The Top Ten Causes of Insomnia
The Top Ten Causes of Insomnia
The human body operates on the balance of yin and yang. When the balance and flow of yin and yang are disrupted, various illnesses can arise. Deep sleep is one of the best ways to nourish yin energy. After a deep sleep, the body is like a car that has been driven all day and then refueled, or a pot that has been cooking all day and then refilled with water. The standard for deep sleep is when a person doesn't dream, snore, wake up to urinate, have night sweats, wake up in the middle of the night, or toss and turn. Essentially, a single sleeping position is maintained until morning.
When the body's yin essence is sufficient, the yang energy can transform this essence, providing a solid foundation. A person with yin deficiency, who suffers from chronic insomnia, often feels groggy and may be diagnosed with neurasthenia or sub-health by a doctor. But is this really the case? Not quite. This condition actually indicates yin deficiency, where the body is "burning an empty pot." Without essence, there is no energy, and since the head is the gathering place of all yang energies, when yang energy is depleted, the head naturally becomes unclear and foggy.
Staying up late, spending nights online, working overtime until the early hours, or frequently working night shifts can lead to sudden death for the same reason.
If deep sleep is sufficient, it provides the necessary material foundation. It’s like filling a pot with water or refueling a car. When you wake up, your energy system is activated. You can think of this energy system as a car engine starting or a boiler being fired up. If your essence is abundant, your efficiency in transforming essence into energy will be much higher compared to someone with yin deficiency. This results in a continuous supply of energy and blood to the brain, making you full of energy throughout the day.
When the material foundation is strong, and the energy system functions well, it’s like driving a sports car. Those who do not take care of their health and are deficient in essence and energy will function like a tractor, lacking vigor and strength.
This external difference in performance is referred to as "shen" (spirit). The difference in "shen" among people reflects the variance in their performance, which is part of the "three treasures" known as essence, energy, and spirit.
Nowadays, it’s common for people to have trouble sleeping at night. Poor sleep is like using a phone all day without charging it. Over time, insufficient sleep leads to significant physical depletion. The reasons for insomnia generally fall into the following categories:
Disharmony Between Defensive and Nutrient Energy Insomnia: This occurs when there is poor communication between the internal and external parts of the body.
Upper Heat and Lower Cold, Half-Body Insomnia: In this condition, there is a lack of communication between the upper and lower parts of the body, disrupting the balance of yin and yang, preventing energy from flowing smoothly.
Disharmony of Stomach Qi Insomnia: According to the ancient medical text, "When the stomach is not harmonious, sleep will be disturbed." People with stomach problems often have accompanying sleep issues.
Kidney Deficiency Insomnia: When the body lacks kidney essence, insufficient yin energy fails to contain yang energy, making it difficult to fall asleep or stay asleep.
Excess Heart Fire Insomnia: A person may not have kidney deficiency but has an overactive heart, leading to an inability to calm the mind and eliminate anxiety, resulting in insomnia.
Weakness or Post-Illness Recovery Insomnia: After severe illness or multiple fevers, people may experience this type of insomnia due to lingering weakness.
Evil Qi Invasion Insomnia: This often manifests as frequent nightmares, waking up at a specific time, or sleep paralysis. Removing the evil qi from the corresponding organ meridian can resolve the insomnia.
Stress-Induced Insomnia: This type is often accompanied by frequent urination at night.
Emotional Imbalance Insomnia: Excessive emotions without moderation—whether joy, anger, sorrow, or happiness—can lead to emotional instability and even anxiety or depression, causing insomnia. Severe depression can lead to years of sleeplessness. This type of insomnia is complex, as it involves not only physical essence depletion but also a deficiency of spirit. Treatment requires a focus on nourishing both the mind and spirit, and recovery is possible with time. However, long-term use of antidepressant medication may lead to further decline, making full recovery difficult and only creating the illusion of sleep.
Pre-Sleep Phone Use Insomnia: Using your phone before bed overstimulates the mind, leading to insomnia. Watching your phone before bed harms your yin energy, while staying in bed and scrolling through your phone in the morning harms your yang energy. A person’s yang energy can vary in quantity. Those with more yang and less yin may find it difficult to fall asleep. It’s best not to bring your phone into the bedroom. Even if you don’t use it, just having it nearby can make it harder for your body to "shut down" and fully rest.
These ten factors generally account for the causes of insomnia. Western medicine, with its theories, cannot define, diagnose, or even understand concepts like "heart-kidney disharmony," "stomach qi disharmony," "upper heat and lower cold," or "evil qi invasion." From this perspective, insomnia seems like an incurable disease. Apart from taking sleeping pills, which only mask the issue, there are no other solutions. Once the medication stops, the situation often worsens. A similar example is tinnitus. According to Western medical theory, tinnitus is also an incurable condition, and most people will never fully recover when treated through Western methods. The root cause of tinnitus is the disruption of the rising and descending flow of yin and yang energy. The turbid yin energy remains stuck above, unable to descend, while the floating yang energy below cannot rise. It’s like a blunt drill trying to pierce through a block of iron, producing constant ringing. Western medicine cannot comprehend this concept.
Traditional Chinese Medicine, after analyzing the various causes of insomnia, can address the problem through differential diagnosis and personalized treatment.