Insomnia
By Dr. Renae Haldeman · New to some of these words? See the glossary.
Have you heard of the yin and yang balance? Many people know the TaiJi symbol (the black and white circle), which stands for balance in both the body and the emotions. Yin is shown by things like mother’s milk, blood, sweat, saliva, and semen. These fluids help the body stay grounded. If we lose too much yin, we have too much yang (active, hot energy). If we were all yang, we would stop existing. Yin must balance yang, and yang must balance yin. If not, the body falls out of harmony.
Nighttime is yin time. It makes sense that if the body does not have enough blood (yin) at the most yin time of the day, midnight, then trouble sleeping will follow. There are two key things about yin and rest. First, the body’s ability to make yin. Second, the body’s ability to keep yin.
Yin is made between 7 a.m. and 11 a.m. At this time, the Spleen and Stomach do their best work, according to the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) body clock. During these hours, these organs can break down food, move it along, and turn it into yin. The best foods to eat at this time are grains and yellow foods, like squash and egg yolk. Grains are sweet by nature, which is a good match for the spleen and stomach. Yellow foods also give strength to the spleen and stomach. Throughout history, people ate porridge for this morning meal. Many cultures eat rice porridge because it is mild and easy to digest. It has been given to babies as their first food, along with warmed egg yolk. These foods do the best job of building yin in the body.
What if this doesn’t help? Acupuncture and herbs can help the body find harmony and make the right kind of yin for sleep.
One midsummer, a six-year-old boy could not fall asleep for about three weeks. His mom has thyroid problems and needs her rest to get through the day. This little boy not only couldn’t fall asleep, but he would wander the house, dig through the kitchen, cry out, and play with toys. His dad travels for work, has changing hours, and often can’t help at night. Mom was worn out and desperate. She asked for an herbal formula to help. After three days of taking an herbal formula that matched his symptoms, three times a day, her son was sleeping through the night. The stress of the summer months had caused him to lose too much yin through sweat. The hot, dry summers in the Las Vegas valley were too draining for this young boy. The herbal formula rebuilt the yin he lost while he adjusted to the heat.
A 40-year-old teacher was struggling to fall asleep. She is the mother of two boys who are active in sports and do very well in school. She could fall asleep, but then she would wake up after only a couple of hours. Her mind would not rest because she was always thinking about the next day’s activities and her role in supporting her sons. She worried, “Will I have enough energy to get through all my responsibilities?” and “Will my sons be safe and healthy?” She found herself wandering the house at night, checking on her children, worried about the coming day. In our interview, we found that she was under stress from the unexpected loss of a loved family member. After a month of acupuncture, she could shut off her racing mind and feel the relief of a full night’s sleep. In this case, the patient’s stress was overacting on her Stomach Yin function. When stress keeps the stomach from breaking down and absorbing food properly, sleep suffers.
If you or someone you love is not sleeping well, call today for a free phone consultation to see what will work best for you: (702) 258-7860.
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This article is educational and is not medical advice. Individual results vary. Please talk with a licensed healthcare provider about your own health.