Q Why is it harder to fall asleep when you worry a lot?
A This is because anxiety and ruminating thoughts stimulate the brain's arousal system, interfering with the body temperature drop and melatonin secretion necessary for sleep onset.
Detailed Answer
When you worry a lot, the amygdala becomes overactive, leading to sympathetic nervous system dominance. To fall asleep, core body temperature needs to drop by 0.5 to 1°C and sufficient melatonin must be secreted; however, if the state of wakefulness persists, both of these conditions are suppressed. A vicious cycle is formed where so-called "excessive sleep effort" exacerbates insomnia.
Perspective of a Korean Medicine Clinic
In Korean medicine, this state is explained as hyperactivity of heart fire or stagnation of liver qi. At Dongjedang, prescriptions are formulated with the simultaneous goals of soothing the liver and relieving stagnation, as well as nourishing the heart and calming the mind, and parasympathetic nervous system activation is induced through acupuncture stimulation on the inner wrist (PC6) and wrist area (HT7).
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