Question
Recently, some patients have reported symptoms such as decreased appetite, difficulty concentrating, irritability, and poor sleep quality at night. Are these phenomena related to insomnia?
Answer
Indeed, insomnia may be related to the aforementioned symptoms. Insomnia leads to increased brain excitability, which can cause difficulties falling asleep, shallow sleep, frequent awakenings, nightmares, and early awakening. Patients often feel listless during the day due to insufficient night sleep, find it hard to concentrate, experience reduced appetite, and some may also have symptoms like tinnitus, forgetfulness, tremors, dizziness, and a heavy feeling in the head. Insomnia may also trigger psychological stress, making patients feel a heavy burden on both body and mind. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that the causes of insomnia (insomnia) are diverse, including explanations like “when the stomach is not in harmony, it is difficult to sleep” and “overfatigue and restlessness lead to insomnia.” It is believed that these symptoms are often seen in patients with neurasthenia, which is related to dysfunction of the heart, liver, spleen, and kidneys as well as insufficient Yin blood.