Traditional Chinese Medicine analyzes sleep by examining the dynamic between two opposite energies:
- Mental relaxation, rest and night correspond to the so-called Yin energies.
- Mental activity, movement and day correspond to the so-called Yang energies.
These two mental states are in constant motion and allow the body to go from a state of wakefulness to a state of sleep. The function of sleep is explained by this movement of balanced alternation between Yang and Yin.
Yin reduces Yang’s mental activity and curb its tendency to runaway at night. Yin’s mental relaxation must increase its action which is to ensure restfulness of the body’s functions.
Yang awakens Yin’s mental relaxation and will fight against its tendency towards inertia at the start of the day. In the evening, the Yang’s mental activity must slow down and remain deep within to promote the functioning of the vital organs.
So what causes insomnia?
Insomnia is a disorder that affects the quality or duration of sleep. It is characterized by difficulty falling asleep, frequent waking during the night, waking up early, or a night without any sleep at all. This imbalance is due to a disturbance of the cyclical movement of the Yin and Yang energies which causes sleep disorders marked by different characteristics.
- Difficulty falling asleep or lack of sleep results from Yang energies remaining too active.
- Frequent waking during the night means that Yin relaxation is weak and therefore has difficulty maintaining rest.
- Waking up too early is due to too much Yang activity compared to Yin relaxation, hence the early onset of physical alertness.
The benefits of acupuncture
Acupuncture acts to restore the natural balance of the body’s functions by calming the activity of the Yang energies, or by tempering the Yin energies, depending on the nature of the imbalance of each individual. Acupuncture treatment can be combined with proper nutrition and following good advice on lifestyle choices including exercise, daily habits, mental attitude, etcetera, to help maintain this balance.
Source: www.acupuncture-quebec.com/informations-acupuncture/7-insomnie.html