Insomnia External Herbal Remedies
According to traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), the twelve regular meridians form the backbone of the meridian system, they run in certain depth and fixed routes inside the body. They branch out numerous and vary in size collaterals throughout the body, which make the connections and communications between different parts more effective. Collaterals in the skin are located externally and superficially, their distributions reflect the functioning of the twelve regular meridians, known as the “twelve skin segments”. The qi (vital energy) flowing in the meridian system concentrates or "injects" in certain areas of the skin, known as "acupoints," which are the important locations for communication between the internal and external body. Applications of TCM external therapies are based on these understandings. The usual ways of external treatment are dressing, moxa warming, compress or soaking, which are widely applied for skin diseases, traumatic wounds, ENT problems, and superficial diseases.
External or topical therapies can sometimes achieve a more direct result for some conditions, they are also suitable for those who cannot use oral remedies. Chronic insomnia is especially beneficial to an integrated approach with oral and external methods.
Regardless of the cause of insomnia, the basic therapeutic aim is to resume harmony between the body and mind, so that a smooth sleep-wake cycle can rebuild in the brain. TCM external herbal therapy is an effective and simple way to relax the body, promote falling asleep and induce deep sleep. It should be noted that the external remedies are provided based on syndrome differentiation, which means a detail evaluation of the clinical manifestations is necessary before treatment.External or topical therapies can sometimes achieve a more direct result for some conditions, they are also suitable for those who cannot use oral remedies. Chronic insomnia is especially beneficial to an integrated approach with oral and external methods.
In order to facilitate skin absorption, herbs that are raw, aromatic and with a strong property are usually combined along with calming herbs in the remedies. They are then prepared in paste, powder, solution, medicinal wine or essential oil for applications. The active components of the preparations can be absorbed through the skin or acupoints and transmitted by the meridian system to finally work on the target organs.
Herbal pillows and sachets to promote sleep
Appropriate bedding promotes a restful night and ensures that the body can fully relax. The Chinese has long been used this folk remedy to promote sleep. Herbal stuffing used to make pillows and sachets are natural sedatives, as the selected herbs are mostly aromatic and are able to remove blockages, calming and relieving the stress in the body.
- Prescription (1): Chrysanthemum (100g), magnetite (100g), albizia flower (100g), tuber fleeceflower stem (100g), common rush (30g), clove (30g), acorus (60g), polygala root (60g), poria with pine (60g), sandal wood (10g) and borneol (10g). See the graphic When seriously disturbed by dreams, add fossil bone (100g) and oyster shell (60g). Grind the ingredients properly.
- Prescription (2): Bamboo shavings, chrysanthemum, mulberry leaf, peppermint, oriental arborvitae leafy-twig, Dahurian angelica root, Sichuan lovage, schizonepeta herb, peony root bark and magnetite. Mix equal amounts of each ingredient and crush them slightly. See the graphic
- Prescription (3): Peppermint, chrysanthemum, lophatherum herb, sweet wormwood herb, fortune eupatorium herb and tuber fleeceflower stem, 30g of each; fossil bone, oyster shell, and ochre minerals, 30g for each; Sichuan lovage, Dahurian angelica root, Chinese nardostachyos root, vitex fruit, costustoot, silkworm dung, tangerine peel and atractylodes rhizome, 10g each; Manchurian wildginger, acorus, Chinese honeylocust abnormal fruit and borneol, 5g each. Mix and grind the ingredients properly. See the graphic
Mix all the ingredients together, place in a cloth bag and sew up the end, tuck inside a pillow or cushion to give off a gentle fragrance during the day or while sleeping. These mixtures need renewing after several months. The room temperature should be around 25~30°C, and drink some water before sleep.
Age, body type, specific health problem, and even season of the year should be considered when selecting herbs.
| Considerations | Suitable ingredients |
|---|---|
| Yin deficiency with virtual fire | mung bean, black soybean |
| Yang hyperactive | selfheal fruit spike, silkworm dung |
| Ear ringing or poor hearing | magnetite |
| Blurred or poor vision | chrysanthemum, tea leaf and cassia seed |
| Nervous debility or cardiovascular problems | Amber, Chinese arborvitae kernel |
| Hot summer | bamboo shavings, gypsum |
Topical herbal dressings to promote sleep
The prescribed herbs are ground or extracted, made into a paste and applied to areas like the navel, soles or palms to induce sleep. By stimulating the specific acupoints of these regions, a medicinal effect infiltrates the skin and reaches the meridians, activating qi movement and promoting internal balance.
Important body points for TCM external herbal remedies.
1. Dressing for the palms
Basic prescription: fossil bone (20g), amber (5g), and pearl powder(4.5g).
- Heat signs: add golden thread rhizome (5g);
- Phlegm accumulated: add pinellia tuber (10g);
- Yin deficiency with virtual fire: add golden thread rhizome (6g) and cassia bark (10g).
Grind into a fine powder and put aside. Every night before going to bed, take 3~4g of the powder and mix with distill water of honeysuckle flower or just tap water, paste on the centers of both palms, cover with swabs and taped in place, then massage on the areas for 30 minutes each, keeping the dressing overnight. Apply for 20 days as one course. In the center of the palm, an acupoint called lao gong (Pc 8) belongs to the pericardium meridian, it works with the ingredients to calm the spirit and promote sleep.
2. Dressing for the umbilicus
- Prescription (1): Red sage root (20g), sulfur (20g), polygala root (20g) and acorus (20g); see the graphic
- Prescription (2): Acorus (10g), turmeric rhizome (10g), immature bitter orange (10g), Chinese eaglewood (10g), sour jujube seed (10g) and amber (10g); see the graphic
- Prescription (3): Medicinal evodia fruits (100g); see the graphic
Grind the ingredients into a fine powder and put aside. Every night before going to bed, take 5g of the powder and mix with a small amount of rice wine into paste form, fill in the navel (or umbilicus) and then cover by gauze and taped in place. The umbilicus is known as shen que (Cv 8), which is an important acupoint along the Conception Vessel. It works with the ingredients to calm the spirit and induce sleep.
3. Dressing for the soles
- Prescription (1): Arisaema with bile (10g), Sichuan lovage (30g), golden thread rhizome (20g); see the graphic
- Prescription (2): Golden thread rhizome (30g) and Cassia bark (30g); see the graphic
Grind the ingredients into a powder and put aside. Every night before going to bed, mix 5g of the powder with honey, paste it on the soles of the feet, and then cover by gauze and taped in place. There is an acupoint named yong quan (Ki 1) in the centers of the soles, which is an important point along the kidney meridian. It works with the ingredients to promote communication between the heart and the kidney, and calms the mind.
4. Wet dressing on the forehead
- Prescription (1): Magnetite (20g), poria with pine (15g), schisandra (10g) and prickly acanthopanax root (20g). see the graphic Boil the magnetite with 1500 ml of water for 30 minutes, then add in other ingredients, boil for 30 minutes and filter out the solution.
- Prescription (2): Pinellia tuber (12g), poria (9g), tangerine peel (9g), arisaema with bile (9g), acorus (9g), polygala root (9g), lophatherum herb (9g), immature bitter orange (6g), liquorice root (6g, processed with honey). see the graphic Boil the ingredients with 1000ml of water for 30 minutes and filter out the solution.
Every night when lying in bed, wet a towel with the warm solution and cover on the forehead and eyes. This method stimulates and harmonizes the meridians on the head and soothes the mind.
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