7 Surprising Causes and Effects of Insomnia You Didn’t Know

Physician Foo Shan Ju 1. Your thunder snore is disrupting your sleep If you snore loudly during your sleep and feel tired even after a full night’s sleep, you may have sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is a potentially serious sleep disorder that causes you to repeatedly stop and start breathing while you sleep. It affects over 100 million people worldwide. [1] Obstructive sleep apnea, one of the most common forms of sleep apnea, is caused by the relaxation of muscles at the back of your throat. Some complications of sleep apnea include daytime fatigue, high blood pressure or cardiovascular problems and even liver problems. If you or your partner are having bad sleep due to loud snoring, this is the article for you! How can TCM help? According to TCM theory, sleep apnea is caused by a deficiency of Spleen and Lung Qi and Dampness in the body. As such, we usually prescribe herbs and do acupuncture to nourish Spleen and Lung Qi and reduce Dampness in the body. Doing acupressure massage, having a healthy diet and maintaining a healthy weight by exercising will help to reduce sleep apnea. Sleeping on your side and using a pillow of suitable height can also help to reduce loud snoring. 2. Insomnia can be hereditary In recent years, researchers have managed to identify certain genes that may trigger the development of sleep problems. [2] As such, if your parents suffer from insomnia, you may be at risk of having it too. While insomnia isn’t always easy to resolve, there are still some effective treatment options available! TCM is one of the most sought-after treatments by patients who suffer from insomnia. In TCM, insomnia is believed to be caused by an imbalance of Yin and Yang energy in our body. Some factors that lead to this imbalance include poor dietary habits such as overeating and caffeine consumption, extreme emotions such as anger, sorrow, excitement or exhaustion from activities such as intensive exercise. How can TCM help? Herbal medication and acupuncture are the two main treatments for insomnia. Herbs like Suan Zao Ren Tang and Long Yan Rou can help to nourish the heart and calm the mind for restful sleep, while acupoints like Nei Guan and Shen Men can help to regulate Qi circulation and soothe the mind. 3. Heat is the enemy when it comes to sleep Have you ever been unable to fall asleep simply because the weather is too hot? Studies abroad have shown that people tend to have more trouble falling asleep in the hotter summer months when temperatures are higher. [3] This is because the body’s temperature follows the circadian rhythm, which dictates the body’s 24-hour behavioural changes. According to the circadian rhythm, the body sheds heat before it goes to sleep and continues losing heat until its lowest point near daybreak around 5am. As such, lower temperature helps us fall asleep more easily while higher temperatures keep the body awake. How can TCM help? In TCM, the body is not just affected by room temperature. More often, sleep quality is affected by a person’s internal body Heatiness. This refers to Heat accumulated in the body due to lifestyle and diet influences, such as eating too much spicy food, not drinking enough water and even stress. The most common method we use to detect internal body Heatiness is by looking at the tongue. A red tongue usually indicates the presence of Heatiness, although this diagnosis is usually accompanied by asking other lifestyle questions. One of the most common sources of Heatiness is Heart Fire, which can be identified by the redness of the tip of the tongue. Heart Fire is caused by excessive stress, overthinking, insufficient sleep or sleeping late. To combat Heart Fire, we use cooling herbs like Chuan Xin Lian or Huang Lian and stimulate heat-reducing acupoints like Qu Chi. Bloodletting and Gua Sha (scraping) are also effective therapies to immediately remove Heatiness from the body, 4. Women’s hormone changes can cause insomnia According to the National Sleep Foundation (NSF), women are two times more likely than men to have sleep issues. [4] This is due to the fluctuation in hormone levels throughout a woman’s life, including pregnancy, menopause and the menstrual cycle. The female hormones oestrogen and progesterone have hypnotic effects on the brain. Progesterone in particular is a strong respiratory stimulant and supports airway function and breathing during sleep. As such, a fluctuation in oestrogen and progesterone levels is likely to lead to changes in sleep patterns. How can TCM help? TCM herbs and acupuncture can be used to help with symptoms arising from hormonal changes. Mood swings, stress or tension caused by hormonal changes are linked to Liver Qi stagnation in TCM. Herbs like Xiao Yao San and He Huan Pi can help to regulate the body’s Qi circulation and relieve Liver stagnation to reduce stress and improve sleep quality. Acupuncture at San Yin Jiao can also help to improve Qi and Blood circulation and restore balance to hormonal levels over time. 5. Insomnia worsens with age Some of us experience poorer sleep quality such as waking up earlier or more often as we age. This is because our body produces lesser growth hormone as we age, resulting in lesser melatonin and more disrupted sleep cycles. So how do we ensure sleep quality even as we age? How can TCM help? In TCM theory, insomnia caused by ageing is commonly attributed to a decrease in Yin energy, with some of the symptoms being waking up early and difficulties falling asleep (tossing and turning in bed). Herbal medication such as Jiao Tai Wan can be used to nourish Kidney Yin and reduce Heart Fire to rebalance Yin-Yang energy and promote restful sleep. Acupuncture at San Yin Jiao can also help to nourish the Yin energy in the body and restore sleep quality. To boost effectiveness, traditional therapies can be accompanied by tech-enhanced therapies such as the Cell Pro Therapy (CPT)  which can boost sleep