Insomnia, also known as insomnia in ancient times, is a type of disease characterized by frequent inability to obtain normal sleep caused by a lack of mental nourishment or restlessness. The main manifestations are insufficient sleep time, depth, and inability to eliminate fatigue, restore physical strength and energy after sleep. Mild cases may have difficulty falling asleep, or may sleep but not fully awake, sometimes sleeping and waking up, or unable to sleep again after waking up, and severe cases may stay up all night. Western medicine mainly relies on cognitive-behavioral therapy and medication treatment. However, studies have found that although benzodiazepines, new non benzodiazepine drugs, melatonin and other drugs can improve sleep quality in the short term, long-term use can alter patients' sleep structure, leading to increased tolerance and dependence, as well as cognitive impairment, motor dysfunction and other hazards.
So more and more people are seeking to improve insomnia through traditional Chinese medicine treatment. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that the causes of insomnia are nothing more than internal and external factors, and the symptoms are divided into three types: deficiency syndrome, excess syndrome, and a mixture of deficiency and excess. Emotional disorders, disordered diet, fatigue disorders, chronic illness, physical weakness, emotional disorders, and other internal and external factors can all lead to insomnia. In summary, insomnia is always caused by the imbalance of yang and yin, the inability of yin deficiency to absorb yang, or the inability of yang excess to enter yin, resulting in loss of mental and spiritual nourishment and restlessness. The main site of the disease is the heart, which is also associated with the liver, gallbladder, spleen and stomach, and kidneys. Due to the involvement of different organs, the clinical manifestations of insomnia also vary. Although the main site of insomnia is in the heart, if the liver, gallbladder, spleen, stomach, kidney and other organs have yin-yang qi and blood imbalance, it can also disturb the mind and cause insomnia, accompanied by different symptoms such as irritability, bloating, loose stools, and soreness and weakness of the waist and knees.
In clinical practice, insomnia can be roughly divided into five categories: liver fire disturbing the heart syndrome, phlegm fire disturbing the heart syndrome, heart spleen deficiency syndrome, heart kidney non junction syndrome, and heart gallbladder qi deficiency syndrome. How to distinguish it clinically? Firstly, distinguish between deficiency and excess. If the onset is sudden, the course of the disease is short, and symptoms such as irritability, bitter mouth, and dry throat are often indicative of the condition; The natural onset is slow, the course of the disease is long, it is prone to recurrent attacks, the physique is weak and weak, and the complexion is pale, which is a deficiency syndrome. Distinguishing the organs again, impatience and irritability are often caused by internal disturbances of liver fire; Abdominal stuffiness and greasy fur are often caused by excessive phlegm and heat; Anxiety, palpitations, dizziness, and forgetfulness are often caused by Yin deficiency and excessive fire, as well as heart kidney dysfunction; If there is a pale complexion, fatigue and weakness, and mental exhaustion, it is often due to both heart and spleen deficiency. Being restless and easily startled by events often indicates a lack of courage and qi. No matter what type of syndrome it is, calming the nerves and regulating the mind is the basic treatment method for this disease. The treatment principle is to supplement deficiency and eliminate excess, adjust yin and yang, and combine different traditional Chinese medicines to restore the balance of yin and yang in the organs and harmonize qi and blood. When the body reaches a state of yin and yang balance, qi and blood balance, and organ function returns to normal, sleep naturally improves.
In addition to oral Chinese medicine treatment, Chinese medicine also has acupuncture and moxibustion and other external treatments, which have significant effects in the treatment of insomnia. In clinical practice, psychological therapy may also be used as an auxiliary treatment. For insomnia caused by emotional disorders, psychological guidance should be provided in the treatment to help relax tension or anxiety, maintain a comfortable mood to regulate qi flow, and effectively alleviate symptoms such as insomnia. Of course, traditional Chinese medicine believes that prevention is more important than cure. Maintaining good sleep habits and establishing a regular daily routine are also extremely important. Due to individual differences in constitution and specific medical conditions, specific diagnosis and treatment are required in clinical practice. Therefore, patients in need should go to regular hospitals to avoid delaying their condition.