Psychological Adjustment Methods for Overcoming Insomnia:
1. Maintain an optimistic and contented attitude. Have a full understanding of social competition and personal gains and losses, avoiding psychological imbalance caused by setbacks.
2. Establish a regular daily life routine to maintain the normal sleep-wake rhythm.
3. Create a conditioned reflex mechanism conducive to falling asleep. For example, take a hot bath, soak your feet, or drink a glass of milk half an hour before bedtime. If done consistently over a long period, this can establish a "sleep-conditioned reflex."
4. Moderate physical exercise during the day helps with falling asleep at night.
5. Develop good sleep hygiene habits, such as keeping the bedroom clean, quiet, away from noise, and avoiding light stimulation; avoid drinking tea or alcohol before sleeping.
6. Self-regulation and self-suggestion. Engage in some relaxing activities, or repeatedly count numbers. Sometimes a little relaxation can speed up falling asleep.
7. Limit daytime sleep time. Except for elderly people who can take an appropriate nap during the day, midday naps should be avoided to ensure sleepiness and sleep duration at night.
Additionally, for some patients with more severe conditions, short-term and appropriate use of sleeping pills or low-dose anti-anxiety or antidepressants under a doctor's guidance may achieve faster and better treatment results.
Home Remedies for Insomnia:
- Ingredients: 10g each of dangshen (Codonopsis), bai zhu (Atractylodes), dang gui (Angelica sinensis), fu shen (Poria cocos), yuan zhi (Polygala tenuifolia), long yan rou (Longan aril), chen pi (Citrus peel), 12g of honey-fried huang qi (Astragalus membranaceus), 15g of stir-fried zao ren (Semen Ziziphi Spinosae), 30g of he shou wu teng (Polygonum multiflorum vine), and 6g each of mu xiang (Saussurea lappa) and honey-fried gan cao (licorice root).
[Preparation and Usage] Decoct in water and take orally.
[Indications] Insomnia due to deficiency of both heart and spleen.
1. Acupressure Massage for Insomnia
Massage a set of acupoints: Baihui, Taiyang, Fengchi, Yifeng, Hegu, Shenmen, Neiguan, Waiguan, Zusanli, Sanyinjiao, Yongquan. The number of massages depends on the severity of insomnia; fewer times for mild cases and more times for severe cases. After massaging, choose a comfortable sleeping posture immediately. You can fall asleep within 10 minutes. If you still cannot fall asleep, continue massaging once more to fall asleep.
2. Drink a Glass of Water Every Morning
After washing up every morning, drink a glass of warm water, which is also effective for colds, inflammation, and constipation.
3. Sleep Well with Two Pillows - Soft on Top and Hard Below
Use two pillows, each no higher than 8 centimeters, preferably soft on top and hard below. The soft pillow on top allows for easy position adjustment for comfortable sleep, while the hard pillow below mainly supports the height. Using such pillows ensures comfortable sleep and quickly relieves fatigue.
4. Soak Lingzhi in Baijiu to Treat Insomnia
Ingredients: One liter of baijiu (white liquor) and 25 grams of lingzhi (Reishi mushroom). Wash the lingzhi with water, place it in the baijiu bottle, and seal tightly. As the liquor gradually turns red, it can be consumed after one week. Drink according to your own alcohol tolerance, about 5 qian (Chinese measurement) or less if you do not usually drink alcohol.
5. Rubbing the Yongquan Acupoint to Treat Insomnia
When lying in bed and having difficulty falling asleep, place the sole of one foot on the big toe of the other foot and perform a rubbing motion until the sole feels warm, then switch to the other foot. Alternate between the two feet, focusing your brain's attention on the feet. Over time, you will feel tired and sleepy, wanting to fall asleep. Long-term persistence can also have health benefits.
6. Pillow Filled with Cypress Leaves for Better Sleep
Collect some cypress leaves, wash and dry them, and fill a pillowcase. Placing the cypress leaf pillow under your head releases a fresh scent, making you feel comfortable and achieving a calming effect that aids sleep.
7. Fresh Fruit Peels Can Help You Sleep
Place 50-100 grams of fresh orange peel, pear peel, or banana peel in a small unsealed bag. Place it beside your pillow before going to bed. When you lie down, you will smell the pleasant aroma emitted by the fruit peels, helping you to fall asleep peacefully.
8. Red Hawthorn Nuts and Jujubes for Treating Insomnia
Wash and dry red hawthorn nuts, grind them into powder (you can seek help from a Chinese medicine shop). Use 40 grams per dose, add 7 torn jujubes, a bit of sugar, and 400 grams of water. Simmer in a sand pot for 20 minutes. Divide the resulting decoction into three servings. Take it warm half an hour before sleeping, with good results and no side effects.
9. Eating Garlic Can Treat Insomnia
Eat two cloves of garlic after dinner or before sleeping. Since I am not accustomed to eating garlic, I cut it into small pieces and swallow it with water.
10. Fresh Fruit Peels Can Aid Sleep
Place 50-100 grams of fresh orange peel, pear peel, or banana peel in a small unsealed bag. Place it beside your pillow before sleeping to help induce sleep.
Dietary Therapy Recipes:
Sour Jujube Kernel Porridge
[Ingredients]: 15g sour jujube kernel powder, 100g glutinous rice
[Preparation]: Cook glutinous rice porridge first, and when nearly ready, add sour jujube kernel powder and continue cooking.
[Usage]: Eat on an empty stomach.
[Effectiveness]: Calms the mind and soothes the spirit. Suitable for palpitations, insomnia, vivid dreams, and irritability.
Millet Porridge
[Ingredients]: 30g millet, 1 egg
[Preparation]: First cook millet porridge, take the broth, and then beat in the egg and slightly cook.
[Usage]: Before sleeping, soak your feet in hot water, drink this porridge, and then go to sleep.
[Effectiveness]: Nourishes the heart and calms the spirit. Used for insufficient heart blood, irritability, and insomnia.
Other recipes are provided similarly with detailed preparation methods, ingredients, and usage instructions for treating insomnia through dietary therapy.
Additional tips include drinking a cup of warm milk or honey water before bed, soaking feet in hot water before sleeping in winter, consuming bananas and seafood to adjust the biological clock, and placing ginger slices near the pillow to induce sleep. Various herbal remedies and dietary therapies are also suggested for different types of insomnia and related symptoms.
Note: All information above is sourced from http://www.anmianyao55.com