🌿 Folk Remedy for Treating Insomnia 5
Gancao (Licorice root) 10 grams, Da Zao (Jujube) 5 pieces, Xiao Mai (Wheat) 10 grams. Soak the three herbs in cold water, then simmer gently. Each decoction takes 30 minutes; prepare two batches and combine the decoctions. Take twice daily, warm, drink the soup and eat the jujubes.
This formula primarily uses cool and moist wheat to nourish heart yin and supplement heart qi, thus calming the spirit. Licorice, being sweet and neutral, supplements spleen and stomach functions and nourishes heart qi. Jujube, being sweet and warm, strengthens the spleen, boosts qi, soothes the liver, and moistens dryness in internal organs. Together, these three herbs provide a balanced combination of warmth and coolness, combining tonifying and clearing actions, with a sweet, moist, and nourishing effect that calms agitation and alleviates tension.
According to a report in the Journal of the Japanese Society of Oriental Medicine, this decoction can suppress abnormal excitement in the brain nerves, restore normal state of the nervous system, and reduce cerebral excitability, helping individuals fall asleep easily. It is suitable for insomnia caused by deficiency of heart qi, yin deficiency with blood insufficiency, and stagnation of liver qi, presenting symptoms such as night sweats, mental confusion, irritability, and emotional sadness.