Chinese Medicine for Insomnia

In Chinese medicine, insomnia is more than just trouble sleeping. It reveals disharmony between the body’s organs and the mind’s spirit. When the heart, spleen, liver, kidneys, or digestion are out of balance, restful sleep becomes difficult. Below are the main causes of insomnia according to traditional Chinese medicine, along with their signs, herbal formulas, and recommended foods.

Heart–Spleen Deficiency

Common Signs

  • Poor appetite, bloating, or loose stools

  • Fatigue and forgetfulness

  • Palpitations or nervousness

  • Many dreams, restless sleep, or waking often

  • Shortness of breath

  • Night sweats

  • Yellow or dull complexion

Treatment Principle
Tone the heart and spleen, strengthen energy, calm the mind, and secure the spirit.

Herbal Formula: Gui-Pi-Tang or Yang-Xin-Tang

Helpful Foods: Beef liver, chicken egg, cuttlefish, oyster, pork liver, sea cucumber, water spinach, longan nut, mandarin fish, apple cucumber, chestnut, horse bean, Job’s tears, Irish potato, rice, royal jelly, yam

Heart–Kidney Disharmony

Common Signs

  • Dizziness or ringing in the ears

  • Red face with exertion or fatigue

  • Palpitations or forgetfulness

  • Mild fever in the afternoon or evening

  • Night sweats

  • Seminal emission (in men)

  • Sleeplessness from stress or overthinking

  • Low mood or feeling miserable

Treatment Principle
Nourish yin, clear internal fire, and restore balance between the heart and kidneys.

Herbal Formula: Huang-Lian-E-Jiao-Tang

Helpful Foods: Asparagus, abalone, chicken egg, white fungus, bog bean, wheat, banana, bamboo shoot, bitter endive, oyster, royal jelly, pork

Heart–Gallbladder Deficiency

Common Signs

  • Nervousness and restlessness

  • Easily frightened or startled

  • Bitter taste in the mouth

  • Depression or sadness

  • Dislike of light, preference for darkness

  • Difficulty falling asleep or waking easily after shocks

Treatment Principle
Strengthen energy, calm fear, and stabilize the spirit.

Herbal Formula: An-Shen-Ding-Zhi-Wan

Helpful Foods: Corn silk, cow’s gallbladder, shark air bladder, water spinach, abalone, asparagus, dried ginger, cinnamon

Sputum-Fire Disturbing the Mind

Common Signs

  • Chest congestion or fullness

  • Insomnia from agitation or mental overload

  • Ringing in the ears or temporary deafness

  • Hunger without appetite

  • Difficulty urinating or defecating

  • Restlessness, mania, or confusion

Treatment Principle
Transform phlegm, clear fire, and harmonize the middle region (stomach and spleen).

Herbal Formula: Wen-Dan-Tang

Helpful Foods: Salt, cattail, agar, radish, bamboo shoot, crown daisy, date, fresh ginger, mustard leaf, black and white pepper, mustard seed, asparagus, pear

Indigestion Causing Insomnia

Common Signs

  • Abdominal pain or bloating, worse after meals

  • Belching with bad breath

  • Nausea or vomiting of clear water

  • Constipation or foul-smelling stools

  • Hot sensations in the palms

  • Discomfort in the chest or stomach

  • Loss of appetite or poor digestion

Treatment Principle
Promote digestion, reduce food stagnation, and harmonize the stomach and spleen.

Herbal Formula: Bao-He-Wan

Helpful Foods: Asafoetida, buckwheat, castor bean, jellyfish, peach, radish, water chestnut, cardamom seed, cayenne pepper, coriander, grapefruit, jackfruit, malt, sweet basil, tea, tomato

Chinese medicine views insomnia as a sign of imbalance between body and mind. The heart governs the spirit, but it depends on other organs—like the spleen, kidneys, and liver—to stay nourished and calm. Restoring harmony through herbal formulas, proper food choices, and lifestyle balance helps the body find its natural rhythm for deep, peaceful sleep.