says: "If Defensive Qi does not enter into the Yin at night and remains in the Yang, Yang-Qi
becomes Full and the Yang Heel Vessel in Excess, Yin becomes deficient and the eyes cannot
close".5(282) For this reason, the beginning points of the Yang and Yin Heel Vessels (BL-62
Shenmai and KI-6 Zhaohai respectively) can be used, together with BL-1 Jingming, for insomnia
(see below).

Diagnosis

When questioning a patient about insomnia it is important to establish clearly what the main
problem is.

Difficulty in falling asleep usually indicates deficiency of Blood, whilst falling asleep easily but
waking up frequently during the night denotes Yin deficiency. This is not, however, an absolute
rule. Of course the two conditions may coexist in which case the person has difficulty in falling
asleep and wakes up during the night.

Waking up early in the morning indicates Heart and Gall-Bladder deficiency.

As for dreams, they are due to the wandering of the Mind and/or Ethereal Soul at night. A certain
amount of dreaming is therefore normal. The old classics described various types of unpleasant
dreams such as nightmares, waking up screaming, sleep-walking and talking in one's sleep. They
related dreaming to the wandering of the Ethereal Soul at night.

When a person's physical body receives something it is real; when the Mind receives something
it produces dreams. When the Mind is slave to objects [i.e. pursues objects] the Ethereal Soul
and the Corporeal Soul become restless, they fly around and, gathering at the eyes, they produce
dreams. Grasping [i.e. excessive craving] in daytime produces dreaming at night.

"Excessive" dreaming may be defined as dreaming which causes restless sleep or nightmares,
resulting in the person feeling very tired the following morning. Dreaming which does not make
the sleep restless, is not frightening, does not disturb the Mind the morning after, and does not
leave the person very tired in the morning, can be described as normal and is not a pathological
condition.

Excessive dreaming may be due to deficiency of Blood or Yin. Frightening dreams which wake
one up denote a deficiency of Gall-Bladder and Heart. Restless dreams are often due to
Phlegm-Heat affecting Stomach and Heart. The following is a list of dreams from the "Simple
Questions" and "Spiritual Axis":

• Flying: Emptiness in the Lower Burner6(283)