I know what you are feeling. It is 2:00 in the morning, and you need to be up by 7:00 a.m. You have been tossing and turning for hours. You are frustrated and do not understand why you cannot sleep. If you are reading this, you are in the right place. I totally understand. Growing up, my father had terrible insomnia. He could not sleep past 1:00 in the morning. At 1:00 every morning, he would wake up. With my help, he has seen much improvement in his sleep. If you are looking for some decent sleep time, you should read on. Hopefully, you will find some of the information about acupuncture and Chinese medicine helpful.
At my acupuncture office in Mamaroneck, New York, patients come in for a wide array of complaints, everything ranging from infertility and PMS to fibromyalgia. A complaint many of my clients share is insomnia. Some have trouble falling asleep, while others have trouble staying asleep. Others just wake up a little bit too early. Sleep is one of the most important things we do as humans. While sleeping, our bodies repair themselves and re-energize. Sleep plays an important role in immune function, metabolism, memory, learning, and many other vital processes in the body. Basically, if you are not getting a good night’s rest, your body and mind will not function optimally. This can lead to anxiety, depression, weight gain, fatigue, easily catching colds, forgetfulness, a diminished ability to deal with stress, chronic pain, etc.
It does not matter what else is going on with a patient’s health. If a patient is suffering from insomnia, it needs to be addressed as part of the treatment plan. Without a good night’s rest, it will be difficult to achieve significant changes in other aspects of a person’s health.
From my time working as an acupuncturist in Manhattan, Queens, and now in Mamaroneck, NY, I have found there to be four or five main types of insomnia, each with its own cause. Some types of insomnia are greatly helped by diet and lifestyle, while others require acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, or tuina massage. Many patients have a combination.
Stress Induced Insomnia
The most common type of insomnia I see is caused by stress. These patients are constantly moving—both physically and mentally. They work long hours and have a lot going on in their personal lives, constantly pushing themselves. They also experience neck tightness, jaw tightness, PMS, constipation, IBS, and other stress-related conditions. When they lay down to go to bed, their minds just do not shut off. If they can fall asleep, they are often restless. These patients need to learn how to relax. It is not actually difficult to treat this type of insomnia, but some changes in lifestyle may be necessary.
Here are some suggestions:
- First, these clients need to avoid caffeine, including coffee and tea. For those who must have coffee, it is best to drink it early in the morning or not at all.
- Avoid doing a lot of cardio exercise, such as running or heavy cycling. In my experience, intense cardio can make the body more tense in the long run. The best types of exercise would be walking in the park, yoga, swimming, meditation, or dancing—something light that also allows for relaxation.
- Try to be in natural surroundings as much as possible. Walking in nature helps the body and mind calm down.
- Avoid too much visual stimulation before bed, especially from television, smartphones, and tablets. All this stimulation tells your brain it is time to be awake.
- These patients would also benefit from foot soaking before bed. Click on the link to learn more. Some patients notice profound changes in sleep from foot soaking alone.
Poor digestive Health Leading to Insomnia
This type is also fairly common. I see this type in pregnant women suffering from nausea, children with weak digestion, and people with chronic nausea and acid reflux. These patients often have poor eating habits and an unhealthy diet. From a Chinese Medicine perspective, the digestive system, mind, and emotions are somewhat interrelated. Western science is finally recognizing this idea with the discovery of the link between gut chemistry (digestive health) and brain chemistry. This is a whole other topic and will be discussed in future posts. For the purposes of this post, if your digestive system is not settled, your mind may also have difficulty settling for sleep. Any digestive symptom can be linked to insomnia. These include constipation, loose stools, Crohn’s disease, colitis, IBS, nausea, and reflux.
For these patients I suggest:
- Not eating too late at night and lying down with a full stomach can disrupt digestion and worsen insomnia.
- For very simple but profoundly helpful home remedies for digestive issues check out these other posts including “drink hot water for better health” and my post about “congee“
- Make sure you eat three meals a day and maintain a regular schedule.
- Instead of sitting or lying down after a meal, go for a short walk. This will help your body digest your meal better.
- Eat slowly and chew your food thoroughly.
- Turn off the television and avoid looking at your phone. Just focus on eating.
Insomnia Caused by Being Overly Tired and physical weakness
This type of insomnia is also quite common. These patients are physically and mentally tired, but they still have trouble falling asleep. It may sound contradictory, but this is quite common. These patients may also suffer from anxiety, depression, chronic fatigue, weak digestion, poor immunity, fibromyalgia, and many other chronic inflammatory diseases. They need rest, but it is difficult for them to sleep. For many patients, this can be very frustrating.
For these patients, I would suggest:
- Meditation or some form of qigong. Qigong is a form of therapeutic exercise originally from China. Both qigong and meditation are great for helping the nervous system calm down and relax. Both practices make the physical body and mind stronger and more relaxed.
- Foot soaking before bed.
- Avoid caffeine or energy drinks/products, including Five Hour Energy, Red Bull, ginseng, etc. These things might give you extra energy during the day, but they will actually make your body more tired and weak over time, which will lead to a worsening of insomnia. You need more energy—the type of energy you get from a good night’s sleep.
- Moxibustion will also be very helpful for these patients. Moxibustion is a form of heat therapy from China that would benefit this type of patient in two ways. First, moxibustion is great for fatigue, and secondly, it is somewhat sedative. Many patients often say that after moxibustion treatment, they feel very energetic but also very relaxed at the same time.
- Chinese herbal medicine may be necessary for these patients as well.
Insomnia Caused By Emotional Trauma
Patients who have undergone severe emotional trauma may often experience issues with insomnia after the traumatic event. This trauma may include physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, post-traumatic stress disorder in veterans, or surviving catastrophic events, etc. These patients will often have issues beyond insomnia. From a Chinese medicine perspective, emotional trauma affects the physical body just as much as the mind of a patient. The Chinese view the mind and body as one and the same, and inseparable. This means that we can use physical medicine to impact the mind and emotions. Some of the suggestions from the other categories may be helpful.
For these patients, I suggest:
- First and foremost, these patients should be under the care of a therapist.
- Acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, and tuina massage can all help the mind and body process physical and emotional trauma. Some patients may have a cathartic experience with Chinese medicine. This can manifest through crying, laughing, etc. As the patient works through the trauma, their sleep should naturally start to normalize.
Insomnia Caused by Poor Feng Shui
I can see your eyes rolling already. In America, we have a very superficial idea of what feng shui actually is. It is more than just design and putting Chinese trinkets around the home; it is an ancient science that can have a profound effect on one’s life, health, family, etc. In actuality, feng shui is traditionally a part of Chinese medicine—a very powerful part of it. It started out as a way to choose proper sites for burial in ancient China. I have seen some great things done with feng shui, and we can save that for another post.
Here are some simple feng shui tips for a good night’s sleep:
- Make sure your bedroom is clean and tidy.
- You should not have a mirror facing your bed. If you can see yourself in the mirror while in bed, this will cause insomnia. Take the mirror down and see how you sleep.
- Make sure your bed is in a good position. Most importantly, your bed should not be in line with the door. This is very important http://www.knowfengshui.com/best-feng-shui-bedroom-layouts/
- There is a lot more you can do, but I am not a feng shui expert. Consult a feng shui expert if you think there is a problem or would like to look more deeply into this aspect of Chinese medicine.
Twenty years ago, I realized how powerful feng shui could be. I had a roommate who was having a lot of trouble sleeping. I saw that his bed was in line with the door, so I had him move his bed away from the door. That night, and going forward, he slept perfectly fine. If feng shui is the problem, symptoms often change quickly. Once you make the changes, you should be able to sleep well almost immediately.
The five types listed above are generally what I see most commonly and are not complicated by other health concerns. I also see patients who cannot sleep because of pain, breathing difficulties, or frequent urination, etc. In these cases, once the physical problem is corrected with acupuncture and Chinese medicine, the sleep quality should improve as a result.
Lastly, check with your doctor to make sure none of your medications are causing your insomnia. Many pharmaceutical drugs have side effects. Do your research on the medications you are taking and discuss them with your doctor. Never discontinue taking any medication without discussing it with your doctor first.
Acupuncture And Chinese medicine for Insomnia
Acupuncture can be very helpful in the treatment of insomnia. Many people who suffer from insomnia often find it difficult to relax. One “side effect” of acupuncture is actually relaxation. Acupuncture helps patients reach a state of mind similar to meditation. It does not matter what is being treated—lower back pain, infertility, etc. Once the needles are inserted, most patients can relax quite deeply, and some may even fall asleep on the table. Continued acupuncture treatment helps the body become more familiar with this feeling of relaxation, making it easier to fall asleep and stay asleep. Chinese herbal medicine and tuina massage are often added to the treatment to deepen relaxation, improve sleep quality, and increase the effectiveness of the overall treatment.
Conclusion
As I mentioned earlier, some patients will fall into one category while others may fall into a few. Try a few of my suggestions and see what happens. Hopefully, you will find some of the information useful. Do not lose hope; there is always an answer to help with any condition. Change takes time, and sometimes it might take a little while to see the changes you desire.
Aside from lifestyle and dietary changes, acupuncture and Chinese medicine can significantly speed up the healing process and help you get the rest you need. Give me a call today at (914) 772-4044 to make an appointment at the Mamaroneck office to discuss your health concerns, and we can figure out the best plan of action for you. Also feel free to book a free consultation online by following the link below.
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