03 The Restless Spirit
Traditional herbal medicine treats insomnia by addressing the problem of the restless spirit. While it is easy for the body to rest by sitting or lying still, it takes effort to calm the spirit into a resting state.
In China, houses facing south are more expensive than those facing north because they receive more sunlight, making them more comfortable to live in. Similarly, the spirit prefers a sunny, warm, and dry environment. If the body is yang-deficiency, it becomes cold and damp, causing the spirit to be restless, especially when lying down.
Why is lying down more uncomfortable?
Cold and dampness tend to sink in the body. For example, when clothes are hung to dry, they dry from top to bottom, with the bottom often still wet. This illustrates how cold and dampness settle downward.
In the body, this is most evident in rheumatism, where cold and dampness affect areas below the chest, such as the legs and waist, which are always cold. The chest and neck, however, are rarely cold. Cervical spondylosis, often mistaken for rheumatism, is actually a form of hyperplasia.
The yuan-shen (spirit) resides in the chest. During the day, cold and dampness stay below the chest, but at night, they rise, making the spirit uncomfortable and restless, leading to insomnia and frequent dreams. The coldness at night disrupts the spirit’s rest, causing fatigue and poor spirits the next day.
04 Causes of Insomnia
The patient we discussed believed her insomnia was due to being disturbed by her child at night. However, not all mothers suffer from insomnia. This patient likely accumulated coldness during her postpartum confinement, which is the root of her illness.
In middle age, her father’s death coincided with her menopause, a period of transformation in the body’s yin and yang. Men transition from yang to yin, becoming calmer, while women shift from yin to yang, becoming more active. Menopause and grief over her father’s death severely depleted her vital yuanqi, preventing it from suppressing the cold evil accumulated during her confinement, leading to chronic insomnia.
05 The Broad Principle of Treating Insomnia
To revitalize the body, the first step is to strengthen the kidneys and health foundation. According to traditional herbal medicine, illness results from the failure of positive forces to suppress evil due to insufficient vital yuanqi. Treatment focuses on strengthening the body’s health foundation and nourishing the essence. By enhancing vitality and eliminating evil, the disease is naturally cured.
Qualified herbal medicine practitioners have fixed prescriptions for strengthening the body, which they adjust based on the symptoms of the prevailing disease.
06 The Precise Prescription
For her insomnia patient, Dr. Guo prescribed wu-xing-jian-pi-san to strengthen the spleen and stomach, along with a supplemental prescription of the following herbs:
- Zhi-huang-jing (Processed polygonatum), 10 grams
- Suan-zao-ren (Stir-fried sour jujube seeds), 10 grams
- Long-yan-rou (Longan meat), 6 grams
- Zi-zi (Gardenia), 6 grams
Polygonatum replenishes kidney-qi, sour jujube seeds calm the mind, longan meat replenishes blood and soothes the nerves, and gardenia balances the medicinal properties of the other herbs. After two months, the patient could sleep peacefully without sleeping pills. After eight months, she fully recovered, with improved complexion and reduced gray hair.
Insomnia is common today, affecting both the elderly and young people due to stress. It is essential to address this condition promptly.
07 Brief Summary
Insomnia is a condition where the yuan-shen (spirit) is restless. Treatment involves:
Strengthening the spleen-stomach subsystem with wu-xing-jian-pi-san to produce sufficient vital yuanqi.
Administering a specific prescription (Zhi-huang-jing, Suan-zao-ren, Long-yan-rou, Zhi-zi) to soothe the nerves and calm the mind.
It may take several months to manage insomnia, but it is crucial to address it to prevent larger problems.
It may take several months to manage insomnia, but it is crucial to address it to prevent larger problems.
08 What is Next
We have discussed the origins, prolongation, and root causes of insomnia, and Dr. Guo Yaning’s treatment of her patient. Next, we will explore how traditional herbal medicine can revitalize conditions like high blood pressure, high sugar levels, and other chronic issues.
For more on Huang Yuanyu’s herbal medical theories and contributions to traditional herbal medicine, stay tuned for the next episode.
To receive notifications about new articles, kindly provide your email address below.