When it's time to sleep, lying in bed but unable to fall asleep—this is truly tormenting. At night, how many people toss and turn without rest?
Insomnia, in traditional Chinese medicine, is called "bù mèi" (not sleeping). Traditional Chinese medicine believes that tranquility of the spirit leads to sleep, while agitation of the spirit causes insomnia. The cause of agitation is either external pathogenic factors or deficiency of nutritive qi. Those with pathogens are mostly excess conditions; those without pathogens are all deficiency states. Excess conditions often result from stagnation of qi transforming into fire, disturbing the heart spirit, disharmony in the stomach, or internal phlegm-heat disturbance. Deficiency conditions usually stem from yin deficiency with fire exuberance, imbalance between heart and kidney, excessive thinking, injury to heart and spleen internally, or deficiency of heart and gallbladder qi leading to restlessness and fright—all these can affect the heart spirit and lead to insomnia. Modern medicine holds that insomnia has psychological and cognitive causes such as emotional tension, excitement, sudden shock, unresolved mental conflicts, excessive sorrow, annoying anxiety, extreme excitement, etc. Internal bodily disturbances like overeating, pain, itching, etc., can also trigger insomnia.
Regular use of sedatives or sleeping pills for insomnia is not ideal—these may lead to drug dependence, liver damage, and even impair cognitive function. Using medicinal porridge therapy to regulate insomnia proves effective; patients with insomnia might want to try this approach.
Two-Nuts Porridge: Take 15 grams of Platycladus seed, 20 grams of sour jujube seed (roasted), and 100 grams of rice. First crush the platycladus and jujube seeds, then boil together with rice. When nearly cooked, add honey, cook one or two boils, and consume before bedtime. Platycladus seed nourishes the heart and calms the spirit; sour jujube seed tonifies liver and gallbladder, nourishes heart and spleen. Modern pharmacological studies confirm that sour jujube seed inhibits the central nervous system, producing sedative and hypnotic effects. This porridge suits those with insomnia accompanied by frequent dreams, easy awakening, timidity, palpitations, due to deficiency of heart and gallbladder qi.
Clove and Lotus Seed Porridge: Take 20 grams of longan flesh (dragon eye meat), 30 grams of lotus seeds, and 100 grams of rice. Crush lotus seeds, then boil with longan flesh and rice into porridge, consume two hours before bedtime. Longan flesh tonifies heart and spleen, nourishes blood, calms the spirit; lotus seeds tonify spleen, nourish heart, benefit kidney. This porridge is especially suitable for those with insomnia due to deficiency of heart and spleen, accompanied by palpitations, forgetfulness, fatigue, weak limbs, loose stools, pale complexion.
Lily and Red Date Porridge: 20 grams lily, 20 red dates, 50 grams mung beans, 50 grams rice. First boil mung beans until half-cooked, then add lily, red dates, and rice, continue boiling into porridge, consume twice daily.
Lily clears heart fire and calms the spirit, red dates nourish the stomach and strengthen the spleen, mung beans clear heat and relieve irritability. Suitable for summer insomnia and menopausal insomnia in women with palpitations, irritability, hot flashes, spontaneous sweating.
Raw Rehmannia Porridge: 30 grams raw rehmannia, 30 grams roasted sour jujube seed, 50 grams rice. First decoct raw rehmannia and sour jujube seed, strain out residue, add rice to cook into porridge, eat in the morning as breakfast. Raw rehmannia clears heat and nourishes yin, sour jujube seed calms the heart and spirit. Suitable for insomnia with irritability, palpitations, dizziness, tinnitus, lower back soreness, nocturnal emission, five-palm heat, belonging to yin deficiency with fire exuberance type.
Bamboo Juice Porridge: 20 grams bamboo juice (available at pharmacy), 100 grams millet. First boil millet into porridge, add bamboo juice when nearly done, stir well, consume on an empty stomach in the morning. Bamboo juice clears phlegm and relieves irritability, calms shock. Suitable for insomnia with heavy head, chest tightness, abundant phlegm, due to internal phlegm-heat disturbance.
Gentiana Porridge: 10 grams gentiana, 20 grams bamboo leaves, 100 grams white rice. First decoct gentiana and bamboo leaves, strain juice, add rice to cook into porridge, replace breakfast. Gentiana clears liver fire, bamboo leaves clear heart fire and relieve irritability. Suitable for insomnia with irritability, red eyes, bitter mouth, yellow urine, constipation, due to liver qi stagnation transforming into fire.
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