Sleeping and Disease (Cancer)

rnSleeping and Disease (Cancer) rnThe definition of normal sleep is sleeping right through the night. Many people are unable to sleep right though the night; some of the reasons are needing to get up to go to the toilet at night, having nightmares and waking up with a start. Sleeping normally (ie being able to sleep right through) is very important in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Practitioners of TCM can uncover a variety of health problems simply through enquiring about your sleeping patterns. We may also be able to tell what is going to happen in your body next. Then we will help get you back to normal sleep before disease forms. rnWhat kind of diseases are related to sleeping? rn1. Kidney Deficiency: TCM believes that if there is a Yang deficiency in the Kidneys and Bladder (deficient cold), then they will be unable to “astringe” urine. This in turn means that you will need to get up at night to go to the toilet. TCM believe this is a sign of Kidney deficiency. rn2. Heart disease, warning signs preceding stroke and depression: TCM believes that the Heart controls sleep. If you wake up for no reason and can't get back to sleep again easily, or sleep lightly, this signals to us that heart disease has formed. It can be a warning sign preceding a heart attack, stroke or it can signal depression. rn3. Gallstones: TCM believes that Qi and Blood are at their most abundant in the Gallbladder and Gallbladder meridians between 11pm and 1am. If you unable sleep between 11pm and 1am and wake up with pain under right rib this may be a sign of gallstones. rn4. Liver cancer and Liver problems: TCM believes that Qi and Blood are at their most abundant in the Liver and Liver meridians between 1am and 3am. If you wake up without any reason between 1am and 3am, this may be a sign of a Liver problem. In clinical practice, we have noticed that liver cancer patients always wake up between 1am and 3am for two years before hospital diagnosis. rn5. Lung cancer and Lung problems: TCM believes that Qi and Blood are at their most abundant in the Lungs and the Lung meridians between 3am and 5am. In clinical practice, we have also noticed that lung cancer patients automatically wake up between 3am and 5am for two years before hospital diagnosis. rnTCM practitioners can detect poor health through examining the sleeping situation and we are also able to use the sleeping situation to examine progress of treatment. For example, a liver cancer patient who is unable to sleep right though between 1am and 3am, when treated using TCM the patient gradually becomes able to sleep right through between 1am and 3am - that means that the patient is getting better. rnWe hope everyone can examine their health themselves using the above as a guide. If you discover you have a sleeping problem, you should go to a TCM practitioner until you are able to sleep right though the night. Get yourself better before the problem gets bigger. rnIf you suffer from insomnia because of something that has happened in your life (eg. marital break up or death of a loved one) this is quite normal. As long as you don't need any anti-depressants or sleeping pills, you can simply find someone to talk to and let time heal your wounds. rnSzenan Phua 01/01/2010 TCM herbalist and Acupuncturistrnwww.balancetcm.co.nz