Insomnia is a distressing symptom. How annoying it is to toss about in bed, unable to sleep. After having a hard time falling asleep, fantastic dreams may ensue, and one may be woken by fright. Sometimes, one is wakeful all night long.
In traditional Chinese medicine, insomnia is attributed to the following causes:
1. Excessive mental strain leading to consumption of qi and blood and insufficiency of the heart and spleen:
2. Blood deficiency of the heart, resulting in disturbance of the heart function and mental uneasiness:
3. Psychic depression giving rise to disorders of the liver qi, which interferes with mental activities, including sleeping; and
4. Improper diet impairing the spleen and stomach£¬and a disharmonious stomach interfering with normal sleep.
In summary, excessive mental strain, anxiety, weak constitution, irregular diet and impaired digestion all can cause insomnia.
They are many therapies for insomnia in traditional Chinese medicine. One of the simplest therapies is self massage. Since ancient times, self-massage has been one of the effective ways of maintaining health and preventing disease.
In the Ming Dynasty, Zhang Jiebin cited the following passage from Su "s Formulae for Maintaining Health when he discussed health maintenance: "Rub the soles with the hands to raise the qi to the top of the head. Hotness will be felt in the lower abdomen, waist and back. Then rub the corners of the eyes, the ears and nape until they feel hot. Pinch the bridge of the nose five to seven times on the left and then on the right side. Comb the hair a hundred and more times, and then go to bed. You will sleep fast until the morning comes."
Instructions
1. The head: Rub the pains of the hands together until they are hot. Then rub the face with the palms ten to twenty times. Massage the Yintang (Ex-HN3), which is located between the eyebrows, with the tip of the middle finger for thirty times. Then massage the superscalar ridge along the eyebrow and the Taiyang (Ex-HN5) for thirty times, until soreness and distension is felt at the massage point (see Fig. 1).
2. The ears: Massage the bilateral auricles with the thumb and index finger in a downwards direction for twenty times. (Put the thumb on the back of the auricle, and the index finger on the front.) Then rub the earlobes in the same way for thirty times until the ears feel hot.
3. The neck: Massage the depression next to the mastoid process behind the ear (point Anmian, which literally means "sleeping point") with the palmer aspect of the index finger, rubbing and kneading for fifteen times. Then massage with four fingers along the outer side of the sternocleidomastoid muscle from top to bottom for twenty times. The massage may be done with strength but not too fast until there is a feeling of pressure in the neck (sec Fig. 2).
4. The abdomen: This massage is best practiced before sleep. Take a supine position, rub the palms until they are hot, and massage the abdomen in a clockwise direction with one palm for twenty times and then counterclockwise for another twenty times. Use the left and right palms alternately. Massage of the abdomen can not only cure insomnia but also strengthen the stomach and promote digestion. Thus, it is particularly helpful for insomnia patients with gastric troubles.
5. The centre of the sole of the foot: This massage can be done while washing your feet. First, heat your feet including the ankles with hot water (about 50~C). After the feet become red and hyperemic with dilated capillaries, massage the bilateral Yongquan (K 1), the centre of the sole of the foot, with the palmer aspect of both thumbs for ninety times. This can regulate the liver function, strengthen the stomach, help induce sleep and promote health (see Fig. 3).
Of the above-mentioned five types of massage, the first three can be done in the daytime, whereas the last two are better performed before sleep. To keep your mind focused and concentrated, count the number of massage strokes as you practise. If you Practise self massage every day, insomnia will surely be alleviated. Of course, yon also have to pay attention to your emotional state, diet and daily life and avoid overstrain and over-fatigue.

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