Chinese medicine doctor and CCMP member, Zheng Sui-zong (鄭歲宗) said six out of every 10 patients he sees experience sleeping problems, a major jump from the two to three he saw a decade ago. His biggest concern is the age of the patients, many of who are in their teens he said. It is an increase he attributes to entertainment and technology. "Too many children are sitting in front of the television, or computer for hours, not eating, not exercising, and now not sleeping."
The majority of Zheng's patients, he claimed, are looking to find an alternative or addition to the prescription medication they are already taking. His first step, he said, is to wean people off the prescription drugs before giving them any herbal medication to take, because a combination of the two can be harmful. His approach includes massage, acupuncture, herbal medicine and a magnetic bead that is placed on the ear at night time that works to relax the nervous system.
The road to recovery, Zheng said, is to locate the source of the sleeping problem and make a diagnosis from there. "Most sleep disorders, whether caused by physical or mental factors, can be treated or managed effectively once they are properly diagnosed," Lee said, but for some he added, "the waiting period is many sleepless nights."
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