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Tossing and turning all night until it's morning? Korean medicine solution to let your brain rest

Do you experience staying up late looking at the clock, or waking up at dawn and unable to fall back asleep every day? The sighing words "I toss and turn all night and finally it's morning" is a reality many people suffering from insomnia sympathize with. Beyond simply lacking sleep, it can lead to daytime fatigue, decreased concentration, and even depression, significantly reducing quality of life. Sleep is a core area of health, and without sufficient sleep, neither the body nor the mind can fully recover.

💡 [Key Answer] The 3 most common causes of tossing and turning all night until it's morning: ① Autonomic imbalance due to excessive stress / ② Brain hyperarousal state / ③ Disruption of the sleep-wake cycle Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic restores the body's function to induce deep sleep and let the brain rest on its own through autonomic stabilization.

Insomnia can be broadly divided into 'onset disorder,' which is difficulty falling asleep, and 'maintenance disorder,' which is difficulty staying asleep. Both of these often occur as the balance of our body is broken. In particular, stress and tension excessively activate the sympathetic nervous system, fixing the brain in 'arousal' mode. The reason the brain cannot rest and continues to follow tails of thoughts or anxiety rises even at night when it should rest is precisely because of this autonomic imbalance. Since the brain keeps running like an overheated engine, sleep does not come, and even if you barely fall asleep, you sleep shallowly and wake up easily even at small noises.

Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic finds the root cause of insomnia in the imbalance of the autonomic nervous system, i.e., a state where the brain cannot rest sufficiently. All functions of our body are regulated by autonomic nerves, but when stress, overwork, and worry accumulate, the sympathetic nervous system responsible for tension and excitement becomes excessive, and the function of the parasympathetic nervous system responsible for relaxation and rest decreases. This also affects melatonin secretion in the brain, degrading sleep quality.

The key to treating insomnia is to resolve this autonomic imbalance and create an environment where the brain can rest comfortably on its own. In Korean medicine, this process is called 'Suseunghwagang (水升火降),' and it is considered important to keep the head cool and the lower abdomen warm to balance the overall circulation of Qi and blood. It helps lower the excessive heat of the nervous system and relax the brain comfortably.

Does herbal medicine and acupuncture treatment actually help improve insomnia?

Recent clinical studies show that Korean medicine treatment has a significant effect on improving insomnia.

In a meta-analysis study by Professor Yoon Seong-woo's team of the Department of Internal Medicine at Kyung Hee University Korean Medicine Hospital, reported in 「Health Chosun」 in August 2022, the effects and safety of herbal medicine treatment for insomnia in cancer patients were analyzed. By comprehensively searching for papers until November 2020 in 9 databases, 14 papers were finally selected, and a meta-analysis of 10 papers was performed. As a result, herbal medicine treatment showed a significant improvement effect in the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), which evaluates sleep quality, latency, and sleep time. In particular, compared to 8 studies using sleeping pills such as zolpidem and estazolam, a statistically significant improvement was confirmed in the herbal medicine treatment group. The herbal medicines mainly used in this study were Sanjoin, Gamiguibi-tang, and Cheonwangbosim-dan, which is consistent with previous non-clinical research results that the active ingredients of Sanjoin act on GABA receptors, which are inhibitory neurotransmitters, to produce sleep and sedative effects. The researchers concluded that herbal medicine treatment can be utilized as a safe treatment for improving sleep quality.

Also, in a multi-center clinical study by Dr. Lee Jun-hwan's research team at the Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, reported in 「HelloDD」 and 「Yonhap News」 in February 2021, the effect of electroacupuncture treatment on insomnia was scientifically identified. In this study conducted on 150 patients who experienced inconvenience in daily life due to insomnia for more than 3 months with four Korean medicine university affiliated hospitals, the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) of the electroacupuncture treatment group significantly improved from 19.02 points before treatment to 10.13 points after treatment. In particular, this improvement effect tended to persist at 8.60 points 4 weeks after treatment ended and 8.02 points 8 weeks later. Electroacupuncture treatment is a method of treating diseases by passing a weak current through two or more acupoints to provide both acupuncture stimulation and electrical stimulation.

These research results become the basis for Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic to utilize herbal medicine and acupuncture treatment aimed at autonomic stabilization in treating insomnia. In particular, Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic, an insomnia clinic in Songdo, provides customized treatment to help the brain rest comfortably and regain balance according to individual constitutions and symptoms.

Insomnia, do I belong to it? Self-diagnosis checklist

Check how many items apply to you in the following questions.

• It takes more than 30 minutes to fall asleep after lying in bed.
• It is difficult to fall back asleep if you wake up in the middle of the night, and you check the clock frequently.
• You wake up early in the morning and cannot fall back asleep.
• You do not feel refreshed even after sleeping and feel tired during the day.
• Drowsiness pours in during the day, interfering with daily life.
• You become sensitive and often feel anxious or restless.
• Other symptoms such as headache, dizziness, and indigestion appear together.
• You can't sleep more when you're stressed.

Judgment criteria:

• 3 or more apply: Insomnia due to autonomic imbalance is suspected. It is recommended to consult for complex Korean medicine treatment at Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic, a Songdo autonomic nerve clinic.
• 5 or more apply: Insomnia may be in an advanced state, so immediate diagnosis and treatment by a specialist is necessary. Visit the Songdo branch of Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic to identify the exact cause and start customized treatment.

Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic Songdo branch takes autonomic stabilization treatment as a core principle so that patients suffering from insomnia can sleep deeply again. The autonomic nerves of our body are like the circuit breaker switch of a house. When one switch (sympathetic nerve) is constantly on and the brain overheats, the other switch (parasympathetic nerve) must be turned on to let the brain rest, but that function is in a state of decline. Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic focuses on resolving this 'hyperarousal state' and 'fatigue' of the brain.

1. Herbal medicine prescription to regain the balance of the brain and autonomic nerves: We prescribe herbal medicines that calm the excitation of the brain and stabilize the mind and body according to individual constitutions and insomnia types (onset disorder, maintenance disorder, etc.). It helps supply necessary nutrients and blood to brain cells, lowers excessive heat, and restores the nervous system exhausted by stress. This is a process of cooling the overheated engine of the brain and bringing peace to the brain where the emergency light is on.

2. Acupuncture, moxibustion, and pharmacopuncture treatment to help regulate autonomic nerves: Acupuncture is placed on acupoints to facilitate Qi and blood circulation, and in particular, electroacupuncture treatment effective for brain function and autonomic regulation is combined to improve sleep quality. Moxibustion treatment relaxes tension by warming the body, and pharmacopuncture treatment helps rapid recovery by directly injecting active ingredients of herbal medicine. Through this, it lowers anxiety and stabilizes brain waves to induce deep sleep.

3. Lifestyle management and induction of psychological stability: Insomnia is closely related to lifestyle habits. We provide personalized lifestyle guides such as sleep hygiene education, relaxation therapy, and stress management to help individuals form healthy sleep habits on their own. In addition, we sympathize with psychological difficulties due to insomnia and support finding emotional stability so that the brain can feel comfortable.

This integrated Korean medicine treatment of Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic contributes to improving various symptoms that may be accompanied by insomnia, such as headache, dizziness, and chronic fatigue, thereby enhancing overall health and quality of life.

Q. How long does it take for insomnia? A. The duration of insomnia treatment varies greatly depending on the severity of the individual's symptoms, cause, and lifestyle habits. Generally, in the case of chronic insomnia lasting more than 3 months, steady treatment and management are required, and it may take several months to longer than a year.

Q. Can insomnia heal naturally? A. Temporary insomnia can improve just by disappearing stress factors or improving lifestyle habits. However, chronic insomnia lasting more than 3 months is difficult to heal naturally, and symptoms may worsen or be accompanied by other diseases such as depression and anxiety, so it is important to get help from a specialist.

Q. I have taken sleeping pills for a long time, is Korean medicine treatment possible? A. Yes, Korean medicine treatment is possible even if you have taken sleeping pills for a long time. Korean medicine treatment focuses on helping the brain recover its sleep function on its own while reducing dependence on sleeping pills and minimizing side effects. Through consultation with medical staff, you can seek ways to adjust the dosage of sleeping pills and combine Korean medicine treatment.

Q. Does my immunity get worse if I don't sleep well at night? A. Yes, lack of sleep has a very negative effect on immunity. It is known that the activity of immune cells decreases, and resistance to cancer cells or viruses can weaken. Therefore, sleeping deeply is also essential for maintaining immunity.

Insomnia is not a problem solved by enduring. You no longer have to ignore the signals your body has been sending for a long time. If you approach it in the right direction, your body reacts faster than you think. Bring the symptoms you are experiencing as they are. Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic will find the cause together.

Where life blooms. Herbal medicine is, after all, Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic. Check your similar symptoms through the AI consultation on the Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic website first!

This post is health information compiled by the Dalimchae medical team based on questions frequently received in the consultation room. Medical Supervision | Brain/Autonomic Nerve Treatment Standard Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic Songdo Branch Oriental Doctor Oh Hyun-min (Insomnia Column) #Insomnia #SleepDisorder #AutonomicNerve #SongdoInsomniaClinic #IncheonClinic #InsomniaTreatment #ChronicFatigue #BrainFatigue