Sleeping disorders can be a group of health conditions impacted your sleeping quality and sleeping pattern. For example, difficult to fall asleep or frequent wake up during the night and unable to return to sleep, experienced too many vivid dreams or even nightmares; people complained about ‘light sleep’ and also wake up and still feel tired. A report indicated that about 40% of Australians have sleeping problems; some people even suffered the worse sleep during the COVID pandemic or when they got COVID symptoms.

In Chinese, sleeping problems called as ‘Shi Mian’; with thousands of years development, Chinese Medicine got the specific theory to understand the sleeping disorders and the unique way to help sleeping problems. Chinese medicine practitioners normally use acupuncture and Chinese herbs to deal with sleeping disorders; also, the ear acupuncture points can be used to assist the sleeping quality. By using the specific Chinese medicine pattern diagnosis, insomnia or Shi Mian can be identified by excess or deficiency, consequently, regulate Yin and Yang, tonify deficiency or clear away excess will be used to help sleep.

The following tips also can be used to help your sleeping:

1. Organise a regular sleep pattern, plan the bed time to make sure you can have 8 hours of sleeping and keep it constant.

2. Avoid drinking coffee and alcohol before sleeping.

3. Make your bedroom environment relaxing and comfortable; for example, minimize the light, turn off your phone and use essential oils.

4. Avoid eating too late or too much in the evening.

5. Do some exercises during the daytime.