Insomnia in all variations affects all people from time to time. Some might be more affected than others and for those with frequent or chronic insomnia this can severely affect their health. Chronic insomnia can leave a person irritable, exhausted and incapable of handling the emotional or physical tensions of daily life.
Sleeplessness may be difficulty in falling asleep or falling asleep only during the day but not during night time. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) considers insomnia to be an imbalance between yin and yang. Yang typifies daytime and is unable to change into yin during night time. Yang associates with fire, activity, mobility and upward movement. Yin associates with calm, water inertness and downward movement. During daytime, Yang energy dominates the person, keeping the person alert and conscious and allowing the person to use energy to accomplish daytime activities. When evening comes, Yang energy starts to diminish and turns inward, which we feel as winding down or relaxing. In order for the person to sleep, yang must give way to the yin aspect entailing evening and nighttime rest. Normal sleep can only occur with a proper balance of yin and yang energy in the body. Anything other than that results in insomnia.
Besides yin and yang the Heart also is concerned in being able to sleep. TCM believes that the Heart is where the spirit resides and where also the ability to sleep, the emotions, memory and processes reside. At night the spirit of the person orients itself to yin and therefore, people become quieter, calmer and get to sleep. When the spirit fails to reorient to yin, it becomes restless and insomnia occurs. There may be several ways to disturb the spirit from orienting to yin. Lifestyle often is a factor that causes imbalances and disruptions in the spirit that affects our ability to sleep. Some of the causes according to TCM are a weak constitution, extreme emotions, diet and overwork.
Heat in the body (yang) can also result in insomnia. Excessive heat in the body disrupts the spirit and heart and spirit, making transformation from yang to yin difficult. Excessive Heat can result in irritability and restlessness.
Chi stagnation is another factor for insomnia. This kind of insomnia is often emotion related and involves the emotions of depression, anxiety and anger. These extreme emotions including stress can block chi flow. The blocked chi converts into heat when left untreated for a long time causing insomnia. Basically it is those people who always think, worry and ponder at might about things are suffering chi blockage.
Insomnia can easily be treated by acupuncture Orlando and/or Chinese herbal medicine and also diet therapy. If you cannot sleep, avail the services of a licensed acupuncturist to effectively treat you of your insomnia.