The danger of not sleeping is a loss of memory that reduces people who suffer from it to a state of idiocy that has no past…….They dream while awake……..The insomnias dreaminess while awake adds to the confusion about what is real and what is imagined.
– Excerpt of the insomnia plague from One Hundred Years of Solitude, by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Insomnia is defined as sleeplessness, or more accurately, ‘want of sleep.’ Insomnia affects people worldwide, impacting their quality of life, mental health, and physical wellbeing. The excerpt above exaggerates a bit about the consequences of insomnia. However, chronic insomnia can lead to forgetfulness, poorer performance at work and school, slower reaction time resulting in more accidents and mishaps, weight gain, and muscle pain due to a compromise in the fine metabolizing that occurs during your deep sleep cycles. Not to mention moodiness and crankiness.
Common causes of insomnia:
- Stress and worry.
- Loss of a loved one, or a job.
- Travel or work schedule that involves changing time zones or working at night when most people are sleeping.
- Poor sleep habits which include falling asleep while watching TV, or heavy cell phone or computer use before bed.
- Eating too much late in the evening.
- Mental health disorders. If chronic insomnia does not cause anxiety and depression, it may very well be a symptom of these disorders.
- Certain medicines such as antihistamines, or the side effects of chemotherapy drugs can cause insomnia.
- Caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol. Caffeine and nicotine are stimulants. Alcohol is a depressant and may cause you to fall asleep initially, but results in interrupted sleep.
Acupuncture offers a natural and effective approach to addressing sleep disorders.
According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, insomnia is viewed as an imbalance of the body’s vital energy (Qi). Sleep disorders can manifest from the following patterns of disharmony:
- Heart and Spleen Qi deficiency
- Liver Fire rising
- Heart and Kidney disharmony
Let’s see how these imbalances translate into some of the causes of and possible solutions to insomnia.
Heart and Spleen Qi deficiency:
Heart is thought to house the mind. A heart rich in blood grounds the mind. A heart that is agitated by heat, excitement, or is deficient in blood causes the mind to wander, especially at night leading to insomnia. A calm and cool heart rich in blood gives residence to the mind.
Spleen is responsible for producing the blood for the heart from the foods we eat. Chronic worry associated with the Spleen burns up blood and yin fluids, compromising a heart that must be rich in blood to properly house the mind.
Proper nutrition and management of stress and worry can positively impact insomnia.
Liver fire rising:
Liver stores blood. In fact, 50% of our blood volume is found in our liver at any given time. Liver blood must move. When it stagnates Heat is generated. Liver heat rises and can agitate the mind leading to insomnia.
Freely flowing emotions and physical movement of the body keep Liver Blood from stagnating and generating agitating heat. Enjoyable regular exercise can be very helpful in alleviating insomnia.
We are coming into Liver’s signature season, the Spring. Imagine the potency of the seed germinating and pushing through the soil toward the sun. We may feel that very same rising force with the onset of Spring in the form of insomnia.
According to the Chinese clock Liver is most solicited between between 1-3 a.m. How many of us find ourselves awake at this hour planning, recycling the same thoughts over and over in our sleeplessness? This could be a sign of a Liver disharmony.
Heart and Kidney disharmony:
Heart is associated with fire and Kidney with water in Chinese medicine. They keep each other in check. The Kidneys below must be cool and moist enough to keep the heart fire from blazing out of control, agitating the mind and leading to insomnia. Heart is associated with excitement and joy. Kidney is associated with fear and determination. Chinese medicine prescribes moderation. For a calm mind and quality sleep it is advisable to not wear ourselves thin with excessive excitement, (heart), or excessive work/determination, (kidney).
Acupuncture works through multiple mechanisms to improve sleep quality:
- Regulates neurotransmitters that influence sleep-wake cycles
- Reduces anxiety and stress hormones
- Increases natural melatonin production
- Balances the autonomic nervous system
- Reduces inflammation and physical tension
Acupuncture treatment for insomnia is tailored to each individual’s specific manifestation of insomnia, addressing both the root cause and immediate symptoms.
With the harmonizing effects of acupuncture you may find you fall asleep more easily and wake less frequently. You may increase the number of hours you sleep and will feel more rested. You may see improvement in mood, daytime functioning, and memory. And you may be less reliant on sleep medications.
The best results combine treatment with lifestyle and sleep hygiene practices:
- Maintain consistent sleep-wake cycles
- Practice stress-reduction techniques
- Eat your last meal long before going to bed
- Exercise regularly, but not close to bedtime
- Create a relaxing bedtime routine
Through its gentle yet effective approach, acupuncture offers a sustainable solution for managing insomnia and improving overall sleep quality. By addressing both the symptoms and underlying causes of sleep disorders, acupuncture helps restore the body’s natural sleep-wake cycle and promotes lasting improvements in sleep patterns.
This blog is not intended to replace medical attention. Please consult with your healthcare provider if you have concerns about insomnia.
Sources:
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7358000
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/insomnia/symptoms-causes/syc-20355167
Maciocia, Giovanni, The Practice of Chinese Medicine, 1994