Fire syndrome caused by liver stagnation | Phlegm-heat harassment | Fire Syndrome caused by yin deficiency | Deficiencies of the heart and spleen | Deficiencies of the heart and gallbladder

Sleep pattern: dream-disturbed sleep, sudden awakening due to fear.

Accompanying signs: timidity, palpitations, being easily frightened, breath shortness, low spirits, fatigue, perspire easily, clear and profuse urine. The tongue is pale and the pulse is weak and taut.

Analysis: The insomnia always occurs after a sudden shock, as the qi in the heart and gallbladder is greatly exhausted, resulting in dysfunction of the shen (spirit). The sleep is shallow, full of dreams, easily disturbed with the affected individual feeling very alert after waking up. Low spirits, fatigue and spontaneous perspiration are all signs of qi deficiency, while a pale tongue and a weak pulse indicate insufficiencies of the blood and qi.

Therapeutic principle: to replenish qi and calm the spirit.

Sample prescription: Modified Calming Pill (an shen ding zhi wan)

In the prescription, the ginseng replenishes qi in the heart and gallbladder, the fossil teeth calms the spirit, with ginseng and fossil teeth act as the main ingredients. The jujube seed, poria, acorus and senega replenish qi, invigorate gallbladder and help calm down to promote sleep. The lovage regulates the blood and qi flows, and also soothes the liver; the anemarrhena rhizome clears away signs of heat, the liquorice root acts as buffer.

Where there is chest tightness, breath shortness and aversion to cold, then add the following to warm the heart yang and invigorate the heart qi.

When there is also a blood deficiency that causes irritability, Sore Jujube Seed Decoction (Suen Zao Ren Tang) may be applicable.

Insomnia prescription