Anshen Zhumian Fang
One-third of a person's life is spent in sleep. Sleep is a physiological need of the human body and also an important means to maintain health. Its health benefits are roughly fourfold: promoting growth and development; protecting the brain; eliminating fatigue and restoring physical strength; enhancing immunity. However, some people often suffer from insomnia, difficulty falling asleep, or waking easily during sleep, often accompanied by symptoms such as dizziness, headache, forgetfulness, and fatigue, seriously affecting work and study.
Insomnia usually results from dysfunction of the five zang organs, especially the heart, liver, and kidney. Due to different causes, 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—commonly seen in deficiency patterns. If external fright, liver qi stagnation transforming into fire, lung heat disturbing the heart, or unrested heart spirit occurs, symptoms include irritability, fear, anger, and inability to sleep at night—typically seen in excess patterns. For the former, nourishing and calming agents should be used; for the latter, clearing lung heat and soothing the liver are recommended.
Traditional Anshen Zhumian health-preserving formulas mainly focus on tonification. Commonly used foods include lotus seeds, jujube, sour jujube, lily bulbs, longan, yam, quail, oyster meat, yellow croaker, and animal hearts. Improved sleep helps restore brain fatigue and benefits learning and memory. From this perspective, tranquilizing herbs also have certain cognitive-enhancing effects.
[Formula One]
Five jujubes, 50 grams of millet, 10 grams of Poria cocos (Fushen). Boil Poria cocos first, filter the decoction, then combine the liquid with jujubes and millet to cook as porridge. Take twice daily, once in the morning and once in the evening.
Jujube is sweet and warm, effective in tonifying the middle energizer, invigorating qi, nourishing blood, and calming the spirit. According to Japanese researchers, a substance isolated from jujube extract has been proven through pharmacological tests to have sedative and hypnotic effects. This sedative effect aligns well with the traditional Chinese medicine concept of "calming the spirit."
Poria cocos (Fushen) is the white portion of the pine root inside the sclerotium of the fungus *Poria cocos*. Its taste and nature are the same as Poria. It is sweet and neutral, particularly effective in nourishing the heart and calming the spirit, specifically indicated for conditions like restlessness, palpitations, forgetfulness, and mental agitation. As recorded in *Mingyi Bie Lu*, “Fushen stops palpitations, excessive anger, forgetfulness, opens the mind, enhances intelligence, calms the soul, and nourishes the spirit.” Its decoction has a sedative effect.
Millet refers to foxtail millet, whose nutritional composition is similar to that of common rice. It has the function of strengthening the spleen and harmonizing the stomach. According to *Sui Xi Hou Yin Shi Pu*, “The functions of millet are similar to those of indica rice, but it has a slightly cooler nature, making it suitable for patients.”
This formula, if used alone with jujube, might lack sufficient strength. Therefore, Fushen and millet are selected as auxiliary ingredients: Fushen strengthens the calming effect, while millet supports the 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 all cases involving deficiency of both heart and spleen, palpitations, mental restlessness, insomnia, forgetfulness, and poor concentration.
[Formula Two]
30 grams of fresh lily bulbs, 50 grams of glutinous rice, and appropriate amount of rock sugar. Separate the lily bulbs into petals, wash them clean. Cook glutinous rice as usual. When the rice is nearly cooked, add the lily bulbs and continue cooking until the porridge is ready. Add rock sugar for flavoring. If fresh lily bulbs are unavailable, use 10 grams of dried lily bulbs instead, directly boiled with the rice. Take twice daily, warm, in the morning and evening.
Lily bulbs have long been used as a tonic food and medicinal herb. The *Shennong Bencao Jing* classifies them as a superior herb. Various herbal texts record their health benefits as: “nourishing earth,” “calming the mind,” “enhancing willpower,” “tonifying and strengthening,” and “promoting longevity without aging.” With a sweet and mild taste, lily bulbs can tonify the center, moisten the lungs, and calm the spirit.
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.<Anshen>