Sleep problems have become a common issue for many people, and the number of people suffering from insomnia is increasing. It can be very uncomfortable when you have trouble falling asleep at night. So, do you know what methods can help us effectively regulate and improve sleep? Let's take a look together.
What to do when you can't sleep at night
1. Black Bean and Jujube Kernel Soup
Dietary therapy is a good way to regulate sleep problems. Black bean and jujube kernel soup is one of them. Do you know how to make it? Let's find out.
Recipe: 20g black beans, 20g wheat kernels, 15-30g jujube kernels, 5 lotus seeds, and 5 red dates.
Usage: Wash the ingredients and put them in a pot. Add 1000ml of water and bring it to a boil. Then simmer for about 15 minutes over low heat. Turn off the heat, filter the liquid, and let it cool to room temperature before consumption.
Efficacy: Regulates Qi and blood, clears heat, and calms the mind. Jujube kernels have a sweet and sour taste, neutral nature, and can nourish the liver and blood, calm the mind, and also have the effects of reducing sweating and generating body fluids. Wheat kernels have a sweet and cool nature, can stop spontaneous sweating, nourish the heart, and calm the mind. This soup is especially suitable for insomnia caused by liver blood deficiency, with symptoms such as palpitations, restlessness, forgetfulness, fatigue, dizziness, spontaneous sweating, and night sweats.
2. Lotus Seed and Glutinous Rice Porridge
Lotus seeds are also effective in improving sleep. So how do we make it? Let's find out.
Recipe: 50g lotus seeds, 100g glutinous rice.
Usage: Wash the lotus seeds and glutinous rice, then put them in a pot and add an appropriate amount of water. Cook until the lotus seeds are soft.
Efficacy: Lotus seeds have a sweet and astringent taste, neutral nature, and enter the heart, spleen, and kidney meridians. They have the effects of tonifying the spleen and kidneys, nourishing the heart, and calming the mind, making people calm and easy to fall asleep. Lotus seeds are listed as top-grade in the "Shennong Bencao Jing" (an ancient Chinese medicinal book). Modern nutritional analysis also shows that lotus seeds are rich in protein, fat, sugar, calcium, phosphorus, iron, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, carotene, etc., and are a good dietary supplement for people of all ages. Lotus seeds also have the effect of invigorating the spleen and stopping diarrhea. Cooking them with glutinous rice can nourish the spleen and astringe the intestines, which is especially suitable for people with spleen deficiency and chronic diarrhea. As we enter the summer season, many people suffer from poor sleep due to heat and heart fire. Lotus seed porridge is good at removing heat, clearing heart fire, and calming the mind, and has a good therapeutic effect on summer heat, irritability, and insomnia. As a folk saying goes, "If you don't want to lose sleep, cook porridge with white lotus seeds." It should be noted that although lotus seed porridge is good, it is not suitable for everyone. People who often experience bloating or constipation should avoid consuming this.
3. Depression-Relief and Calming Tea
Depression-relief and calming tea can help effectively improve sleep problems. Let's take a look.
Recipe: 1g mullein, 3g bamboo leaves, 3g gastrodia, 3g mimosa flower, 3g rose flower, 2g licorice.
Usage: Take the above ingredients daily, in 1-2 servings. Brew them with about 300ml of boiling water in a teacup or thermos flask and drink as a substitute for tea. Take continuously for one month as a course of treatment.
Efficacy: Calms the mind, nourishes the heart, treats insomnia, relieves depression, enhances intelligence, broadens the mind, and relaxes the chest. This tea is especially suitable for insomnia combined with various heart diseases. It promotes sleep and also relieves symptoms such as palpitations, chest tightness, and chest pain in patients with heart disease. Among them, mullein is the pith or whole plant of the mullein plant in the family Scrophulariaceae. It has a sweet, light, and cold nature and enters the heart, lung, and small intestine meridians. It has the effect of clearing the heart and reducing fire. Bamboo leaves contain a large amount of flavonoids, bioactive polysaccharides, and other effective ingredients, which have excellent antioxidant, anti-aging, lipid-lowering, and cholesterol-lowering effects. Gastrodia enters the heart and liver meridians and has the effect of calming the liver, calming the mind, and increasing intelligence. Mimosa flower contains saponins, tannins, etc., enters the heart and liver meridians, and has the effect of calming the mind and relieving depression. Rose flower contains rose oil, quercetin, bitter substances, ellagic acid, red pigment, etc. It has a sweet and slightly bitter taste, enters the spleen and liver meridians, and has the effects of regulating Qi, relieving depression, promoting blood circulation, and dispersing stasis. Licorice harmonizes various medicines and, when combined with other medicines, has the effects of calming the mind, relieving depression, and aiding sleep.
