Many people have difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep and often both. When doctors of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) have a patient with insomnia, we want to determine the causes of the insomnia and provide treatment with acupuncture and herbal medicine.
In TCM we understand that insomnia can be caused from a deficiency pattern, like blood deficiency or energy/qi deficiency or a blood sugar imbalance. Did you know that your body needs adequate energy to sleep! Insomnia can also be an excess pattern, the patient has too much going on it their head and cannot relax. The solutions for the first case of deficiency insomnia are to tonify the body with acupuncture and herbal medicine so that it has enough energy to sleep through the night. The second case with the overactive mind is to calm spirit with acupuncture and herbal medicine.
Along with what your acupuncture physician can provide for you during your clinic visit, healthy sleep hygiene is essential for sleep success. Below find 6 tips to improve your sleep and put insomnia to rest.
- Spend time outside every day: Breathe the fresh air, put your barefeet on the earth, feel the strength of nature and enjoy its beauty.
- Exercise 20 to 30 minutes daily: Light exercise if fine, a brisk walk is best. You can also enjoy a bike ride or a swim. However, it is best not to exercise too close to bedtime as it is stimulating and may keep you awake.
- Daily digital detoxes: The digital stimulation we experience today, causes imbalance in our bodies and adversely effects sleep. To enhance natural sleep, turn off all devices 1 to 2 hours before bed; pick one day of the week or a portion of a day to be offline; and do not have electronic devices in your bedroom. Keep your bedroom a place of peace.
- Plan for sleep: Set a bedtime, and stick with it, can help reset your sleep cycle. Implement a routine and do the same things nightly before going to bed. If you are struggling to fall asleep on time, consider a wind-down routine. Create a routine for yourself that may include a cup of tea, reading, writing, or light stretching.
- Change the lighting: Consistently train your brain to normalcircadian rhythm by mimicking the natural lighting of nature. In the evening create a darker environment in your home to help your brain ease out of the daytime stimulation and start slowing down. Alternatively, when you wake up in the morning, be sure to open the shades and turn the lights on again to help tell your brain to wake up and get going.
- Say goodbye to late-night binges: Just say no to caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, and late-night snacks. Eating too late is common and can cause indigestion and restless nights. If you are still hungry right before bed, choose real food not junk. It is recommended for most people to fast for 12-hours daily to give your digestion system rest.
If you are suffering with insomnia and would like to receive our help, reach out to us on form below to contact Nature’s Wisdom Healing Center-Mary Cetan. We offer a Complementary Chat to help you get your questions answered.
