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INSOMNIA AND ACUPUNCTURE – PART 2 – THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF INSOMNIA
In the previous article, we defined the most common causes of insomnia according to Chinese Medicine. Now, let’s see concretely how your insomnia manifests itself on a daily basis. What type of insomnia do you suffer from? Is it difficult to fall asleep? Do you tend to wake up frequently at night? Do you wake up early in the morning without being able to go back to sleep or does it take you a while to do so? Do you dream a lot and wake up tired as if you’ve run all night long?
All these types of insomnia are related to many different imbalances that we will identify in this article. Here is a list of what is most frequently found in clinical practice, as well as the specific characteristics of each.
SLEEP
Difficulty falling asleep indicates a Blood Deficiency.
Waking up frequently during the night indicates a Yin Deficiency.
Waking up too early in the morning is a sign of weakness of the Heart and Gall Bladder.
DREAMS
Excessive dreaming indicates either a Deficiency of Blood or Liver Yin, or too much heat in the Liver or Heart.
Nightmares that suddenly wake you up are linked to a weakness in the Heart and Gall Bladder.
Very agitated dreams can also indicate mucus and heat that disturb the Stomach.
BODY POSITION
An inability to sleep on the back usually indicates an excess (Qi or Heat) of the Heart or Lungs, which is common in asthmatic patients when lungs are clogged with mucus.
Sleeping on the back with the arms above the head means a heat condition.
Sleeping systematically on the belly is usually indicative of a Stomach Deficiency.
Feeling the need to sleep on a specific side of the body is often associated with a Qi and Blood Deficiency of this specific side or excess on the opposite side.
SNORING
Snoring is usually due to mucus that interferes with the Stomach Meridian or it may be a rebellious Qi, which affects the Yang Meridians of the lower body (the Qi rises up when it should come down).
AT WHAT TIME DO YOU WAKE UP USUALLY?
The circadian clock of organs is an interesting tool used in Chinese Medicine. In this system, the 24-hour clock is divided into 12 two-hour blocks during which the Qi (vital force) moves through the organ system. During sleep, the Qi works inwardly and takes care of restoring the body. Waking up constantly at the same time at night can reveal a weakness of a specific organ. For example, a regular awakening around 1:30 am may be a Stagnation of the Liver energy, which means that the Liver does not metabolize the waste properly or is hampered by gallstones. Physical symptoms may also occur because of an underlying emotion, like the Liver being severely affected by anger, frustration, or stress.
Here is an overview of imbalances that can create sleep problems according to Chinese Medicine. In our next article of the insomnia and acupuncture series, we will focus on learning a few useful points to stimulate and improve sleep in a simple way and without medication. Until then, sleep well!
Alexandra Duclos, Ac.
If, like many other happy patients, you’d like to free yourself from insomnia and regain a stable and restorative sleep, we invite you to visit our website to find out about our several locations or contact our call center at 514-225-9520 to make an appointment with one of our acupuncturists.
Note : Just because you may have a symptom on a particular meridian does not mean that you will eventually have a problem with that organ. Chinese medicine is way more complex than that.