Acupuncture’s Approach To Insomnia

 Dr. Tamara Kung, ND, oct.2019

Sleep deprivation is one of the most significant factors contributing to
poor health, physical performance and mental performance. It is
defined as trouble falling and or staying asleep, with low energy, especially
in the morning, difficulty concentrating, and mood disturbances.
One of the biggest experiments of sleep deprivation on health involves 1.6
billion people annually. It occurs during Daylight Savings. Studies have
shown that there is a 24% increase in acute heart attacks the day after we
lose one hour of sleep in the spring, while there is a 21% reduction in heart
attacks with an hour gained in the fall.
Sleep deprivation has also been linked with more immediate effects such as
lowering testosterone. A study found that men who slept 5 hours or less in a
single night had the sperm count of men 10-15 years older than them. This
not only has implications for sexual performance and fertility, but also for
increasing muscle mass, strength, and bone density.
In women, similar impairments to fertility are found with lowered levels of
hormones needed for heathy egg maturation.
Chronic sleep deprivation has also stimulated investigation into various
health outcomes such cancer, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and all-cause
mortality.
Bottom line? Good sleep is a superpower that improves many aspects of our
health and optimizes ourselves to be the best we can be.
Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) offers a helpful tool to apply
especially when sleep disturbances are unrelenting and stubborn. It has been
practiced for thousands of years in China to treat various illnesses including
insomnia. TCM looks at underlying imbalances through bodily patterns (ie.
how long it takes to fall asleep, the timing and frequency of waking up,
sleeping position, and dreams) to understand the root causes.
TCM includes acupuncture, herbal and dietary treatments that work
synergistically to correct an imbalanced pattern. In order to understand
problematic patterns in our body, knowledge of what people are comprised
of in TCM is key.
IN TCM, THERE ARE FOUR SUBSTANCES THAT MAKE UP A
PERSON:
1. Jing is our inherited energy from parents, and is increased or decreased
by the quality of our diet, and number of reproductive events we’ve had (ie.
pregnancies deplete jing).
2. Qi is our daily energy that helps us move, digest and absorb nutrients, and
keep warm.
3. Shen is our mind/ spirit, which has to do with our sleep, thinking,
memory, and consciousness.
 4. Blood nourishes our body and roots our mind aka Shen so that we don’t
have restless thoughts rising up.
The Chinese say that during the day, Shen (the mind) is naturally directed
outwards, but at night it comes back inside to root in Blood. If Blood is
deficient, then the Shen will not find it’s “bed” comfortable, making sleep
difficult due to restless thoughts, and easy wakefulness.
Patterns of blood deficiency include difficulties falling asleep, and waking
up frequently, tendency to sleep on the side, and excessive dreaming. Other
symptoms that go alongside blood deficiency include poor memory and
focus, heart palpitations, pale complexion, and/or being startled easily.
COMMON ACUPRESSURE POINTS YOU CAN TRY AT HOME
INCLUDE:
 Heart 7 which nourishes heart Qi, and Blood – located on the pinky side
of your inner wrist.
 Spleen 6 which nourishes Blood – located on the inner part of your lower
calf, 3 fingerbreadths above your inner ankle.
 Kidney 3, 6 both of which nourishes Yin – 3 is located between your
achilles tendon and inner ankle, and 6 in the depression right below the
the inner ankle.
 Liver 3 located between your big and second toe, just in front of where
the tendons intersect is helpful for those waking between 1-3am.
Important foods that nourish blood include red beets, jujubes, sweet potato,
barley, mushrooms, and figs. Acupuncture and nourishing foods and herbs
work hand in hand to support sleep from the root.
While blood deficiency is a common pattern for insomnia, this is just one of
many patterns that can exist. A thorough assessment which includes
examining your tongue and pulses help practitioners create the best
treatment for you.