Mental health and sleep

Mental complaints and sleep problems are common and can strongly influence each other. Stress, anxiety, low mood or prolonged worrying can make it harder to unwind and sleep well. Conversely, a period of poor sleep can affect your mood, concentration and ability to cope with tension.

The complaints can arise temporarily during a demanding period, but can also be present for a long time or return regularly. Sometimes a diagnosis has been made, such as an anxiety disorder or depression, while other people mainly experience tension, restlessness or sleep problems without a clear diagnosis.

Acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine can be used as a complement for various mental complaints and sleep problems. The treatment is tailored to your complaints and personal situation. You can read more about this on the individual complaint pages.

Common complaints

Mental complaints and sleep problems can present both psychologically and physically. Common complaints are:

Physical complaints such as headache, tense muscles, a feeling of pressure on the chest or digestive complaints can also increase during periods of stress or mental strain.

On the individual pages you can read in more detail about specific complaints such as insomnia, stress, anxiety, depressive complaints and burnout.

Western conditions

Mental and sleep complaints can occur temporarily without there being a psychiatric or sleep disorder. When complaints are present for a long time, are severe or clearly affect daily functioning, a medical or psychological diagnosis can be made. Examples are:

Sleep problems can also occur with a wide range of physical conditions, hormonal changes, medication use and other sleep disorders.

A diagnosis can provide important information about the nature and treatment of the complaints. Acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine are seen here as a complement and, where necessary, do not replace treatment by a general practitioner, psychologist, psychiatrist or other care provider.

Possible causes

Mental complaints and sleep problems can arise through a combination of physical, psychological and social factors. Prolonged stress, major life events, problems at work or in relationships, illness and prolonged overload can, for example, affect mood and sleep.

Physical pain, hormonal changes, a disturbed sleep rhythm, alcohol, caffeine, certain medicines and insufficient relaxation can also contribute to sleep problems or restlessness.

Factors often influence one another. Stress can disturb sleep, while lack of sleep can make someone more sensitive to tension and emotions. That is why a consultation looks not only at one complaint, but also at its course and the factors that may influence it.

What can acupuncture do?

The acupuncture treatment is tailored to the complaints and your personal situation. For someone who mainly finds it hard to unwind and cannot fall asleep, a different treatment principle may be central than for someone with low mood or anxiety complaints.

Depending on the complaint, a treatment can focus on:

Chinese medicine also looks at the underlying TCM pattern. On the individual pages on, for example, insomnia, stress, anxiety and depressive complaints you can read in more detail which treatment principles can be applied.

What can Chinese herbal medicine do?

Chinese herbal medicine is regularly used for mental complaints and sleep problems, sometimes in combination with acupuncture. The herbs are tailored to the complaints and the underlying TCM pattern. As a result, two people with, for example, insomnia can receive a different herbal treatment.

Depending on the pattern, a herbal treatment can focus on:

Because herbs are taken daily, they can also support the body in between treatments. Which treatment principles are relevant for a specific complaint is described in more detail on the individual complaint pages.

How does Chinese medicine view mental health and sleep?

Western medicine and psychology distinguish various mental conditions and sleep disorders. Chinese medicine also looks at the combination of mental, emotional and physical complaints and at the circumstances in which these improve or worsen.

An important concept here is Shen. This is often translated as the Mind and, in Chinese medicine, describes aspects such as consciousness, emotions, mental calm and sleep. Shen is associated with the Heart system. When Shen is sufficiently supported, in this view someone can more easily unwind and sleep.

Other TCM organ systems can be involved as well. The Liver is associated among other things with the free flow of Qi and therefore plays a role when tension, frustration or irritability are prominent. The Spleen is linked among other things to the processing of food and to thought processes; prolonged worrying can play a role within this system.

In addition, Blood and Yin are important for rest and recovery. When there is insufficient of these, according to Chinese medicine Shen can settle less easily. This can present, for example, as light sleep, a lot of dreaming or inner restlessness.

A recognisable combination of mental and physical symptoms is called a TCM pattern. As a result, two people with the same Western diagnosis can nevertheless be treated differently within Chinese medicine.

Only a few common patterns are described below. Other patterns are possible and several patterns can occur at the same time. Not everyone with the same pattern has all of the symptoms mentioned. Which pattern is present is established on the basis of the overall picture of complaints. On the individual complaint pages you can read in more detail which patterns occur with, for example, insomnia, anxiety or depressive complaints.

Common TCM patterns

Liver Qi stagnation

When the free flow of Qi is obstructed according to Chinese medicine, tension and emotions can be harder to regulate. This pattern is often associated with prolonged stress, frustration and the feeling of being physically or mentally tense.

Common symptoms:

Examples of Western conditions: stress complaints, burnout, anxiety complaints, depressive complaints and tension-related sleep problems.

Heart Blood deficiency

In Chinese medicine Blood has a nourishing function and helps Shen to settle. When the Heart is insufficiently nourished by Blood, light sleep, mental restlessness and fatigue in particular can arise.

Common symptoms:

Examples of Western conditions: insomnia, stress-related sleep complaints and some anxiety complaints.

Yin deficiency with Heat

In Chinese medicine Yin represents among other things the nourishing, cooling and calming functions of the body. When Yin is insufficient, relative Heat can arise and it can become harder to settle physically and mentally.

Common symptoms:

Examples of Western conditions: insomnia, restlessness and sleep complaints around hormonal changes, for example during the menopause.

Heart and Spleen weakened

According to Chinese medicine the Spleen plays a role in the formation of Qi and Blood. Prolonged worrying, mental strain or exhaustion can go together with a situation in which insufficient Qi and Blood are available to support Shen properly.

Common symptoms:

Examples of Western conditions: stress and tension complaints, insomnia, burnout and complaints in which mental strain goes together with fatigue.

Phlegm and Heat disturbing Shen

When Phlegm and Heat disturb mental calm according to Chinese medicine, restlessness and sleep problems can go together with a heavy or full feeling and digestive complaints. This is a more excessive pattern than the deficiency patterns described above.

Common symptoms:

Examples of Western conditions: some forms of insomnia, anxiety and restlessness complaints.

These patterns give a general picture of how mental complaints and sleep problems can be distinguished within Chinese medicine. With insomnia, different patterns may be central than with anxiety, depressive complaints or prolonged stress. That is why this is described in more detail on the individual complaint pages.

Prognosis

How a course of treatment develops depends on the specific complaint, the severity, how long the complaints have been present, any underlying causes and your personal situation. Temporary stress or sleep problems generally follow a different course than long-standing or complex mental complaints.

With severe complaints, a higher treatment frequency may be appropriate at first. Long-standing complaints generally require more time, and the treatment plan can be adjusted during the course of treatment as the complaints develop.

Because the course differs greatly between, for example, insomnia, stress, anxiety and depressive complaints, the individual complaint pages describe in more detail what you can expect from a course of treatment for that specific complaint.

Contact

Do you suffer from mental complaints or sleep problems and would you like to know whether acupuncture or Chinese herbal medicine can mean something for you? During a first consultation we discuss your complaints, medical history and any underlying factors in detail. On that basis a treatment plan is drawn up that suits your personal situation. You can book an appointment online right away or get in touch for more information.

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