Do you have trouble sleeping?
Chinese Medicine & Sleep
According to Chinese Medicine, day time is Yang and night time is Yin. One must have sufficient Yang Qi (energy) to function during the day; at night, one must have sufficient Yin fluids to allow the Spirit to rest at night.
Therefore, it is important for a Chinese Medicine practitioner to identify what the causes of your insomnia is before providing the right treatment. A Chinese Medicine practitioner will very often go through a whole list of questions to help us identify the causes of your insomnia.
Question 1 - "How is your sleep?"
This is one of the many questions I ask my patients in the clinic.
This question not only tells me about your sleep but also the Yin and Yang energies in the body.
Question 2- "Do you fall asleep easily? Do you stay asleep?"
In Chinese Medicine, these are two questions that tells me a lot about WHY your sleep is poor.
If you find it hard to fall asleep, other than the external factors such as noise, lights and mobile phones, there's a chance that you had your dinner too late, you attended your exercise session too late, you are stressed and anxious.
On the other hand, if you find it hard to stay asleep, we will be looking into your Yin and Blood side of things.
In Chinese Medicine, when your Yin and Blood are depleted, it is not able to anchor the Shen (Spirit) in the Heart which result in the Spirit unsettle/ floating overnight.
We also look at the time that you wake up at night. Patients occasionally tells me that they are always awake at 12am/1am or 3am/4am/5am. All of these timing tells me which organs is out of balance.
Why is it important to have a good sleep?
Restores and repairs the body
In Chinese Medicine, our blood returns to the Liver during sleep. This allows the body to repair and restore tissues and organs, including the brain.
Sleep also helps boost the immune system, which can help fight off infections and disease.
Improves cognitive function
When you sleep, your brain function improves. It helps with memory consolidation, learning, attention, and problem-solving.
Helps regulate hormones & emotions
As the body goes through repair and restore during sleep, the hormones in your body starts to regulate itself. Once the hormone is regulated, your emotions become more stable. Adequate sleep can help regulate emotions, reduce stress, and improve mood.
Enhances physical performance
When your organs and tissues have sufficient time to repair itself at night, you would just perform better during the day! Sleep is important for physical performance, and getting enough sleep can help improve athletic performance and reduce the risk of injury!
Supports healthy metabolism
Lack of sleep has been linked to an increased risk of obesity, diabetes, and other metabolic disorders.
Promotes longevity
When you are able to avoid chronic diseases with some good night sleep, you will live longer! Studies have shown that getting adequate sleep may help improve longevity and reduce the risk of chronic diseases.
As a Chinese Medicine doctor, I would like to you wake up feeling fresh, energised and inspired. Most importantly, I would like you to feel good about your body. And the only way to feel good is when the inner Yin and Yang are balanced.