Last updated: June 26, 2026
In this fast-paced modern society, stress and insomnia have become significant health challenges. When we endure prolonged pressure from work, interpersonal relationships, or daily life, these negative emotions accumulate continuously, ultimately severely impacting our sleep quality.
This impact often manifests in multiple ways:
- toss and turn in bed
- unable to fall asleep
- fall asleep but wake easily in the middle of the night
- early waking and find it difficult to fall back asleep
These sleep problems not only affect our rest quality but further intensify our mental stress.
The Relationship Between Stress and Insomnia
From a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) perspective, excessive stress leads to Qi stagnation and blood stasis, disrupting the body’s Yin-Yang balance.
Prolonged stress exposure can cause liver Qi stagnation or disturbed Shen (spirit), subsequently affecting sleep. Moreover, after experiencing insomnia for multiple days, sleep itself becomes a source of stress, creating a vicious cycle. Therefore, simultaneously addressing stress issues and improving insomnia can facilitate a faster return to normal, healthy sleep.
Traditional Chinese Medicine Treatments for Insomnia
Acupuncture Treatment for Insomnia
Acupuncture therapy regulates the flow of Qi and blood throughout the body by stimulating specific acupoints, balancing Yin and Yang, effectively relieving stress, improving sleep quality, and treating insomnia. Commonly used acupoints include Yintang (Hall of Impression), Baihui (Hundred Convergences), and Sanyinjiao (Three Yin Intersection). Acupuncture treatment is particularly suitable for individuals experiencing shoulder tension, mental stress, high pressure, menopausal insomnia, and difficulty falling asleep.
Chinese Herbal Medicine for Improving Insomnia
Individuals with constitutional deficiency are also prone to insomnia, especially those with deficiency fire, who tend to overthink and have difficulty falling asleep or wake up in the middle of the night. Chinese herbal prescriptions by registered Chinese medicine practitioners can effectively promote sleep and improve sleep quality for insomnia patients. Common sleep-promoting and spirit-calming herbs include Spine Date Seed, dried longan pulp, and Thinleaf Milkwort. Chinese herbal medicine treatment is suitable for individuals with weak constitution, night sweats, cold feet at night, restlessness, and frequent dreams with easy awakening.
Moxibustion Therapy for Insomnia
Women with cold constitution or elderly individuals frequently experience insomnia problems. Moxibustion therapy can warm the meridians, dispel cold, tonify Yang Qi, and help improve sleep quality to treat insomnia. Commonly used moxibustion acu-points include CV6, CV4, and ST36. Moxibustion therapy is suitable for individuals with weak constitution, sensitivity to cold, cold feet at night, and difficulty falling asleep.
Real Case Study:
Career-Oriented Woman Overcomes Insomnia Through TCM Treatment and Regains Restful Sleep
Annie (pseudonym) is a career-oriented woman in her early 30s. As her work-related stress continued to escalate, her sleep quality gradually deteriorated. Over the past month, her insomnia has significantly worsened, with several nights each week of complete inability to sleep. Additionally, Annie has recently experienced pronounced emotional disturbances, finding herself crying uncontrollably whenever she attempts to relax. Feeling helpless and uncertain about how to address these symptoms, she decided to seek medical consultation.
Analysis: Dual Deficiency of Yin and Yang, Severe Sub-Health Symptoms
During the consultation, RCMP Choi discovered that Annie was unconsciously suppressing her emotions and thoughts, presenting only her optimistic and positive side to others. This habit caused Annie’s internal psychological pressure to accumulate unknowingly, subsequently manifesting as sub-health symptoms such as breathing difficulties, palpitations, and chest pain. Over time, in addition to developing serious emotional and sleep-related health issues, Annie also excessively depleted her Qi and blood. When Qi and blood become insufficient, the body finds it even more difficult to recover, creating a vicious cycle that gradually developed into a dual deficiency of Yin and Yang.
TCM Recommendations to Treat Insomnia
RCMP Choi believes that as long as one adopts appropriate health maintenance methods according to individual constitution, many health problems related to habits can be improved. For Annies’s condition, RCMP Choi first employed acupuncture to balance Yin and Yang, restoring the circulation of Qi and blood within the body, complemented by Chinese herbal medicine to tonify both Yin and Yang. She also instructed Annie to soak her feet every evening in warm water at approximately 40 to 50 degrees Celsius. That very night, Annie enjoyed a long-awaited restful sleep. Although her sleep patterns still fluctuated before follow-up visits, her overall sleep quality showed significant improvement.
[1] Gardani M, Bradford DRR, Russell K, Allan S, Beattie L, Ellis JG, Akram U. A systematic review and meta-analysis of poor sleep, insomnia symptoms and stress in undergraduate students. Sleep Med Rev. 2022 Feb;61:101565. doi: 10.1016/j.smrv.2021.101565. Epub 2021 Nov 2. PMID: 34922108.
<p style=”font-size: 12px;”><span style=”color: #808080;”>Disclaimer: The content of this article is for reference only and cannot replace professional medical advice. If you have any health concerns, please consult a qualified Chinese medicine practitioner or a doctor.</span></p>
Priscilla Choi, C.M.P. (CUHK Chinese Medicine Graduate) specializes in holistic mind-body wellness and modern sub-health management. Combining rigorous clinical practice with lifestyle-integrated education, she helps busy individuals gradually restore alignment and reclaim autonomous health. Her clinical focus includes: chronic pain, gynecological conditioning, emotional anxiety, and autonomic nervous system dysregulation. Learn more about C.M.P. Choi...
