Acupuncture helps Insomnia Patients

 

Acupuncture helps Insomnia Patients

Forget your Sleepless nights

 Insomnia includes a wide range of sleeping disorders, from lack of sleep quality to lack of sleep quantity. Insomnia is commonly separated into three types:

Types:

Insomnia includes a wide range of sleeping disorders, from lack of sleep quality to lack of sleep quantity. Insomnia is commonly separated into three types:

·         Transient insomnia - occurs when symptoms last up to three nights.

·         Acute insomnia - Symptoms persist for several weeks.

·         Chronic insomnia - this type lasts for months, and sometimes years. 

Common causes of Insomnia includes:

                                         

• Changes to sleeping environment (temperature, light, noise)
• Excessive worry over a life event (the loss of a loved one, divorce, job loss etc.)
• Too much caffeine, alcohol, or nicotine
• Keeping an irregular sleep schedule
• Jet lag
• exposure to light from televisions and smart phones prior to going to sleep can affect natural melatonin levels. 
• A small nap in afternoon can disturb the sleep at night.
• Consumption of certain medicines for longer time.

Insomnia can also occur as a result of certain medical conditions, including:

• Mental health problems (depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder)
• Medical conditions that cause pain (arthritis, vertebral stenosis)
• Nerve disorders (Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease)
• Other sleep disorders (sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome etc,) 

3 best Acupressure Points to induce good sleep: 

Give 5-10 minutes of medium pressure on the shown points twice a day (once in the morning and once at night)

Acupuncture approach to insomnia:

 

(Note: Non acupuncturist can skip this content but please use Acupressure points to avail health benefits)

  

As per Acupuncture, Insomnia can be divided into 4 types:

Insomnia due to indigestion:

For many people, eating a big meal – especially rich, heavy and spicy foods, before bed can undermine quality of sleep or cause insomnia. When the digestive system is very active, the body will be restless and it will be hard to fall asleep. Such people should try to avoid eating too late and also last meal of the day should be light and less spicy.

Insomnia due to Blood Deficiency:

If a person have poor digestive system, it results in inability to properly digest food and produce enough healthy blood. The quality of the blood is important for memory and mental activity. The quality of the blood is also important for the heart and mind to be able to settle into sleep. With insomnia due to blood deficiency, it may be hard to fall or stay asleep.

Insomnia due to Yin Deficiency

The yin is the body’s cooling system. The yin, or yin fluids refer to the protective lining of all body tissues and nerves–it is a measure of the proper hydration of the body tissues. If yin “runs out”, the body overheats, leading to symptoms like afternoon fever, night sweats, and insomnia.

The kidneys are the body’s natural reserves of cooling fluids and are depleted after long hours of work. If those fluids run low, the heat can go unchecked and rise, agitating the heart and the mind.

Insomnia due to Liver Stagnation and Heat:

In this situation, there will be a constant exposure to stress, which will then cause agitation in the nervous system, leading to heat in both the liver and the heart. Patients exhibit irritability, anxiety and have difficulty falling asleep.

The way that the body adapts and responds to stress is closely related to the way that Qi (energy) moves through the body, so high stress would be diagnosed as Qi stagnation.

Liver is the primary organ that works on the smooth flow of Qi throughout the body, so this type of insomnia is identified as a type of liver Qi Stagnation. Additionally, irritability is often a sign of heat in the liver, or an agitated nervous system. Here we need to nourish the Heart and the Liver and give the nervous system more resources to deal with stress and relax into sleep.

 

Home Remedies for Insomnia:

 

1.    Poppy seeds & slim milk is beneficial to induce sleep.

2.   The ripe yellow Bananas are rich in sleep-promoting carbohydrates and tryptophan. Bananas also contain potassium and magnesium, which can help promote muscle relaxation.

3.    Almonds are good source of calcium and magnesium which helps to promote good sleep.

4.    A soft head massage before going to bed, benefits in faster asleep.

Please note that, we need to consider our health condition before changing our food habits. Please consult your Doctor before making any changes.

Life Style changes:

1. Meditation has numerous health benefits that go hand-in-hand with a healthy lifestyle promoting good sleep.

2.    Avoid caffeine, alcohol, spicy food, fatty food

3.   Do not use any electronic devices, TV, Computers and mainly smart phones at least 2 hours before going to bed.

4.    Maintain a regular sleep schedule every day including weekends and holidays.

5.    Turn off the lights in the bedroom while going to bed.

6.   Color or decorate the bed room with blue, gray, light green shades as it helps in calming the nervous system. These colors are considered to help cooling and lower the body temperature.

7.   Avoid using Red, Pink or any such colors as it is associated with anger and chances of Liver Qi stagnation is high.

    Disclaimer:

This article is an awareness initiative taken in public interest. Readers are advised not to use any information included herein to treat any health problems without knowing the actual health condition. This article is the combination of theoretical knowledge, patient’s feedback, self-experience and opinion. We recommend consulting a Doctor when in doubt or otherwise. We shall not be liable for any damages arising from the contents of this article.