What’s Your Sleep Pattern?

5 quick questions to identify your TCM insomnia type and ideal treatment approach

Question 1 of 5

What is your main sleep problem?

I can’t fall asleep — my mind won’t switch off

I wake up frequently during the night

I wake too early and can’t get back to sleep

I sleep but wake up exhausted — light, restless sleep

Question 2 of 5

What time do you typically wake up during the night?

I never fall asleep in the first place

Between 1am and 3am

Between 3am and 5am

Random — no consistent pattern

Question 3 of 5

Which associated symptoms describe you best?

Racing thoughts, warm palms, dry mouth at night

Irritability, tension headaches, jaw clenching

Fatigue, poor appetite, loose digestion

Night sweats, palpitations, dizziness

Question 4 of 5

How would you describe your stress level?

High — constant work pressure or conflict

Moderate — life transitions, adjustments

Low but I still can’t sleep — it’s physical not mental

Overthinking more than actual stress

Question 5 of 5

What tends to worsen your sleep the most?

Coffee or screen time before bed

Emotional upset — arguments, frustration, bad news

Heavy or late meals

Nothing obvious — it’s consistently poor

Heart-Kidney Disharmony

心肾不交

Your answers suggest a pattern where kidney yin is unable to nourish and anchor the heart spirit. This creates internal heat that rises at night, keeping the mind restless even when your body is exhausted. Common signs include difficulty initiating sleep, warm palms and soles, occasional night sweats, and a sensation of your thoughts spinning without resolution.

This is one of the most common insomnia patterns seen in busy professionals and is highly responsive to acupuncture at HT7 (Shenmen) and KI3 (Taixi), combined with yin-nourishing herbal formulas like Tian Wang Bu Xin Dan.

Recommended approach: Acupuncture (2x/week initially) + herbal medicine to nourish kidney yin and settle heart fire. Most patients with this pattern see meaningful improvement within 3-4 weeks.

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Liver Qi Stagnation

肝气郁结

Your responses point toward trapped emotional energy in the liver channel. Frustration, anger, or unexpressed stress causes qi to stagnate, disrupting the smooth flow needed for restful sleep. This pattern typically manifests as waking between 1am and 3am (the liver’s peak hours in TCM), vivid or disturbing dreams, irritability, and tension in the neck and shoulders.

Many patients with this pattern also experience anxiety alongside insomnia — addressing the liver qi stagnation frequently resolves both simultaneously.

Recommended approach: Acupuncture focused on PC6, LR3 (Taichong), and GV20 to move liver qi and calm the spirit. Herbal formulas like modified Xiao Yao San may be combined to smooth emotional flow. Improvement in dream quality and nighttime waking typically appears within 2-3 weeks.

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Spleen Qi Deficiency

脾虚

Your answers suggest that overthinking and irregular eating have weakened your spleen’s capacity to produce sufficient qi and blood. Without adequate blood to nourish the heart, sleep becomes shallow and unrefreshing. You may also notice poor appetite, bloating after meals, fatigue that persists regardless of sleep duration, and a tendency to bruise easily.

This pattern is particularly common in students, researchers, and anyone whose work involves intensive mental processing with irregular meal schedules.

Recommended approach: Acupuncture at SP6, ST36 (Zusanli), and HT7 to strengthen spleen qi and nourish heart blood. Suan Zao Ren Tang is the classical herbal formula for this pattern. Dietary guidance plays an important supporting role. Sleep depth and morning energy typically improve within 3-4 weeks.

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This quiz is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical diagnosis. A full TCM assessment with pulse and tongue diagnosis is needed to confirm your pattern.