What should I do if poor sleep is caused by insufficient Qi and blood?

Traditional Chinese medicine pays attention to qi and blood. If a person has sufficient qi and blood, he will be full of energy and refreshed. If the qi and blood are insufficient, there will be many problems, such as pale complexion and lack of spirit. For children who are still growing, insufficient qi and blood will also slow down their development and make them look much shorter than other children. Therefore, qi and blood become very important. So, what should we do if insufficient qi and blood leads to poor sleep?

Deficiency of Qi and blood refers to Qi deficiency and blood deficiency in traditional Chinese medicine. Insufficient Qi and blood will result in decreased organ function and cause premature aging. Qi deficiency means that the functions of internal organs decline and the ability to resist disease is poor. Qi deficiency causes fear of cold, cold limbs, spontaneous sweating, dizziness, tinnitus, mental depression, fatigue, weakness, palpitations and shortness of breath. Blood deficiency may cause dull and sallow complexion, dry skin, withered hair, cracked nails, blurred vision, numbness of hands and feet, insomnia, frequent dreams, forgetfulness, palpitations, and mental confusion.

Deficiency of Qi and blood is a disease of both Qi and blood. Deficiency of Qi and blood will lead to malnutrition of the body, with common symptoms such as fatigue, shortness of breath, laziness to speak, pale or sallow complexion, dizziness, pale lips and nails, palpitations and insomnia, pale tongue and weak pulse.

There are many reasons for insomnia, many of which are caused by deficiency of Qi and blood, and insufficient Yin fluid. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that if Qi and blood are insufficient, the "heart will not be nourished" and the person will have sleep disorders manifested as fatigue, forgetfulness, insomnia, dreaminess, palpitations, and weakness. Regarding the relationship between Qi and blood and insomnia, Zhang Jingyue, a physician in the Ming Dynasty, made a very thorough analysis in his Jingyue Complete Works: "If there is no evil in the body but one cannot sleep, it must be because of insufficient Ying and blood. Ying governs blood, and if the blood is deficient, the heart cannot be nourished, and if the heart is deficient, the spirit cannot stay in the body."

Long-term insomnia has a huge impact on health. Not only can you see sagging eye bags and dark circles, but it can also cause accelerated skin aging, fatigue, depression, inattention, reduced work efficiency, and even fibromyalgia and nocturnal myoclonus. People with insomnia are more likely to be obese, and insomnia also increases the risk of heart disease.

Once insomnia symptoms occur and non-drug methods are ineffective, Chinese patent medicines can be used appropriately to help improve symptoms. Beijing Tong Ren Tang's Anshen Jiannao Liquid is a tranquilizer and sleep-inducing medicine that is highly recognized by patients. Its main ingredients include ginseng, Schisandra chinensis (fried with vinegar), Ophiopogon japonicus, Lycium barbarum, and Salvia miltiorrhiza. It has the effects of invigorating qi and nourishing blood, nourishing yin and promoting body fluid, nourishing the heart and calming the mind. It is suitable for insomnia, fatigue, forgetfulness, dizziness, headache, palpitations, fatigue, and dry mouth caused by deficiency of qi and blood and insufficient yin fluid. Tong Ren Tang Anshen Jiannao Liquid is suitable for taking after meals. During the medication period, it is not advisable to take Veratrum, Aconiti Radix Gleditsiae, Gleditsia sinensis or their preparations at the same time; it is not advisable to drink tea and eat radish, so as not to affect the efficacy of the medicine. During the medication period, you should avoid smoking, drinking, spicy and greasy food. You should also stay optimistic and avoid getting angry. During the period of cold and fever, stop taking tranquilizing and brain-strengthening liquid.

1. Meridian therapy

Regularly doing health massage of the head, face, and feet to dissipate blood stasis, and insisting on moxibustion on important acupoints such as Guanyuan, Qihai, Zusanli, Sanyinjiao, etc., also has a very positive effect on delaying aging.

2. Diet therapy

(1) Qi deficiency ① Tonic foods: beef, mutton, wolfberry, chicken, pork, glutinous rice, soybeans, white lentils, jujubes, crucian carp, carp, quail, eel, shrimp, mushrooms, etc. ② Nourishing meals: yam, lily and lotus seed soup; stewed pigeon with ginseng and herbs; spiced beef; roasted pig’s trotters with peanuts and dates. ③ Avoid eating or eat less: buckwheat, grapefruit, tangerine, kumquat, kumquat cake, orange, water chestnut, raw radish, ground skullcap, mustard greens, leek, amaranth, amomum, chrysanthemum, tea, hawthorn, bergamot, betel nut, garlic, kohlrabi, radish leaves, coriander, turnip, pepper, longan, perilla leaves, mint, lotus leaves. Avoid smoking and drinking.

(2) Blood deficiency ① Tonic foods: black-bone chicken, black sesame, walnut meat, longan meat, chicken, pig blood, pig liver, brown sugar, red beans, etc. ② Nourishing diet: black-bone chicken with angelica and rehmannia root; beef brisket stew with yam; hairtail with chrysanthemum and hairtail; rose and chrysanthemum dew. ③ Avoid eating or eat less: seaweed, cardamom, lotus leaves, white wine, mint, chrysanthemum, betel nut, raw radish, water chestnut, garlic, etc.

Many people are particularly energetic at night. They check Weibo, WeChat, etc., and it will be very late while playing. Staying up late like this will also affect the qi and blood. So everyone should try not to stay up late. Even if there are special reasons and you have to stay up late, don't stay up late every day. The sleeping environment is also very important. It is best not to turn on the lights when sleeping. Some people are used to turning on night lights, which is actually bad for the eyes and will also affect the quality of sleep.