What to do when insomnia strikes? Lying awake all night waiting for dawn is no fun. Many sufferers seek effective ways to ease symptoms and find relief. Below, we introduce several dietary therapies and massage techniques that can effectively improve insomnia. Recommended dietary remedies: 1. Longan and Lotus Seed Soup:Boil 2 ounces each of longan and lotus seeds into a soup. This nourishes the heart, calms the spirit, strengthens the spleen, and tonifies the kidneys. It's most suitable for middle-aged and elderly individuals, as well as those with chronic insomnia.
2. Calming Soup: Simmer 3 grams each of longan flesh and Sichuan salvia root in 2 cups of water until reduced to half a cup. Drink 30 minutes before bedtime. This achieves a sedative effect, particularly beneficial for insomnia caused by deficiency of heart blood.
3. Calming Spirit Soup: Steam 5 grams of raw lily bulbs until tender. Mix with one egg yolk in 200ml water, add a small amount of rock sugar, bring to a boil, then stir in 50ml cooled boiled water. Drink one hour before bedtime.
4. Sour Jujube Seed Soup: Crush 3 grams of sour jujube seeds, decoct in water, and consume one hour before bedtime each night.Jujube seeds inhibit the central nervous system, providing consistent sedation. They effectively treat insomnia or palpitations caused by blood deficiency.
5. Three-Ingredient Sleep-Inducing Decoction: Combine 3 grams of jujube seeds, 1 gram each of ophiopogon and polygala, decoct in 500 ml water until reduced to 50 ml. Take before bed.All three herbs possess calming, tranquilizing, and sedative properties; combined, they enhance hypnotic effects.
6. Heart-Nourishing Porridge: Take 35g Codonopsis, 10 pitted red dates, 10g Ophiopogon, and 10g Poria. Decoct in 2000ml water until reduced to 500ml. Strain, then cook with washed rice and water. Add brown sugar after rice is cooked.This porridge is notably effective for those experiencing rapid heartbeat, forgetfulness, insomnia, and frequent dreaming.
Self-massage is also an excellent method for treating insomnia. Patients can perform the following massage routine while seated on their bed each night before sleep:
(1) Knead the Baihui acupoint 50 times.
(2) Rub the Shenshu acupoint 50 times.
(3) Massage the Qihai and Guanyuan acupoints below the navel 50 times.(4) Knead and press Zusanli (ST36) and Sanyinjiao (SP6) 50 times each.
(5) Rub Yongquan (KI1) 100 times.
(6) Lie supine on the bed and take 30 slow, even deep breaths. Relax the entire body and focus your mind on the lower abdomen (Dantian) to fall asleep.
Each night before bed, first knead Zusanli and Sanyinjiao for 1 minute each. Then pinch and press Neiguan and Shenmen for 1 minute. Next, use the palms of both hands to rub the back until warmth is felt, focusing on kneading and pressing the points Xinshu, Pishu, and Ganshu.Finally, lie flat with eyes closed to calm the mind, freeing it from distracting thoughts. Use thumb and index finger to massage both Qīngmíng points (BL1) continuously for 3-5 minutes until drowsiness occurs.