Don't Let the Full Harvest Moon Keep You Up - 8 Chinese Herbs for Sleeping Problems

Autumn is upon us and the Harvest Moon will lay low on the horizon tonight but you do not need to suffer another night of occasional insomnia.  It happens to the best of us: We drop down for a restful slumber, but our hearts keep racing while our minds traverse yesterday, today and tomorrow. What gives?

Western and Eastern thought both identify high stress, or restlessness, as the main culprit. According to ancient Chinese teaching, such restlessness stems from imbalances that prevent the unity of yin and yang life forces. This unity is required for deep, restful sleep.

Yin-yang imbalance is often caused when the heart meridian system is disturbed by worry. This system houses the mind and the spiritual aspect of the psyche called Shen. When there is an imbalance, the heart spirit wanders from its shelter, generating extreme fatigue, occasional insomnia, irritability and dizziness. This causes problems sleeping.

Quiet Please, a Balance Blends Extrapolent™ and natural sleep aid, is designed to silence the mind and nourish the blood, helping anchor the body for restful sleep. It supplements the body with the top eight Chinese herbs used to nourish the yin, and blood, of the heart and liver meridian systems. This makes them more inviting to the yang. The Chinese herbs we use, in potent extract and solid form, are:

Zizyphus (Suan Zao Ren), which nourishes the blood, calms the mind and deepens sleep.

Lovage Root (Chuan Xiong), which moves the blood, increases circulation and relaxes the muscles.

Poria Spirit (Fu Shen), which calms the Shen and quiets the heart meridian system to counter occasional insomnia.

Biota Seed (Bai Zi Ren), a blood nourisher that calms the spirit and counters occasional insomnia, irritability, anxiety and forgetfulness.

Silk Tree Bark (He Huan Pi), which reduces emotional constraint, as well as stagnation of Qi (pronounced chē, aka energy) in the liver meridian system, to counter irritability and occasional insomnia. 

Fleeceflower Caulis (Ye Jiao Teng or “through the night vine”), which calms the Shen spirit and promotes deeper, longer sleep.

Anemarrhena Rhizome (Zhi Mu), which tonifies the liver and kidney meridian systems. 

Polygala Root (Yuan Zhi), which pacifies the heart meridian system, calms the Shen and controls anxiety, concentration, occasional insomnia and excessive dreaming.

Quiet Please also contains L-Theanine, a super amino acid that helps relax the body, move stagnant Qi and silence the mind to promote less stress and better sleep. Taking this multi-faceted supplement can be extremely helpful as a sleep aid when combined with lifestyle choices that reduce stress and promote unity between yin and yang. These lifestyle choices may include yoga, acupuncture, massage or any activity that promotes relaxation and helps center the mind.

In addition, you may find it helpful to avoid caffeine, alcohol or smoking, particularly six hours before bedtime. Eating light evening meals and avoiding light sources — including your cell phone — a few hours before bed helps too, as does establishing a regular bedtime and sticking to it.