Proprietary Chinese Medicine for Insomnia
Sleep is necessary for people of all ages to attain good physical, mental and emotional health. However, 24-hour communication, shift work, travelling and irregular working hours are more and more interfering us from sleep. People usually realize that they are having a sleeping problem when it really disrupts their lives. By this time however, the mental and physical symptoms may not be that easy to resolve. Sleeping pills are only suitable for occasional and short-term relief. Proprietary Chinese medicines are formulated herbal products that are manufactured under standardization and modern techniques. They help provide a long-term, non-addictive way to promote sleep.
Whatever your reason for sleep loss, insomnia affects both mental and physical aspects. People with insomnia are likely to experience irritability, headache, fatigue, difficulty in concentrating, poor memory and low immunity, leading to poor job and daily performances. According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), people with insomnia can develop in various disharmonies, resulting from disruption between the physical body and the mind. TCM sleep remedies not just aim at calming the mind, but also promoting the integration of body and mind.
Below are classic formulas that can achieve a calming effect. Since they are relatively low in cost and readily available, TCM physicians like to prescribe them as long-term supplementary options. The remedies should be selected to target specific disharmony patterns, as it is an individual experience for each suffer.
1. Heaven King Heart-Nourish Pellet (tian wan bu xin dan)
Actions: clam the spirit, invigorate the heart, nourish blood and enrich yin.
Disharmony pattern: insomnia, dream-disturbed sleep, irritability, palpitations, blurred vision, sweating, fatigue, difficult to concentration, poor memory, a tendency to be constipated and to develop mouth sores. The tongue is red with little coating.
Remarks: suitable for people who overuse the brain or who have had a nervous breakdown.
2. Ginseng Restore Spleen Pill (ren shen gui pi wan)
Actions: invigorate the spleen, replenish blood and qi (vital energy), and calm the spirit.
Disharmony pattern: dream-disturbed sleep or easy to wake up, palpitations, absent-mindedness, shortness of breath, dizziness, fatigue, poor memory, paleness, abdominal distension, loose bowels and poor appetite.
Remarks: suitable for people who overuse the brain or who have had a nervous breakdown.
3. Communicating and Tranquilizing Pill (jiao tai wan)
Actions: soothe the heart, calm the spirit, promote communication between the heart and kidney.
Disharmony pattern: difficulty in falling asleep, dream-disturbed sleep, irritability, anxiety, palpitations, warm palms and soles, dry mouth, frequent urination, constipation, a red tongue with or without greasy coating.
Remarks: suitable for those who often drink alcohol and who overeat heavy, greasy foods.
4. Free and Easy Wanderer Plus (jia wei xiao yao san)
Actions: soothe the liver, relieve stagnation, purge fire and calm the spirit.
Disharmony pattern: insomnia, irritability, anxiety, easy to anger, excessive sweating, tightness in the chest, headache, blurred vision, dry mouth, dry stools, yellowish urine and menstrual problems in women. The sleep problem is usually aggravated by emotional distress.
Remarks: suitable for those who have a stressful lifestyle or during menopause. Not recommended for a weakened digestive system.
5. Heart Clear Bezoar Pill (niu huang qing xin wan)
Actions: clear heart fire, unblock orifices, expel phlegm, stabilize mood, extinguish wind, free collaterals, enhance healthy qi and calm the spirit.
Disharmony pattern: restless sleep or frequent nightmares, panic, irritability, dizziness, absent-mindedness, slow response, mood swings, and a red tongue.
Remarks: suitable for people with hypertension or cardiovascular problems. Not recommend for a weakened digestive system.
6. Blood House Stasis Dispelling Pill (xue fu zhu yu wan)
Actions: activate blood, resolve stasis, regulate qi flow and stop pain.
Disharmony pattern: insomnia, chest pain or fullness, headache, neck or shoulder soreness, hiccup, irritability, easy to anger, menstrual irregularities in women, and purple-spotted tongue.
Remarks: suitable for people with hypertension or cardiovascular problems.
7. Preserve Harmony Pill (bao he wan)
Actions: harmonize stomach, promote digestion and calm the spirit.
Disharmony pattern: insomnia accompanied by indigestion symptoms, such as abdominal distention, nausea, vomiting, belching, bad breath, foul-smelling stools, the tongue covered by a greasy yellow coat.
8. Arborvitae Seed Heart-nourishing Pill (bai zi ren yang xin wan)
Actions: Nourish the heart, enrich blood, clam the spirit and settle the will.
Disharmony pattern: insomnia, dream-disturbed sleep, palpitations, forgetfulness, mental fatigue, blurred vision, dizziness, shortness of breath, night sweats, and a pale tongue.
Remarks: suitable for people with cardiovascular problems and who have had a nervous breakdown.
9. Nourish Blood Mind-calming Pill (yang xue an shen wan)
Actions: nourish yin, replenish blood, soothe the heart and clam the spirit.
Disharmony pattern: insomnia, dream-disturbed sleep, palpitations, mouth dryness, blurred vision, dizziness, ear ringing, lumbar soreness, hot flashes, and a red tongue with little coating.
Remarks: suitable for neurasthenia, anemia, hyperthyroidism and menopause that show the above symptoms.
Besides being available as pills, the above can also be made into other forms such as soft extracts, capsules, powders syrup, tablets or granules. Find a reputable brand and read the label carefully before you buy any proprietary medicine.
