Insomnia
When Sleep Won’t Come (and How Chinese Medicine Understands Why)
You’ve created a calming bedtime ritual. You’re off screens by 9. You drink the chamomile tea. And still—you’re awake. It takes forever to fall asleep. Maybe you’re wide awake at 2am, your mind racing like it’s Monday morning. Sometimes, you do sleep, but it’s light, restless, and you wake feeling exhausted.
When your body is restless—your body not cooperating—is more than just a frustrating inconvenience. It’s insomnia, and it’s not just about being tired. In fact, it’s a signal that your body is trying to tell you something deeper.
What Is Insomnia, Really?
Put simply, insomnia is the inability to fall asleep, stay asleep, or wake feeling rested—even if you’ve spent enough hours in bed.
It can show up in several ways:
- Acute (short-term, often tied to stress or illness)
- Chronic (lasting more than 3 months, more deeply embedded)
- Primary (a standalone issue)
- Secondary (linked to another condition—such as anxiety, menopause, or chronic pain)
From a Western medical perspective, insomnia is commonly linked to:
- Elevated cortisol (your body’s main stress hormone)
- Low melatonin production
- Disruptions in the HPA axis (your brain’s stress-response circuit)
- Mental health conditions like anxiety and depression
This lens often sees insomnia as a neurochemical or nervous system issue. However, this is where Chinese Medicine offers a much richer, more nuanced view.
Insomnia in Chinese Medicine: Listening to the Shen
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), sleep is governed by the Shen, which translates as “spirit” or “mind.” The Shen resides in the Heart and is meant to settle in at night—like a bird returning to its nest. When the Shen is disturbed, restful sleep becomes difficult or even impossible.
The key difference between the two approaches is that TCM asks why the Shen is unsettled. It doesn’t see insomnia as a one-size-fits-all condition. Chinese medicine looks at the individual pattern underneath the symptom.
Let’s explore some of the most common insomnia patterns through the TCM lens:
Heart Yin Deficiency
How it shows up:
- Difficulty falling asleep
- Waking throughout the night
- Night sweats or hot flushes
- Dry mouth or tongue, possible anxiety
- You feel wired but tired
What’s happening:
Yin is the cooling, moistening component of the body. The fluids and blood in our bodies are the yin components. Yin can becomes deficient due to overwork, stress, menopause, or aging. When Yin is deficient, the Heart and Shen aren’t properly anchored because there isn’t enough blood to nourish them. As a result, the spirit becomes restless and sleep is disturbed.
Liver Qi Stagnation Turning to Fire
How it shows up:
- Trouble falling asleep
- Vivid dreams or nightmares
- Anger, frustration, or a racing mind
- PMS, migraines, or digestive tension
What’s happening:
When Liver Qi doesn’t flow smoothly—often due to emotional stress or suppressed frustration—it stagnates and transforms into internal heat. This heat rises and disturbs the Shen, making the mind feel agitated and unable to rest.
Kidney Yin Deficiency (often with Empty Heat)
How it shows up:
- Waking in the early hours (2–4am)
- Flushed cheeks, feeling warm at night
- Tinnitus, dizziness, lower back pain
- You feel depleted, burnt out
What’s happening:
The Kidneys govern your core energy. When Yin is depleted—whether from overwork, long illness, or hormonal shifts—the internal Fire can rise unchecked, disturbing the Heart and Shen. This pattern is especially common in perimenopause and adrenal fatigue.
Spleen and Heart Qi Deficiency
How it shows up:
- Light, disturbed sleep
- Difficulty staying asleep
- Low energy, poor concentration, palpitations
- Linked to overthinking, worry, poor digestion
What’s happening:
If the Spleen doesn’t generate enough Qi and Blood—due to overwork, irregular eating, or mental strain—the Heart isn’t properly nourished. The Shen becomes unstable, and sleep is light or easily disrupted.
Phlegm or Dampness Clouding the Mind
How it shows up:
- Foggy thinking, heavy body
- Restless sleep, strange dreams
- Snoring, bloating, heaviness
- Often worsened by poor diet or eating late
What’s happening:
In this case, the Shen is clouded—not scattered. Excess Dampness or Phlegm (often from weak digestion) creates mental fog and disrupts clarity. The mind doesn’t settle into deep, restorative sleep.
Why This Matters
You could have ten people with insomnia and ten different root causes.
Where Western medicine might offer a blanket approach—like a sleeping pill or supplement—TCM takes the time to ask deeper questions:
- Are you anxious or exhausted?
- Is your body overheated or undernourished?
- Is your mind agitated or foggy?
By identifying the true pattern, we can treat the root—not just mask the symptom.
So… How Do We Treat It?
TCM treatment is holistic, individualized, and deeply restorative. It often includes:
- Acupuncture – To calm the Shen, move stagnant Qi, nourish Yin, and regulate internal Fire
- Herbal Medicine – Such as Tian Wang Bu Xin Dan or Suan Zao Ren Tang, based on your pattern
- Lifestyle Adjustments – Sleep hygiene, emotional support, regulating daily rhythms
- Dietary Therapy – To rebuild Qi, support digestion, and nourish Blood
- Mind-Body Practices – Like qigong, meditation, or tai chi to soothe and regulate the nervous system
Most importantly, it’s about helping your body remember what rest feels like. To settle and anchor the Shen and to restore rhythm.
Insomnia isn’t just about lost sleep—it’s a disruption of one of life’s most essential rhythms. Your body isn’t broken. It’s speaking to you. Let’s get to the bottom of your insomnia.
Let’s get to the bottom of your insomnia! Book Now!
– Zoe
