7

No Wake Zone

Improving Your Sleep

Elena’s friends used to make fun of how she could sleep anywhere, any time. Her husband envied how she could fall right asleep while he tossed and turned the night away. It wasn’t until she reached the age of forty-eight that Elena experienced her first sleepless night. She woke up the next morning feeling groggy and discovered that her husband was sleeping on the couch. “What happened to you last night? Why are you sleeping on the couch?” she asked in amazement. He described how she kept swishing this way and that, occasionally smacking him in the face with her arm. Elena couldn’t believe her ears, since until then she had slept without moving a muscle. Brushing the whole experience aside, Elena and her husband hit the sheets the following evening without thinking anything of the previous night. Two hours later Elena whispered in her husband’s ear, “Honey, are you awake?” All she received was a grunt, then a snuffle, and finally a “Go back to sleep, honey.” Days turned into weeks and weeks into months of insomnia, and Elena, along with her husband, began to look and feel like a zombie. Elena couldn’t figure out what was going on, since she was not ill, there were no added stressors in her life, and now she had the entire bed to herself. Sometimes she would fall asleep quickly, only to wake up again around 3:00 a.m. with a hot flash followed by intense sweating or an urge to urinate, or for no reason whatsoever! Elena noticed her heart racing and a feeling of anxiousness whenever she had trouble getting to sleep or upon awakening in the middle of the night.

What Is Insomnia?

Insomnia is basically a lack of sleep, and those who suffer from it know exactly how energy-depriving a condition it can be. But according to the DSM-IV, the criteria for diagnosing insomnia are as follows:1

 

Elena arrived at my clinic looking frail and upset, desperate for a solution and hoping that acupuncture would do the trick. “I don’t want to take medication,” she said, “so is there anything you can do to help me?” I reassured her that the only thing standing between her and a deep, nourishing sleep is an imbalance of energy, and that if she followed my tips and body-type-specific suggestions, chances were that things would improve immensely. I explained how sleep depends on the nightly descent of bodily energy from the heart to the kidneys, but that excessive activity, stress, excitement, or other stimulants may interfere with this process. As I went on to discuss the Eastern view of menopause, and how it is seen as the seventh of the seven-year cycles of life—a time when accumulated life experience and body energy culminate and rise to the upper body—Elena’s eyes suddenly widened as she recalled that her sleeplessness began after she skipped her monthly cycle for the first time at age forty-eight.

According to the National Sleep Foundation, insomnia is experienced by approximately 50 percent of all menopausal women. Yet menopause is not the only perpetrator, since one in four Americans resort to some kind of sleep aid. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that so many people suffer from insomnia given that most of the industrialized world runs its engines both day and night. Most of us avoid slowing down because it is equated with failure and lack of productivity. Even if we desire to slow down after a busy and stressful day, a revved-up mind may have other intentions. Lack of sleep is an issue that can equally affect all of the four body types.

Chronic lack of sleep is often the source of so many other, often obscure, and seemingly unrelated symptoms like chronic unrelenting headaches, chronic migrating pain, fibromyalgia, anxiety, irritability, poor memory, immune deficiency, weight gain/loss, and so forth. Sleep replenishes our life force, and without it we simply cannot function. We will soon discover how each of the yin yang body types contributes to and is affected by insomnia in slightly different ways.

While stress is the most frequent sleep reducer, other not-so-obvious factors may also play their part. The energy of an unsettled digestive system, for instance, can rebel upward against the heart, bringing about anxiety and/or insomnia. Consistent pain or the urge to urinate may also interrupt a night’s sleep. The sympathetic dog or cat owner may also miss out on sleep if they give their pet bed privileges. The same goes for a partner who snores! Aside from getting rid of your partner or pets, there are other successful ways of approaching the issue.

Despite the various reasons for disrupted sleep, hot flashes are the most common reason for waking up in the middle of the night for perimenopausal women. This chapter will review the reasons why hot flashes and other menopause-related factors have a profound effect on sleep and will offer both general and body-type-specific methods for improvement.

ONE THING LEADS TO ANOTHER

A fifty-four-year-old female patient visited my clinic complaining of severe dizziness, spasms throughout her body, and a number of other unusual symptoms, such as eyelid twitching, blurry vision, floaters, and a pounding headache above her left ear. She had been to various doctors who diagnosed her over the years with different syndromes such as fibromyalgia, polymyalgia, psychosis, and so on. Yet even with treatment, her symptoms continued to worsen. I noticed that she looked exhausted, so I asked her about sleep. Tears started pouring down her cheeks as she recalled how each night sleep had become a daunting chore since the onset of her perimenopause. I gave her several ideas about how to improve her sleep and a body-type-specific herbal formula consisting of ten herbs to address anxiety and insomnia. Soon afterward her sleep improved and so did her unusual symptoms.

FATIGUE AND SLEEP

Fatigue is often associated with insufficient sleep, but even with less sleep, it’s possible to feel energized and replenished if sleep quality is maintained. Chronic fatigue can frequently be traced to insufficient deep sleep, although an underlying illness may also be a source. Patients who suffer frequently from insomnia say they get plenty of sleep but still feel tired throughout the day. A good night’s sleep requires that we spend 20 to 25 percent of it in the rapid eye movement (REM) phase. During this phase of sleep the body recharges its batteries, slowing down all functions and focusing inward. Getting to bed around the same time each night enhances our ability to enter REM sleep. Sleep schedule fluctuations may trigger fatigue since they throw off our body’s natural rhythm.

Studies show that stimulants such as caffeine directly interfere with deep sleep. Occasionally I’ll encounter patients who, when asked about their energy level, say they have tons of it. Yet when it comes to pulse checking—a diagnostic method used in Eastern medicine to assess energy levels—it is surprisingly deep and weak, indicating fatigue. My next question is usually about whether or not they drink coffee, to which the answer is often “just a few cups a day.” Coffee and other stimulants may temporarily boost energy, but in excess, they’ll eventually destroy it.

DO YOU REMEMBER YOUR DREAMS?

Contrary to popular belief, remembering dreams doesn’t indicate a healthy sleep. Actually, in most cases, if we remember our dreams, it’s a sign that we’ve resurfaced from REM sleep prematurely. Without adequate REM sleep, we cannot replenish our energies, making it difficult to get the following day started. If you remember your dreams, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you are sleep-deprived; those who attempt to remember their dreams as soon as they wake up may be able to do so without compromising REM.

Are you REM deficient or just someone who remembers their dreams? A sleep study can provide a definitive answer, but simply reflecting on your energy level may suffice. If you remember your dreams and wake up tired, groggy, dizzy, and/or out of sync, it’s likely that you are missing out on REM sleep. If you remember your dreams but still feel energized and ready to leave the house in the morning without the help of caffeine or other stimulants, then REM may not be an issue.

WESTERN PERSPECTIVES ON INSOMNIA

From the standpoint of Western medicine, insomnia during or after menopause is due to age-related changes that occur in the ovaries and their regulation of hormone levels within the body. Surging estrogen and progesterone production within the ovaries makes it challenging for menopausal women to get sufficient REM sleep, frequently bringing about fatigue and grogginess upon awakening. Estrogen replacement has been found to improve REM in menopausal women, but the mechanism behind this effect is still unknown. One study found that estrogen replacement improved sleep by reducing or eliminating hot flashes, hinting that an improvement in sleep might be simply a result of enhanced comfort more than anything else.2

In Western medicine, estrogen therapy is the most effective method of treating menopause-related hot flashes and insomnia, but, as mentioned in our discussion of hot flashes in chapter 4, it doesn’t come without risks, and as we will soon discover, alternative approaches often work just as well, if not better than hormones. If you have tried everything else and are at your wit’s end, then a discussion with your doctor about using plant-based estrogens (also known as phytoestrogens), or a small dose of bioidentical estrogen, may be an option. Yet before you take this route, I suggest tapping into the powerful source of your own internal healing energy by trying the natural methods below, especially if you know that you are prone to estrogen-fed cancers or other hormone-related sensitivities.

Antidepressants are also routinely prescribed by doctors for insomnia on the belief that depression and insomnia go hand in hand. Lack of sleep may eventually induce depression, while depression might lead to a lack of sleep. SSRIs, such as Zoloft, Prozac, and Celexa, are the most commonly prescribed antidepressants for insomnia, followed by tricyclics, such as Pamelor, Elavil, and Silenor, which are not as strong as the former and have a mild sedative effect. Interestingly, even though SSRIs are prescribed for insomnia, they have also been known to interfere with sleep, attesting to their unpredictable effects on the nervous system.

Both SSRIs and tricyclics have other considerable side effects, such as high blood pressure (tricyclics only), sexual malfunction, weight gain, dry mouth and throat, racing pulse, and confusion. As if this weren’t enough, Paxil has been known to cause birth defects. Yes, many of us would try absolutely anything if we lose night after night, day after day, and week after week of sleep, but with these risks, such drugs should be taken as a last resort.

For some of us, insomnia may feel like an uncontrollable beast, and for others, it may be somewhat more tamable. Remember that, ultimately, you are the master of your own mind and body, although it may not seem so at times. Most Western medications alter the chemistry within the body, either limiting it or forcing it to function in a particular way. Manipulation isn’t synonymous with harmony, since the former has to do with artificial control and the latter with natural balance and equilibrium. Our bodies constantly strive to achieve balance but often get thwarted along the way. Occasionally, we may have to trick or manipulate the body to avoid getting stuck in an unhealthy pattern, but inevitably we will have to work with it, forming a symbiotic and mutually enhancing relationship.

EASTERN PERSPECTIVES ON INSOMNIA

In Eastern medicine, quality of sleep is related to the state of yin and yang within the body. When yin and yang are balanced, the body naturally sinks into a deep sleep. The body and mind slow down when yin energy accumulates in the evening and speed up when yang energy ascends in the morning. Emotional stress, dietary imbalance, and a lack of exercise all contribute to an imbalance of yin and yang, and in turn, insomnia. Difficulty getting to sleep is due to yang imbalance; difficulty staying asleep arises from yin imbalance. Some of us may have difficulty with both getting to sleep and staying there, indicating an imbalance of both yang and yin.

Difficulty Getting to Sleep

An imbalance of yang energy is often marked by tossing and turning with thoughts churning wildly. This imbalance is stirred up by excessive activity before bed, several cups of coffee (especially when consumed in the afternoon or evening), stress, anxiety, or even joy! With so much yang energy pushing upward to sustain a demanding daily schedule, yin descent in the evening is practically impossible. Just when you thought things couldn’t get worse, the liver energy kicks in at 11:00 p.m., shoving even more energy upward, joining the party of vibrating energy inside the head and adding to the challenge of unwinding.

Difficult Staying Asleep

Yin energy is responsible for rooting and softening yang energy within the body. Without yin, yang would run wild and drive away sleep. In order to get a deep sleep, yin and yang need to strike a balance. Yet when it comes to brute strength, yang always has the advantage, and a tendency to ignore yin. In Oregon, we have large trees that occasionally plummet to the ground when pushed by even a relatively light wind. I am often surprised when I see how undeveloped their roots are—a small, unsophisticated bundle, barely hanging from the bottom of a fallen giant. Humans also have a tendency to focus on action and movement, forgetting the importance of quiet and nonaction, making it difficult for yin to keep us asleep at night. Difficulty staying asleep is due to an imbalance of yin energy, which ideally is capable of nourishing, caressing, and rooting the energy of the heart and other organs at night.

Most menopausal women with insomnia awaken between the hours of 1:00 and 3:00 a.m., often feeling hot and/or sweaty. Modern science explains that waking up around this time has to do with a circadian rhythm within the body, and its slow release of cortisol throughout a twenty-four-hour cycle. Excessive physical and/or emotional stress during the day interferes with this cycle, causing it to spike later in the evening rather than during the day when we can use the extra energy. Higher stress levels correlate with higher levels of cortisol release from the adrenal glands. Most of us are familiar with the adrenal glands and how they produce adrenaline, the fight-or-flight hormone, which is excreted when we are under a lot of pressure or in a dangerous, life-or-death situation. When cortisol levels become exhausted, the adrenal glands will start to excrete more adrenaline, leaving us feeling wired, anxious, irritated, and exhausted all at the same time.

In Eastern medicine, each of the organs is stimulated at different times of the day as the ebb and flow of yin and yang energy make their way through the body. The cycle renews itself between 1:30 and 3:30 a.m., a period when energy shifts from the last organ of the energy cycle, the liver, to the first organ, the lungs. Most of those who have difficulty staying asleep at night, or with releasing stress, wake up at this time since recycling requires letting go of one cycle before starting another. The relationship between the liver and the lungs is often one of obligation and remorse rather than mutual admiration and support. The stronger liver often absorbs excess energy from the lungs, while the stouter lungs often take it away from the liver. Their disdain for one another stems from having fundamentally different energies. The Hun, or ethereal spirit, residing within the liver, desires to be free of obligation, material influence, and physical form, whereas the Po, or material spirit of the lungs, craves them. Hence a battle is waged between the desire to be free of life’s challenges and the feeling of obligation and attachment.

THE YIN AND YANG OF INSOMNIA

In Eastern medicine, the shift of yin and yang energy within the body during the menopausal phase is thought to be the basis of insomnia. How we travel through the corridor of menopause greatly depends on how balanced or imbalanced our energies are before entering it. Suppressed yang energy is no longer containable once we reach the corridor. Until this point in life, we may have brushed aside specific emotions and desires for the sake of pleasing others, staying out of trouble, or simply getting through the day. The more we suppress this energy, the stronger it eventually becomes. During menopause, the lid that seals these emotions slowly, and in some cases abruptly, opens, unleashing anger, irritability, grief, and unsettled emotions—all wreaking havoc on a night’s sleep. For some of us, insomnia is a result of yin weakness; our yin is incapable of rooting upward-bearing yang. For others, it is due to an abundance of yin that, over the years, suppresses yang to the breaking point, which then rebels upward day after day, night after night.

Before we dive into body-type-specific methods for overcoming insomnia, let’s take a look at a few time-tested, general tips for improving your sleep.

Tip #1: Keep Your Routine

The body is a creature of habit, preferring to eat, exercise, go to the bathroom, and sleep around the same time every day. A shift in routine can easily confuse the body and interrupt its rhythm. Sleeping an hour or so later than usual may trick the body into believing that we don’t have to sleep at all. This holds true for other bodily processes, like eating and bowel movement. Eating dinner an hour or more later than we usually do may make it harder to digest, since the stomach prepares itself for food around the same time every day. If we ignore the urge to go to the bathroom, the signal eventually fades and constipation ensues.

Tip #2: Hit the Sheets before 11:00 p.m.

According to Eastern medicine, the energy of the body shifts from organ to organ every two hours. From 11:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m., the body’s energy gathers around the liver, which is responsible for creative thinking and focus. If you are suffering from a lack of sleep, then the onset of creative thinking and focus right before going to bed can only make matters worse. For others, this period may actually be a great time for creative thinking, writing, studying, or catching up on unfinished business. Yet if staying up past 11:00 p.m. becomes a habit, fatigue and lethargy will eventually manifest during the day. Getting to bed before creative thoughts fill our mind contributes to a deeper sleep and more energy the following day.

Tip #3: A Bed Is for Sleeping!

Some of us love to use our bed for doing absolutely everything aside from sleeping. However, the more active you are in bed, the less your body associates the bed with sleep. If you are having trouble with sleep and like to read, jump up and down on your bed, have pillow fights, or play hide-and-go-seek under the covers, try reserving these activities for another comfortable place in your home. Reserving your bed simply for rest—and of course making love*7—can often help improve sleep.

Tip #4: Focus on Your Breath

Counting sheep may work for some people, but others may just keep on counting until they have accounted for every sheep on the planet. Instead, try to focus on the feeling and sound of slowly inhaling and exhaling while you lie in bed. Your breath helps not only to relax the body but also to clear your mind of accumulated daily clutter, and focusing on it in a meditative state could actually produce the same brain waves achieved during healthy sleep.

Tip #5: Repeat the “Just Let Go” Mantra

If you are one of those people who can’t shut down their minds before bed, then this tip is for you. While in bed, try repeating the word relax as you inhale and the words just let go when you exhale, over and over again. Every time a thought knocks on the door of your consciousness, continue to repeat, “Relax . . . just let go.”

Tip #6: Darken Your Room

Darkness has a profound effect on the mind and body, explaining why many of us feel drowsy after sunset. Have you ever tried studying, working, or writing in candlelight? I couldn’t last twenty minutes without yawning and dozing off. Darkness signals the body to slow down, whereas light encourages it to rev up. Hence eliminating any trace of light from your bedroom increases the chances of getting a deeper sleep. Melatonin is a naturally occurring substance within the body that responds to darkness, helping us relax, especially at night. In the modern world, most of us spend too much time in artificial light even into the depths of the evening, and this interferes with the release of melatonin within the body. A higher rate of insomnia among fair-skinned individuals is likely due to lower levels of melatonin within the body. If you feel wired at night, then melatonin supplementation may be the answer. Those of us who feel more secure leaving a light on at night when sleeping may also find this supplement helpful in reducing photosensitivity. Dr. Weil, known for his sound advice regarding natural supplements, recommends an as-needed 2.5-milligram dose of sublingual melatonin tablets before bed, or 0.25 to 0.3 milligram if taken regularly.

Tip #7: Avoid Exercise Directly before Bed

Exercise motivates the movement of yang energy throughout the body, while sleep is the process of settling it down. Intense exercise within two hours of sleeping may overstimulate the organ energies, making it difficult to sink into sleep. Intensive earlier exercise or lighter evening exercise/stretching doesn’t have this effect and could actually benefit sleep by clearing the mind of daily stress and tiring the body.

Tip #8: Avoid Foods and Fluids Directly before Bed

Do you have to wake up to urinate? Many women experience this as the uterus presses against the bladder when they are lying down. Even if the bladder is only partially full, added pressure from the uterus may signal the desire to urinate, causing you to awaken. Ingesting fluids within one hour of sleep increases the odds of being woken up by the bladder. Although not as often to blame, eating within two hours of sleep may also result in waking up since the body may be forced to digest food rather than relax while we are sleeping. While this might not sound like a big deal, it is like patting your head and rubbing your tummy at the same time for the digestive system—possible but awkward.

Tip #9: Avoid Coffee in the Afternoon

Remember the good old days when you could drink as much coffee as you liked, any time of the day? Well, sorry to break the news, but drinking coffee after 2:30 p.m. is one of the most frequent reasons why getting to sleep is so difficult for the middle-aged individual. Relax! It’s not that the body is getting older, it’s that it’s getting louder, voicing its opinion of us when we neglect it. Coffee stimulates the upward movement of yang within the body—suitable for starting the day but not ending it. Yang energy starts to wane after 2:00 p.m., making it a time when many of us need a second wind of energy. If we perk yang up again, it usually has a difficult time coming back down when it’s time to sleep. Try recharging your battery by drinking tea, taking a short cat nap, or simply focusing on taking deep breaths for about fifteen to twenty minutes after eating lunch.

Tip #10: Hug a Pillow!

Did you know that after heart surgery, some doctors give their patients a “heart pillow” and ask them to hug it at night? Light pressure from a pillow or hug is comforting to the heart and is likely why it feels so wonderful to hug someone with a big heart. Hugging a pillow at night relaxes the heart, making it easier to enter sleep. A smaller pillow may do the job for some, while others may enjoy the contact of hugging a life-size body pillow.

Tip #11: Try Acupuncture and Acupressure

A thorough review of forty-six randomized controlled studies involving 3,811 participants showed that acupuncture significantly improved sleep, with an even stronger effect than pharmaceutical medication on increasing sleep duration.3 Along with assisting the flow of energy throughout the body, acupuncture needle insertion is also a way to calm and root the energies of the body. Patients who receive acupuncture for insomnia often feel relaxed and deeply rested following treatment, finding it easier to sink into a deep sleep at night.

I often utilize the points shown below to address insomnia, effectively providing relief for my patients throughout the years. These points correlate with different organs of the body, which play significant roles in the sleeping process. The HT8 point is located along an energy channel that flows from the heart, which is in charge of process ing day-to-day emotion. Insomnia is often affected by the inability to process emotions efficiently, making the heart throb at night, attempting to relieve itself of the daily pressure. The LIV2 point resides along the liver channel and is responsible for releasing excessive heat from the liver, which is often responsible for hot flashes and restless sleep. These points are most effective if they are pressed several times daily, even in the absence of hot flashes.

image HT8 (EIGHTH POINT ON THE HEART MERIDIAN): “SMALL STOREHOUSE”

image

Fig. 7.1. HT8, eighth point on the heart meridian

This point is located between the tendons of the pinky and ring fingers along the uppermost horizontal crease of the palm (see fig. 7.1 above). When a tight fist is made, the point is where the tip of the pinky touches the palm of the hand. HT8 calms the heart and facilitates emotional processing. Applying significant pressure to each point until it feels tender often yields better results than a light touch. Avoid using sharp metal objects that could penetrate your skin or applying excessive pressure.

image LIV2 (SECOND POINT ON THE LIVER MERIDIAN): “MOVING BETWEEN”

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Fig. 7.2. LIV2, second point on the liver meridian

This acupressure point is the second point from the tip of the foot along the liver meridian and is located in between the first and second toes (see fig. 7.2 above). There is often a short crease that continues from the inner side of the big toe toward the upper part of your foot. LIV2 is located where this crease terminates. LIV2 releases heat from the liver, which cools those sleep-depriving hot flashes. Applying significant pressure to each point until it feels tender often yields better results than a light touch. Avoid using sharp metal objects that could penetrate your skin or applying excessive pressure.

Tip #12: Find a Comfortable Mattress

Although this tip may seem like the most obvious one so far, it is also the most frequently disregarded. Buying a new mattress can easily become a daunting process. We are too often led to believe that comfort, rather than support, is a mattress priority, but months after buying the coziest mattress in the store, our back/shoulder/neck may begin to hurt again. At this point most of us would deny that our new $3,000+ mattress could possibly be the problem and would swear by how comfortable we feel on it. Our new mattress may not be the issue, but if it is too soft and lacking support, then despite its coziness at the end of the day, come morning, we are as stiff as a board. A comfortable but unsupportive mattress is like comfort-food bingeing: it may give us temporary reprieve, but in the long run, it contributes to further discomfort. Before you go mattress shopping, make sure to do plenty of research, find out which are too firm or too soft, which are excellent for back pain, and which are made from enduring fill materials. Keep in mind that mattress shopping is rarely a successful love-at-first-sight scenario.

INSOMNIA AND THE YIN YANG BODY TYPES

How we get to sleep and stay asleep doesn’t depend only on the events of the day and how we respond to them. A study done in 2015 discovered a genetic distinction between larks, or morning birds, and night owls.4 The body’s circadian clock runs on different schedules according to an individual’s chronotype, or genetically defined internal rhythm. The early-bird chronotype naturally experiences a spike in cortisol, or stress hormone, early in the morning and a crash in the evening, so that they have less difficulty getting to sleep at night. Cortisone levels tend to kick in later for night owls, causing them to feel energized in the late evening but making it difficult for them to get up in the morning.

In Eastern medicine, creative energy is associated with the liver and gallbladder, which receive a wave of energy from 11:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m. If we are awake during this time, creative thoughts often fill our consciousness, but if we are asleep, the liver stimulates dreaming and unconscious creativity.

Sleep quality is also influenced by different factors for each of the four yin yang body types. As we discussed in chapter 1, yin correlates with night and yang with morning. The yang types, born with excessive yang energy, are larks, and the yin types are often the night owls. Of course, there are exceptions to this, since many yin types are early birds and many yang types are late risers. Yet, generally speaking, even if yin types motivate themselves to wake up early, if they break this habit, then sleeping in easily becomes the new norm. The yang types may also feel sluggish in the morning, but this is only because they are extremely exhausted from lack of sleep the previous night, or because they have poor overall health.

YANG TYPE A

The menopausal Yang Type A is often even more easily angered than she was before the change began. She may find herself yelling at cars in a traffic jam, arguing with her family, or lashing out at the bank clerk for miscalculating her balance. Controlling her anger and hyperactive digestive system during menopause requires updated tactics, since attacking her anger head-on, or temporarily brushing it aside, only result in more anger. Her disregarded kidneys can no longer put up with uncontrolled anger, as health in this phase of life depends on her ability to discover calmness, quietness, and the ability to yield even when bursts of rage may seem appropriate.

Anger easily interferes with the Yang Type A’s sleep because it pushes her yang energy further upward, bombarding the heart. Sleep requires that she let go of her desire for revenge, change, and/or rebellion. She naturally desires to solve her problems on the spot and move onward without just “sleeping on them” until a resolution is found. Like a wildfire, she rages through challenge and adversity. Yet sleep depends on do ryang (tolerance)—hidden within the gently subdued kidneys. Without accepting and yielding to her situation, she’ll fight it night and day.

A hyperdeveloped digestive system also contributes to insomnia for the Yang Type A because of its tendency to overheat when she is stressed, under the weather, or angry. The digestive energy of a balanced Yang Type A smoothly flows downward to support the kidneys, her weakest organ, rooting and calming the mind along the way. It doesn’t take much for her digestive system to overact, however, reversing the flow of energy. Upward-moving energy from the stomach, situated directly below the heart, easily induces anxiety, stress, and insomnia. A voracious, unsatisfied appetite is the first sign of digestive energy reversal.

Mantra for Better Sleep

If you have difficulty getting to sleep, try repeating, out loud or silently, the following sentence while slowly inhaling and exhaling, until you drift off into sleep: “My stronger spleen easily stirs up anger, but anger cannot help me sleep, so it’s time to let it go.”

Meditation for Better Sleep

Before going to bed, try sitting in a comfortable position somewhere other than your bed, dimming the lights, and putting on some relaxing music. Close your eyes and take deep breaths. When you breathe in, imagine that you are sending air all the way down to the lower abdomen, where calmness resides. While breathing out, imagine that you are releasing anger, stress, anxiety, and so on with each and every breath. I once had a Yang Type A patient who found it relaxing to listen to heavy metal music while getting acupuncture, reporting that it aligned her energies and made her think more clearly after her sessions. Many people, especially if they are not a yang type, may find it hard to imagine that anything but soft and slow music could be calming, but relaxation is different for each body type and individual. The point is that no matter what music you listen to, if it encourages balance and harmony, then it serves a valuable purpose.

Soothing Teas

In Eastern medicine, mint teas are said to calm the spirit and cool the stomach and liver energies. Drink two to three cups a day between meals to curb spells of anger and sadness, relax the mind, and/or reduce constant hunger.

imageGou Qi Zi
(Common: Goji Berry/Chinese Wolfberry; Latin: Lycium chinense)

It seems as if almost every herb mentioned so far in this book has had its own time in the spotlight of best natural remedies in the media, and Gou Qi Zi, or goji berry (aka wolfberry), is no exception. Claims for its ability to cure one disease or another can be found all over the internet. Some even refer to it as a “super fruit” that cures all ills. There is no doubt that goji plays a significant role in the Eastern medical clinic. However, it is impossible to say that this or that herb is superior to others, since they all contribute in their own way toward balancing and harmonizing the body’s energy depending on our constitution and the situation we are faced with. Goji is nonetheless very helpful for the Yang Type A because it nourishes and strengthens the kidneys, her weakest organ. In Sasang medicine, the kidneys help root the energy of the body, thus preventing rebellion of the Yang Type A’s energy upward. Upward rebellion of energy may lead to insomnia, poor vision, headaches, and chronic sinus issues. Herbs that support the kidneys also assist in strengthening the bones. Goji can therefore also be used for the Yang Type A’s bone-related issues.

Common Uses

Goji alleviates insomnia, visual disorders (blurry vision, weak vision), fatigue, anxiety, and osteoporosis/osteopenia.

Sources

Goji, also called Himalayan goji, packaged and in bulk, is currently available from just about any natural food store. You can also purchase it online from manufacturers such as Nuts.com and Navitas Naturals. Goji juice is available on the Healing Noni and Dynamic Health websites.

Preparation and Dosage

Raw wolfberry is another fine example of the culinary use of East Asian herbs. It can be sprinkled on salads or mixed with nuts, granola, or yogurt. In China, it is often sprinkled into soup made with chrysanthemum and dried jujube fruit to elicit a slightly sweetened flavor. Herbs that are also enjoyed as foods are safe for ingestion in higher dosages.

Caution

Since it is a fruit and contains sugar, diabetics should monitor sugar levels carefully when ingesting goji. Studies have suggested that goji may reduce the effects of warfarin and other blood thinners, so if you are taking a blood thinner, please consult a professional first.

The Yang Type A should not ingest goji if she is experiencing heat-related symptoms such as fever, sensitivity to heat, or pounding (vs. dull) headaches, because this herb is slightly warm-natured.

imageMai Ya
(Common: Roasted Barley; Latin: Hordeum vulgaris)

Tea made of Mai Ya, or roasted barley, is a popular beverage in Japan and Korea, where it can even be purchased from vending machines! In the wintertime, roasted barley tea is consumed warm. In the summer, it is boiled, refrigerated, and then drunk cold. Barley itself has a very cold energetic nature. Roasted barley tea effectively cools excessive heat radiating from the yang types’ hyperactive digestive system, which is often made worse by stress. In Sasang medicine, roasted barley soothes heartburn and abdominal distension while promoting blood circulation. Through balancing and redirecting digestive energy, roasted barley inhibits the reversal of stomach energy, preventing and addressing anxiety and insomnia.

Common Uses

Mai Ya clears excessive heat from the stomach to address heartburn, abdominal distension, and acid regurgitation. It inhibits the reversal of stomach energy to calm anxiety and promote sleep.

Sources

Bob’s Red Mill produces barley flour that can be used as a baking ingredient or thickener for soups and sauces. While this form of barley is not as cooling as chilled barley tea, it is still somewhat effective and worth a try. Otherwise, roasted barley tea can be purchased on the internet. The Japanese brands House and Marubishi sell barley tea on Amazon, as does the Korean company Dongsuh. The Japanese name for roasted barley tea is mugi-cha and the Korean name is bori-cha.

Preparation and Dosage

Roasted barley tea usually comes in small cheesecloth bags. The bags are boiled in water but the tea itself is served chilled, thus enhancing barley’s cooling characteristics. In both Korea and Japan, roasted barley tea is often further diluted with water and consumed throughout the day. I suggest drinking a glass of this tea while consuming a handful of goji berries two or three times a day, so that both herbs can enhance one another’s energy rooting and digestion-balancing properties.

Caution

The cold nature of roasted barley tea may lead to diarrhea among the yin types. If you develop diarrhea after drinking barley tea, it is possible that you may actually be a yin type. In this case, it is important to discontinue it and retake the body type test. In some cases it is very challenging to figure out which body type you are, even after taking the test. It can also be challenging for the Sasang practitioner at times! Please refer to the test tips in chapter 2 for further guidance.

YANG TYPE B

As a part of her stronger lung (upper body) system, the Yang Type B’s mind is constantly on the go. This trait often gives her enhanced insight and ingenuity. Yet a brilliant mind isn’t necessarily equated with a sane one; in fact, the sanity of many ingenious Yang Type Bs of the past, including Vincent van Gogh, Lenin, and Leonardo da Vinci, has been questioned. Unlike the yin types, however, the Yang Type B’s mind isn’t focused on the events of the day but instead on the future. Dwelling on the events of the day often inhibits the yin type’s ability to sink into sleep, whereas the desire to leap forward into tomorrow is what makes it difficult for the Yang Type B. Sleep depends on the downward flow of energy from the lung system to the liver and kidneys. With so much energy jumping around in her upper body, utter exhaustion from overactivity is sometimes the only way the Yang Type B gets to sleep. It is crucial for her to avoid going to this extreme by controlling her tendency to go overboard.

The notion that she is running out of time often weighs heavily on the menopausal Yang Type B’s mind. She frequently compromises sleep in order to stay active, only to find herself crashing every few days. This cycle would eventually wear out the other types, making them appear and feel zombie-like, but after periodically crashing, the Yang Type B bounces right up again, looking and feeling brand new. Convincing her to slow down is easier said than done, but indeed worth trying, since little does she realize that this way of life is rapidly chipping away at her vulnerable and discreet lower body energies.

Heng gom—the ability to self-reflect—hides within her weaker liver, and without finding it the Yang Type B constantly focuses outward, saddened by the tainted world in which she lives, ignoring the basic needs of her own mind and body. The unbalanced Yang Type B becomes obsessed with distinguishing between right and wrong, correct and incorrect—a quality born from the ju check within her stronger lungs. Sleep depends on creating a smooth flow of energy from her lungs to the liver through reflecting on her own right and wrong actions, refraining from excessive sorrow, eating liver-supporting foods, and incorporating the tips below.

Mantra for Better Sleep

The insomnia-ridden Yang Type B has her gaze on the future, and what hasn’t been accomplished today cannot wait for tomorrow. If you have difficulty getting to sleep, try repeating, out loud or silently, the following sentence while slowly inhaling and exhaling, until you drift off into sleep: “Tomorrow can wait. It’s time to shut off my active mind.”

Meditation for Better Sleep

Before going to bed, try sitting in a comfortable position somewhere other than your bed, dimming the lights, and putting on some relaxing music. Close your eyes and take deep breaths. When you breathe in, think about your future hopes, desires, and plans one at a time. While breathing out, release all expectations about your hopes/desires/plans one by one while saying something like “I do not have to accomplish this now,” “I’ll deal with this tomorrow,” and/or “Here you go Universe/ Heaven/God. It’s in your hands for now.” You may have to inhale and exhale several times for each hope/desire/plan, but try limiting yourself to three breaths for each one.

Soothing Teas

Mint teas, mentioned in the Yang Type A section, calm the spirit and cool the stomach and liver energies of the Yang Type B too! Drink two to three cups a day between meals to curb spells of anger and sadness and relax the mind.

imageQiao Mai
(Common: Buckwheat; Latin: Fagopyrum spp.)

Buckwheat is a cold-natured herb that helps calm the excessive yang energy of the Yang Type B. In the summer, buckwheat tea is often used to hydrate and cool the body. Buckwheat’s cool nature soothes and relaxes the mind to assist with sleep. It also helps with other excessive yang conditions such as headaches, acne, and high blood pressure.

Common Uses

Buckwheat relieves insomnia, high blood pressure, headaches, acne, unsettled emotions (anger, frustration, stress), fever, and sensitivity to heat.

Sources

Buckwheat comes in several different forms. Buckwheat noodles, called soba in Japanese, are a popular summertime delicacy in Japan and Korea, where they are boiled and chilled and then eaten with a soy-based sauce. Buckwheat noodles are available from Annie Chun’s or Eden Foods. Buckwheat flour for baking can be purchased from Bob’s Red Mill and is often used as a gluten-free substitute for wheat flour. A very popular drink in Asia, buckwheat tea can be purchased from TeaSpring.

Preparation and Dosage

Buckwheat noodles: A recipe for preparing buckwheat noodles can be found on the Annie Chun’s website. Buckwheat tea: Boil two teaspoons of dried buckwheat with two cups of water. Let simmer over low heat for five minutes. Buckwheat teabags can be boiled or steeped in warm water to make tea. Drink two to three cups of buckwheat tea daily. Try making a porridge with whole buckwheat grain by itself or with wheat and barley as kasha. Buckwheat flour can be used to make bread, cookies, and yummy pancakes!

Caution

Since buckwheat is used as food, it is generally considered a safe herb. However, its cooling effect may cause diarrhea or indigestion for the yin types, whose cool and/or cold-natured digestive systems benefit from warm, or hot-natured herbs.

imageLu Gen
(Common: Common Reed; Latin: Phragmites communis)

As we saw in our discussion of hot flashes in chapter 4, Lu Gen, or common reed, is often used to tame the excessive lung energy of the Yang Type B by transporting cool energy to the upper body and draining excess yang heat from the chest and lungs. Hence common reed addresses upper body heat-related issues such as hot flashes and insomnia.

Common Uses

Common reed relieves anxiety, worry, indigestion (stomach acid, heartburn, and/or vomiting), shortness of breath, and dry heaves.

Sources

A tincture of Lu Gen can be purchased from the Hawaii Pharm website.

Preparation and Dosage

Please follow the manufacturer’s dosage guidelines. A Lu Gen tincture can be ingested after consuming buckwheat-derived foods or directly after a cup of buckwheat tea.

Brittany, the Yang Type B Superwoman

Brittany’s friends were jealous of her overflowing energy. At the ripe age of sixty-one, Brittany woke up at 5:00 a.m. and worked as a director of her new organization nonstop until 7:00 p.m., six days a week, rarely taking the time to eat. On Brittany’s time off from work, she would travel the world to hike the mountains of Machu Picchu, trek Mount Everest, climb Mount St. Helens, and much, much more. Brittany thought that sleep was a waste of time, and the only reason she slept three hours a night was because everyone else in her home was asleep. Occasionally Brittany noticed that her legs would suddenly give out, and she would fall to the ground without warning. In a flash, she would get up again and continue her task at hand, as if nothing had happened. After one of these episodes, Brittany began to feel uneasy, as she felt tired but not fatigued, uncomfortable but not in pain, and saddened but not depressed.

Yang Type Bs are known for looking and feeling robust and energized. Yet if pushed too far, their legs will simply give out from under them, resulting in sudden tripping or collapsing. This condition, called hei yok in Korean, is often accompanied by a strange and uncomfortable sensation throughout the body. Western medicine doesn’t have a diagnosis for this syndrome, as X-rays, MRIs, and the like cannot show why the Yang Type B may experience it. From the perspective of Sasang medicine, Brittany is running on empty, as her episodes of falling indicate lower body energy collapse, despite and being deceived by exuberant upper body energy. If Brittany does not address this soon by making an effort to get more sleep and tame her yang energy, she will eventually sink into depression and feel utterly exhausted . . . all the time.

YIN TYPE A

The inherently weaker lung system of the Yin Type A plays a major role when it comes to insomnia. The lungs help feed ample amounts of blood and energy to the heart when we are healthy. Weaker lungs may have trouble transferring enough energy to the heart. According to Eastern medicine, our heart is where our emotions are processed. So sleep for the Yin Type A is dependent upon an ample supply of blood and energy flowing toward her heart, which in turn helps her relax and feel emotionally balanced. When the lungs are in relatively good shape, they have little difficulty getting us to sleep at night. After dealing with chronic stress, physical/emotional trauma, or illness, the lungs may gradually weaken, initiating the vicious cycle of insomnia. For the same reasons, weaker lungs may also contribute to the onset of palpitations, feeling anxious, and being easily startled at night.

The stronger liver of the Yin Type A acts as a sponge, absorbing emotions and events of the past and having difficulty letting them go. Menopause is a time of reflection, weighing in on the events of the past to determine the role they play in our future. While this is a healthy and natural process, the Yin Type A tends to dwell on the past, storing emotions in her hyperabsorbent liver. Within her weaker lungs is the key to unlock the wisdom of ju check—the ability to determine right from wrong. With ample energy flowing from her liver to the lungs, she is able to resolve the question, “Is it ‘right’ for me to still feel this way?” She may ask herself this question over and over again without resolution if the flow to the lungs is inhibited.

Lung energy is associated with the future, and liver energy with the past. The Yin Type A’s menopause-related insomnia is a result of difficulty processing daily experiences and holding on to the past. Smooth energy flow from the liver to the lungs depends on the ability to release self-defeating thoughts like “If only I had done this . . .” or “Why did this happen to me?” In order for the Yin Type A to get in touch with her joyous nature, something has to give. If the past is plaguing her, then instead of wasting time trying to transform it into joy, she’s better off just letting it go and giving sleep’s gentle touch a chance to guide her away. At the heart of Asian philosophy is the concept of stepping back before advancing forward. For the Yin Type A this means ridding herself of toxic thoughts before attempting to find joy. If she does not cleanse her mind and body, joy will take on a twisted form that nags away deep into the evening. A smooth flow of energy from the liver to the lungs can also be promoted by daily cardiovascular exercise, consuming the lung-supporting foods listed in my book Your Yin Yang Body Type, and ingesting body-type-specific herbs for insomnia.

Mantra for Better Sleep

If you have difficulty getting to sleep, try repeating, out loud or silently, the following sentence while slowly inhaling and exhaling, until you drift off into sleep: “My stronger liver tends to hold on to emotions and thoughts, but now I am ready to release them.”

Exercise for Better Sleep

Exercise-induced sweating is beneficial for all the yin yang body types but especially the Yin Type A because it encourages the release of toxins (via the skin pores) from her hyperabsorbent liver. While releasing toxins, it also facilitates the discharge of toxic, stressful thoughts. A little bit of sweat each day goes a long way for the Yin Type A, enhancing her ability to relax and enter a deep sleep. Exercising early in the morning is more effective than right before bed, since morning is associated with yang and movement, and evening with yin and calmness.

Soothing Teas

The following teas are especially helpful for the Yin Type A insomniac, since they calm her stronger liver—the source of dreaming and deep REM sleep.

Chamomile tea supports the Yin Type A’s digestive system, encouraging the downward movement of energy. The stomach is responsible not only for digesting food but also for digesting experience. Excessive emotional stress will reverse the natural flow of stomach energy, causing it to rebel upward and bombard the heart energy. The ability to enter a deep sleep is dependent upon the descent of yin energy from the heart and lungs to the lower body.

Native to Europe and thriving in America, valerian root has been used for centuries to address insomnia, anxiety, and other emotional imbalances. Although this herb is not a member of the Sasang medicine pharmacy, my own research reveals that this herb is well tolerated and often effective for the Yin Type A suffering from these issues. Consult your physician if you are taking antidepressant medication since valerian root also has a mild sedative effect on the central nervous system.

imageSuan Zao Ren
(Common: Sour Jujube Seed; Latin: Ziziphus spinosa)

Suan Zao Ren, or sour jujube seed, is commonly used in Eastern medicine to calm and soothe the heart and mind. These little red seeds nourish and support the function of the heart and lungs and are one of the most effective herbs to treat the Yin Type A’s insomnia. For this reason, they are used in a variety of herbal formulas. Modern research has shown that sour jujube seeds contain ample amounts of flavonoids, alkaloids, and saponins, the combination of which likely contributes to their strong calming effects. A study in 2014 discovered that sour jujube is capable of enhancing REM sleep. This study also demonstrated that these effects were likely due to serotonin-mediating properties.5 While pharmaceutical drugs that affect serotonin, like Zoloft and Paxil, also assist with sleep, they often have numerous unwanted side effects, whereas sour jujube is known to be relatively safe.6

Common Uses

Sour jujube alleviates insomnia, anemia, anxiety, nervousness, stress, night sweating, thirst, and palpitations.

Sources

Sour jujube is readily available in China and Korea, but it is difficult to obtain raw in the United States. It is, however, included within a popular and easily obtained formula that helps with sleep, Suan Zao Ren Tang (sour jujube decoction), which can be purchased from the Chinese Herbs Direct and Vita Living websites.

Preparation and Dosage

Please refer to the manufacturer for dosage instructions.

Caution

Consult a professional if you are taking other medications for sleep before trying sour jujube. If combined with other sleep medications it may cause excessive drowsiness.

Herbal Friend: Bai Zi Ren (Common: Arborvitae Seed; Latin: Platycladus orientalis)

Bai Zi Ren, or arborvitae seed, is routinely prescribed with sour jujube in Sasang medicine for insomnia, anxiety, and stress. They both support heart and lung energy, addressing such issues as heart palpitations, shortness of breath, and chronic lung/heart-related illnesses. Arborvitae seed has the added benefit of addressing night sweats and promoting a smooth bowel movement. A combination of sour jujube and arborvitae seed can be found in the formula An Shen Ding Zhi Wan (Calm the Spirit and Support the Willpower Pill). Although this is not a Sasang-based herbal formula and contains a few herbs for other body types, it is primarily (more than 80 percent) made with Yin Type A herbs and is both safe and effective. It can be purchased on the Bio Essence Herbal Essentials website (bioessence.com; type “An Shen Ding Zhi Wan” in the search bar).

Laura, the Nocturnal Yin Type A

Laura is a renowned artist who thrives in the late evening; all her senses are at their peak and creativity streams smoothly and steadily after 11:00 p.m. But poor Laura can hardly function during the day. Her husband has to practically peel her out of bed every morning so that she can be at least somewhat functional by midday. Laura looks forward to the evenings, even to the point of checking her watch throughout the day in anticipation of the 11:00 p.m. hour, when she suddenly feels like a different person. I asked Laura if she ever went to bed early, and she recalled a phase when she had to get up for work by 6:00 a.m. and didn’t feel fatigued during the day, but there was little to no creative energy flowing within her. If it came to choosing between daytime energy and creativity, Laura would choose creativity.

YIN TYPE B

The stronger kidneys of the Yin Type B give her a sturdy foundation of comfort and calmness, but when her kidneys are not balanced, she is prone to nervousness, fear, and insomnia. Her sluggish digestive system can easily make matters worse, as it takes her stomach longer to break down food, often hacking away at it until late in the evening. Indigestion may cause bodily energy to rebel upward and bombard the heart, which can also result in anxiety and/or insomnia. The adult Yin Type B, all too aware of this phenomenon, limits her food intake, often to the point of fearing food altogether. Going to bed on an empty stomach is just as detrimental as a full stomach, as the stomach energies swish this way and that in search of food. Determining when and what to introduce into her sensitive mind and body poses a continuous challenge for the Yin Type B that doesn’t get any easier during menopause. The onset of menopause itself is like introducing a new food to the Yin Type B’s cautious stomach. Aware of this, the balanced menopausal Yin Type B makes comfort her priority, not just a desire, and enhances her ability to tolerate, accept, and assimilate new foods, friends, and life transitions—qualities born from the do ryang residing deep within the kidney system.

While dignity and valiance come from the spleen and contribute to the Yang Type A’s naturally poised appearance, gung shim—worry, distress, and anxiousness—also lurk within the spleen, awaiting the opportunity to wreak havoc. Without receiving ample flow from her stronger kidneys, the Yin Type B’s spleen unleashes gung shim, and fear of even the smallest of life’s challenges begins to surface. Through mastering do ryang she is capable of taming gung shim—a process that starts with calming and quieting her mind while still making an attempt to venture out and interact with others. Warmth is an excellent and effective way to promote calmness for the Yin Type B. Facing life’s challenges is a lot easier with warm friends, a warm home, and one of the greatest gifts of all, a heating pad to warm her cold lower abdomen.

Timing Your Dinner

The sensitive digestive system of the Yin Type B makes it necessary for her to plan carefully when and what to eat for dinner. If she eats her last meal of the day after 7:00 p.m. or before 5:00 p.m., then getting to sleep may be difficult.

Mantra for Better Sleep

If you have difficulty getting to sleep, try repeating, out loud or silently, the following sentence while slowly inhaling and exhaling, until you drift off into sleep: “Thanks to my strong kidneys, I can be exceptionally secure and comfortable. It’s time to let go of my insecurities.”

Warming Up Your Abdomen

Excessive cold in her lower abdomen easily singes the embers of the Yin Type B’s cozy but fragile fire, making heat a central part of staying healthy. Try placing a heating pad over your abdomen before sleeping at night to warm your center, and you’ll be amazed at how comfortable and relaxing it feels. You may try buying an electric pad with a timer so that you can drift off to sleep while basking in delicious warmth. Otherwise, lying in bed with your heating pad on for twenty to thirty minutes before sleep will suffice.

Meditation for Better Sleep

While lying on your back with a heating pad, or another source of gentle heat, on your lower abdomen, take slow deep breaths, and imagine the heat radiating through your body like a bright light, warming and illuminating the cold darkness.

Soothing Teas

The following teas are especially helpful for the Yin Type B insomniac since they support and nourish her stronger kidneys—the source of comfort, calmness, and a good night’s sleep.

Cinnamon tea is one of the healthiest drinks for the Yin Type B, for it warms her weaker digestive system and promotes the flow of energy to and through her stronger kidneys, enhancing calmness. The Yin Type B sleeps her best when the core of her body feels warm and her stomach is not preoccupied with digesting a heavy dinner.

Licorice tea is another one for the Yin Type B that warms the stomach and soothes the flow of energy throughout her body. Its calming and nourishing properties make it an appropriate choice for assisting with sleep, anxiety, and stress.

imageDa Zao
(Common: Chinese Jujube; Latin: Ziziphus jujuba)

Da Zao, or Chinese jujube, a sweet-tasting fruit often used in Asian dishes, is said to nourish the heart and blood. In Eastern medicine, herbs that support the heart also help with insomnia, as the heart plays a major role in processing/releasing daily emotions and facilitating sleep. The true merit of Chinese jujube, though, comes from its ability to support the weaker digestive system of the Yin Type B. By balancing her digestive system, Chinese jujube can assist with her heart function. In Eastern medicine, it is often decocted with other herbs to balance and harmonize their properties. Recent studies suggest that Chinese jujube increases the flow of oxygen to the heart.7

Common Uses

Chinese jujube alleviates insomnia, indigestion, anemia, visual impairments (blurry and weak vision, floaters), anxiety, stress, and a lack of energy.

Sources

There are many ways to acquire Chinese jujube. For the gardener, purchasing a Chinese jujube tree might be the method of choice. Willis Orchard Company and Ty Ty Nursery offer mail-order Chinese jujube trees, also known as Li jujubes, which grow rapidly in almost all climate zones throughout the northern United States. Chinese jujube is also available in bulk or extract form from manufacturers such as ActiveHerb and Chinese Herbs Direct.

Preparation and Dosage

Raw Chinese jujube: Slice three dried fruits into thin sections and boil with two cups of water. Let simmer for thirty minutes over low heat. If the water level sinks rapidly, add another half a cup and then monitor. If the water level continues to sink, reduce or turn off the heat. Drink one cup up to four times a day for insomnia. Avoid drinking directly before bedtime so you aren’t awakened for a trip to the bathroom.

Caution

Chinese jujube can cause fullness and distension of the abdomen in other body types. If you experience these symptoms consistently when ingesting Chinese jujube, then stop immediately. It is sometimes very difficult to determine your body type. Try taking the yin yang body type test again or log onto the Sasang medicine website for more tips on how to determine your body type.

Herbal Friend: Shan Zha (Common: Hawthorn Fruit; Latin: Crataegus pinnatifida)

Shan Zha, or hawthorn fruit, doesn’t only share the same color and shape of a human heart, it also nourishes and strengthens it! The Yin Type B’s heart is by no means a constitutionally weaker organ, but it is nonetheless prone to injury if she struggles with anxiety, fear, and lack of comfort. Hawthorn helps return uprooted comfort to her kidneys, restoring vitality, warmth, and inner strength. Hawthorn and Chinese jujube enhance one another’s ability to nourish and support the heart, calm the emotions, and nourish the Yin Type B’s blood and essence. A nonalcoholic liquid extract of hawthorn can be purchased on the Piping Rock Health Products website. It can also be found in capsule form on the Nature’s Way and Puritan’s Pride websites. Please follow the manufacturer’s recommendation for dosage. Ingest both Chinese jujube and hawthorn in one sitting for best results.