The most prevalent problem related to sleep is insomnia, which affects about 12% of Australians and has an impact on their daily lives. Fatigue, irritation, and worsened daily functioning can result from insomnia. Research indicates that there may be a connection between sleeplessness and major depressive disorder, anxiety disorders, drug addiction, suicide, weakened immune system, and cardiovascular disease.
Though there are effective pharmaceutical treatments for insomnia, their use is restricted due to worries about side effects, abuse, and dependence as well as long-term efficacy. Empirical evidence supports the use of behavioral and psychological therapies for insomnia; however, due to their time-consuming nature and the need for substantial training for successful application, they have remained largely underutilized. Complementary and alternative medicine is sought to treat insomnia due to the limitations of currently available treatments.
Chinese medical texts dating back more than 2000 years describe the use of supplemental herbal medicine for insomnia, either as a single herb or in a herbal formula. According to Chinese medicine, the brain is the source of insomnia since it is thought of as the home of the vital spirit. In Chinese medicine, the absence of nutrients in the brain causes a condition known as Yin deficiency and Yang hyperactivity, which impacts people's mental and nervous systems and results in insomnia. Consequently, a major tactic in TCM treatment of insomnia is addressing the brain imbalance.
Chinese herbal medicine has been shown in numerous studies to be effective in treating primary insomnia patients' clinical symptoms. For instance, evidence from clinical studies demonstrated that Suan Zao Ren Tang outperformed a placebo in terms of enhancing the general quality of sleep and overall wellbeing of individuals with sleep disorders. Suan Zao Ren Tang was also shown to produce mild adverse events during a 4-week treatment, and to significantly improve subjective sleep as measured by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and sleep efficiency in cases of sleep disturbance during methadone maintenance, according to a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.
Studies have demonstrated that by controlling the actions of sleep-related factors like neurotransmitters, hormones, and cytokines, acupuncture increases the duration and quality of sleep for individuals suffering from insomnia. A randomized controlled trial, for example, demonstrated that acupuncture could significantly increase the quality of sleep and elevate the levels of 5-HT and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in the serum. Furthermore, by modifying immune cytokines like TNF-α and interleukins, acupuncture can control sleep mechanisms.
Reference:
Ni, X, JL Shergis, AL Zhang, X Guo, C Lu, Y Li, and CC Xue. "Traditional Use of Chinese Herbal Medicine for Insomnia and Priorities Setting of Future Clinical Research." Journal of alternative and complementary medicine (New York, N.Y.) 25, no. 1 (2019): 8-15.
Wang, J, H Zhao, K Shi, and M Wang. "Treatment of Insomnia Based on the Mechanism of Pathophysiology by Acupuncture Combined with Herbal Medicine: A Review." Medicine 102, no. 11 (2023): e33213.
Yeung, WF, KF Chung, MM Poon, FY Ho, SP Zhang, ZJ Zhang, ET Ziea, and VT Wong. "Chinese Herbal Medicine for Insomnia: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials." Sleep medicine reviews 16, no. 6 (2012): 497-507.
Zhang, H, P Liu, X Wu, Y Zhang, and D Cong. "Effectiveness of Chinese Herbal Medicine for Patients with Primary Insomnia: A Prisma-Compliant Meta-Analysis." Medicine 98, no. 24 (2019): e15967.
