How are you sleeping part 3- Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and treating sleep

The western medical views of insomnia and sleep difficulty is very different from the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Western medicine pretty much has two avenues eliminate a physical reason and then its usually labeled as stress, anxiety or depression and is treated with sleeping pills and antidepressants. TCM it is much more then that and the reasons aren’t categorized that easily because each person is unique and individual.

I like the way that Wei Liu TCMD, MPH, LAC , PHD, explains things on http://tcmpage.com/hpinsomnia.html

In TCM, a primary concept is the idea of "root and branch." Symptoms like insomnia are considered to be the branches of a disease. The root of a disease is a dysfunction or imbalance of the fundamental substances (Chi, blood, Yin, Yang, Jing, Shen), or of the major organ systems (Lungs, Heart, Spleen, Liver, Kidneys). When a person suffers from insomnia, the two organs most often out of balance are the Heart and the Liver. Each of these two organs houses a specific aspect of the spirit. If these organs are out of balance, they will not be able to house the spirit properly, and the spirit will wander. (TCM, although a very complex medical system, had its origins in Taoism, and before that in shamanism. Therefore, there is a spiritual consciousness built into TCM theory.) A wandering spirit, or Shen disturbance, can manifest in a number of ways, including mood disorders and heart palpitations, but insomnia is one of the [most common] symptoms.

Sleep difficult in TCM does have some types of insomnia that are commonly diagnosed but just because they are common doesn’t mean that they are always going to be every case. Like I mentioned above each person is an individual and their imbalances may be unique to that person. Having said that her are some of the most common types from the TCM view:

1. Difficulty falling asleep- often related to a Liver or Liver/Gallbladder excess

2. Difficulty staying asleep- often a Spleen/Heat imbalance

3. Dream disturbed sleep- nightmares are often Gallbladder imbalance, buzzing mind and dreams if often Spleen/heart imbalance

4. Waking as a specific time every night - “In Chinese medicine theory, the body’s energy (Chi) circulates through the twelve principal meridians over a 24-hour period. Each meridian relates to an internal organ. If a person wakes or has some unusual symptoms at the same time every day, it is probable that there is an imbalance in the organ system that is "highlighted" at that time of day.” -tcmpage.com/hpinsonmnia.html

Each of these types are associated with common types of imbalance going on internally. Based on those associations a treatment is developed to repair that imbalance. TCM is not only acupuncture but also includes herbal medicine as well. It is very common practice to prescribe some very classic herbal formulas to assist the acupuncture in balancing system. The combination of acupuncture and herbal medicine is an amazing combination that is not only safe and effective with very little side effect.

If you are struggling with sleep find a TCM practitioner in your area and give it a shot because we all know how important it is to sleep!