Best Chinese Remedies for Sleep
Traditional Chinese medicine views insomnia as a disturbance of shen (spirit) often caused by heart-blood deficiency, yin deficiency heat, or liver qi stagnation. These remedies calm the mind, nourish yin, and settle the spirit for restful sleep.
Recommended Teas
Chrysanthemum Tea
菊花茶 · Herbal/Flower
Clears liver heat, Brightens eyes (great for screen fatigue), Relieves headache, Calms inflammation
Jasmine Pearl
茉莉龙珠 · Green (Scented)
Moves qi (relieves stress), Calms anxiety, Aids digestion, Lifts mood
Recommended Foods
Lily Bulb
百合 · Bǎi Hé
Moistens the lung, Calms the spirit
Lotus Seed
莲子 · Lián Zǐ
Tonifies spleen, Calms the heart
Longan
龙眼 · Lóng Yǎn
Tonifies heart blood, Calms the spirit
Acupressure Points
神门 · Heart
On the inner wrist crease, on the pinky side, in the small depression between the pisiform bone and the ulna.
内关 · Pericardium
On the inner forearm, three finger-widths above the wrist crease, between the two tendons (palmaris longus and flexor carpi radialis).
涌泉 · Kidney
On the sole of the foot, in the depression formed when the toes curl, about one-third of the distance from the base of the second toe to the heel.
三阴交 · Spleen
Four finger-widths above the inner ankle bone (medial malleolus), behind the shinbone (tibia) on the inner leg.
Traditional Herbs
- ● Jujube seed (酸枣仁 Suān Zǎo Rén)
- ● Reishi mushroom (灵芝 Líng Zhī)
- ● Schisandra (五味子 Wǔ Wèi Zǐ)
- ● Longan flesh (龙眼肉 Lóng Yǎn Ròu)
Consult a qualified TCM practitioner before using medicinal herbs.