Commonly Used Sedative and Sleep-Aiding Formula
One-third of a person's life is spent in sleep. Sleep is a physiological need and also an essential means to maintain good health. Its health benefits include: promoting growth and development; protecting the brain; eliminating fatigue and restoring physical strength; and enhancing immunity. However, some people often suffer from insomnia, difficulty falling asleep, or waking easily during sleep, frequently accompanied by symptoms such as dizziness, head fog, forgetfulness, and fatigue, seriously affecting work and study. Insomnia is commonly caused by dysfunction of the five zang organs, especially the heart, liver, and kidney. Depending on the cause, it can be classified as deficiency or excess. Deficiency fire disturbing internally, with disharmony between heart and kidney, manifests as palpitations, fatigue, forgetfulness, and restless insomnia—typically deficiency patterns. In contrast, if caused by external fright, liver qi stagnation transforming into fire, lung heat disturbing the heart, or unrested heart spirit, symptoms include irritability, fear, anger, and inability to sleep at night—usually excess patterns. The former should be treated with nourishing and calming agents, while the latter requires clearing lung heat and regulating liver function. Traditional sedative and sleep-enhancing health formulas primarily focus on tonification. Commonly used foods include lotus seeds, jujubes, sour jujubes, lilies, longan, yam, quail, oyster meat, yellow croaker, and animal hearts. Improved sleep helps restore brain fatigue and benefits learning and memory. From this perspective, sedative herbs also have certain cognitive-enhancing effects.
[Formula One] 5 jujubes, 50 grams millet, 10 grams Poria with pine root (Fu Shen). Boil Fu Shen in water, filter the liquid, then combine the decoction with jujubes and millet to cook porridge. Take twice daily, morning and evening. Jujubes are sweet and warm, effective in tonifying the middle energizer, invigorating blood, and calming the spirit. According to Japanese researchers, a substance extracted from jujube has been proven through pharmacological tests to have sedative and hypnotic effects. This sedative action aligns with the traditional Chinese medicine concept of "calming the spirit." Fu Shen, derived from the white portion of the pine root inside the sclerotium of the fungus Poria cocos, shares the same properties as Poria—sweet and neutral. It excels in nourishing the heart and calming the spirit, specifically for conditions involving restlessness, palpitations, and forgetfulness. As recorded in *Mingyi Bie Lu*, Fu Shen "stops palpitations, excessive anger, forgetfulness, opens the mind, enhances intelligence, calms the soul, and nourishes the spirit." Its aqueous extract exhibits sedative effects. Millet, i.e., foxtail millet, has nutritional components similar to common rice and possesses spleen-strengthening and stomach-harmonizing properties. *Sui Xi Hou Yin Shi Pu* states: "The functions of millet are similar to those of glutinous rice but slightly cooler in nature, making it suitable for patients." Since using jujubes alone may lack sufficient effect, Fu Shen is added to enhance sedative power, and millet is included to support spleen and stomach Qi. The entire formula has the effect of strengthening the spleen and nourishing the heart, calming the spirit, and enhancing intelligence. It is suitable for individuals with both heart and spleen deficiency presenting symptoms such as palpitations, restlessness, insomnia, forgetfulness, and poor concentration.
[Formula Two] 30 grams fresh lily, 50 grams glutinous rice, appropriate amount of rock sugar. Separate the lily petals, wash them clean, and prepare glutinous rice as usual. Add the lily when the rice is nearly cooked, continue boiling until the porridge is ready. Stir in rock sugar for flavor. If fresh lily is unavailable, use 10 grams dried lily instead, boiled directly with the rice. Take twice daily, warm, in the morning and evening. Lily has long been used as a tonic food and medicinal herb. Listed as a superior herb in *Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing*. Various herbal texts record its health benefits: "tonifies earth, supplements essence, slow-cooked with salt until beef becomes tender and falls apart." This formula is fragrant, tender, rich yet not greasy. It strengthens the spleen, boosts Qi, nourishes essence, and calms the spirit, suitable for post-illness patients with Qi deficiency and blood deficiency.<Sedative>