Can't fall or stay asleep? Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) might have the treatment you need. Physician Peh Wei Jie, a registered TCM Physician practising at One Wellness Medical at i12 Katong, tells us why that is.
From the TCM perspective, insomnia is classified as deficiencies in the spirit of the mind and the heart.
This causes one to not have regular or quality sleep. According to the yin-yang cycles throughout the day, yang levels will wean in the night to be encompassed by yin levels, for one to slow down his or her activity and energy levels and gradually go into rest. When these yin and yang levels are imbalanced, sleep will be disrupted, most seen from abnormally deficient levels of yin and excessive levels of yang. Various causes can lead to this, such as imbalance in emotions, poor diet management and overwork.
The deficiencies can include heart and spleen qi deficiency or deficiencies in yin or blood levels.
Excessive levels of liver heat or phlegm-heat can also obstruct the stability of the heart and mind, leading to insomnia. These imbalances lead to deficient yin levels, causing one to be awakened easily and repetitively over the course of sleep.
They can also lead to excessive yang levels, resulting in long hours to fall asleep or restless sleep due to dreams or nightmares. For instance, spleen qi deficiency will lead to insufficient levels of qi and blood. The spleen is responsible for converting the nutrients we consume into resources for the body. When blood and qi levels are low, the heart and mind will lack in nourishment, resulting in an unstable state of spirit and insomnia.
TCM alleviates sleep issues by striking a fine balance between the body’s yin and yang levels.
For instance, by boosting spleen and heart qi or clearing heart or liver heat from the body. These can be derived from treatment such as acupuncture, Chinese herbal formulas, cupping, guasha, moxibustion, or even a combination of few. These methods aim to boost qi, blood, yin or yang levels of the body or clear excessive factors such as heat, dampness or cold.
In acupuncture, thin metallic needles are used to target specific areas of the skin known as acupoints, by penetration and manual or electric stimulated manipulation. Upon and after administering acupuncture, the energy qi pathways can be cleared, and symptoms are relieved.
But don't expect immediate results.
In most cases of insomnia, patients have been facing issues for months or years, with complex sleep histories. Their sleep issues are often attributed to a combination of factors such as the sleep environment, medication consumed or underlying medical conditions such as sleep apnoea, restless leg syndrome or other disorders. Such complex conditions often require a longer period of treatment, as is the case in TCM.
At the start, a treatment cycle of eight to 10 sessions (whether acupuncture or herbal medication, or both) is recommended, with a weekly or bi-weekly frequency depending on the individual’s needs. Throughout the sessions, the licensed TCM physician will sieve out crucial signs and symptoms to understand the imbalances and the relevant levels of qi, blood, yin and yang and to provide relevant treatment. This is crucial to resolve the root cause of insomnia, and on top of the main objective of treatment, which is to help the individual to sleep better. In the long run, the individual can have a deeper and more restful sleep, as well as reduced recurrences of insomnia.
A common TCM herb used to treat insomnia is sour date seeds.
It can help to calm the spirit, nourish the blood and regulate the heart and liver qi. Based on the specific imbalances of the body, herbs such as chrysanthemum, chamomile and rose buds are also often used in herbal teas to help in balancing qi and blood levels.
However, individuals facing insomnia might encounter multiple symptoms or accompanying issues. As such, individuals are still encouraged to seek professional advice before selecting herbs on their own for a better treatment outcome.
TCM can also aid in conditions such as excessive daytime sleepiness and sleep apnoea.
For excessive daytime sleepiness, it can be attributed to excesses such as dampness, phlegm or stasis obstructing yang qi, or deficient levels of qi and yang, leading to a lack of nourishment for the heart and spirit. These will lead to constant urges to doze off and reluctance to wake even though it is daytime. TCM acupuncture and cupping can be utilised to clear such dampness and phlegm from the body, accompanied by herbal medication to help boost qi and yang levels.
For sleep apnoea, treatment can be offered based on the individual’s symptoms such as the breathing tempo and regularity especially at night, the type of snoring sounds and energy levels. Individuals often present with excess phlegm and stasis, or a weakened spleen, heart or kidney system. Similarly, herbal medication can be prescribed to drain excess phlegm, improve stasis and boost spleen and kidney qi and yang levels. Acupuncture is also commonly administered to calm the mind, or even localised points near the nose or throat to aid in improving symptoms.
One might favour TCM treatment for its longer-lasting and sustainable effects on the body.
Often, individuals seek TCM treatment for insomnia after multiple courses of antidepressants or melatonin prove to have useful results but short-lived. By introducing TCM treatment to their lives, not just insomnia can be treated, but also accompanying symptoms. This is extremely relevant as seen clinically, where every individual is usually fraught with multiple symptoms.
This holistic way of treatment also minimises secondary effects and is natural as it utilises the body’s own healing mechanisms, along with Chinese herbs, to correct the imbalances causing insomnia. Other reasons for seeking TCM instead of Western medicine could be due to the stigma of TCM treatment being more effective and longer lasting for chronic complex issues such as insomnia or the reluctance to take certain antidepressants.
Integrative medical care can provide solutions to illnesses in the modern day.
In Singapore, there are few such settings offering integrative care with both Western doctors and TCM physicians, and I feel that One Wellness Medical is a smart and innovative initiative by Eu Yan Sang to create a one-stop healthcare setting for the people. It is true that Eastern and Western medicine come from different backgrounds, however, both medicines can be used concurrently if there is a safe and proper way of consumption and usage of TCM treatment.
There are many preceding examples where both treatment methodologies can be integrated seamlessly, such as TCM herbal medication to reduce side effects from post-cancer treatment patients and improve their appetites and sleep, or to understand relevant scan examinations or blood test results to provide a more accurate TCM treatment plan. Considering multiple different and complex illnesses seen today, I feel that this integrative initiative is indeed an ideal approach to provide a multi-faceted approach to medical treatment.
