Q Even on days when I wasn't especially stressed, I can't fall asleep for no reason. What is interfering with my sleep?
A Chronic sleep disorders often persist without any stressful event. The main maintaining factors are anxiety about sleep itself, irregular sleep schedules, and a learned association between bed and wakefulness.
Detailed Answer
When a sleep disorder becomes chronic, a conditioned response develops in which the sleep situation itself triggers anxiety. The moment you lie down in bed, your brain automatically switches into an alert mode, and worrying about not being able to sleep further disrupts sleep. This is called conditioned hyperarousal and is a core treatment target of cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I). Napping, sleeping in on weekends, and irregular wake-up times are also maintaining factors that disrupt the internal sleep clock.
Korean Medicine Clinic Perspective
At Dongjedang, we interpret this state of learned arousal as Heart-Gallbladder Deficiency (simdam-heogeop), in which the Heart and Gallbladder become weak so that the mind is easily startled and anxious. We use Guibi-tang (Restore the Spleen decoction) type prescriptions to strengthen the Heart and Gallbladder and reduce anxiety reactivity, while also guiding patients to maintain regular bedtimes and wake-up times.
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