mental agitation. Sleeping problems can often be related to chronic fatigue syndrome.
Excessive Sexual Activity: This applies more to men than women. In fact, sperm is a direct expression of kidneys energy. If sexual activity is very frequent to a point where kidneys have no time to repair themselves, it could lead to a “kidney deficiency” and to insomnia due to its lack of anchoring the mind.
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How to identify different types of insomnia according to Chinese medicine? Read the next article titled: Insomnia and Acupuncture – Part 2 – Types.
Ref.: Giovanni Maciocia: The Practice of Chinese Medicine: The Treatment of Diseases with Acupuncture and Chinese Herbs, 2nd Edition