Sleep is an inherent part of healthy living but an activity that is much deprived for many in society today. Getting into sleep and staying asleep seems to be almost unachievable by many people as they struggle to even get through the night in peace. This is especially so for caregivers who may have to break their sleep to serve the person they are caring for during the wee hours of the night.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, poor sleep is seen when organs such as the Heart and Kidney are out of balance. The reasons for sleep problems can be multiple and diverse, having mostly been built up over time and thus resulting in an imbalance.
Lifestyle habits are one of the factors that we can start to reevaluate and improve to bring about positive changes to sleep quality and pattern. One of which is dietary.
In some ancient traditions, it is advocated that there are certain vegetables or herbs that should be avoided in diets as they can cause overstimulation to the mind and disturb meditative cultivation. From a Traditional Chinese Medicine point of view, it can be seen that these vegetables have properties such as “Warming” or “Hot” and “Pungent” in flavor that can increase the Heart fire and direct energy outwards and upwards. This means that they can result in agitation or excitement to the person and the nervous system. To have good quality sleep, TCM advocates for energy to be consolidated inwards rather than dispersed. Hence to have a better-quality sleep, it is encouraged to avoid, if not cut down, these vegetables in one’s diet (especially at dinner) to keep the nerves and mind peaceful and overall energy grounded.
Here are five of them and their individual properties that may result in the person being more stimulated, which may be brought over into the evening and affect sleep quality.
1. Onions
Temperature: Warm
Flavor: Pungent
Properties: circulates qi, circulates blood, disperses cold, clears dampness, resolves phlegm
2. Garlic
Temperature: Hot
Flavor: Pungent, sweet, salty
Properties: circulates qi, clears dampness, eliminates toxins, disperses wind, resolves phlegm
3. Chives
Temperature: Warm
Flavor: Pungent
Properties: circulates qi, circulates blood
4. Scallion (Green onions)
Temperature: Warm
Flavor: Pungent
Properties: disperses cold, eliminates toxins, disperses wind, reduces swelling
5. Leeks
Temperature: Warm
Flavor: Pungent, sweet, sour
Properties: circulates qi, circulates blood, disperses cold
Dr Lim Xiang Jun
Senior Consultant TCM Physician
PhD. Acupuncture/Chinese Medicine
Founder of Dr Xiang Jun, The Modern Traditional Doctor
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All information is accurate at the time of publishing.