Traditional Chinese Medicine provides a different, but entirely unique and intriguing theory, about what causes insomnia. They claim that insomnia frequently stems from kidney energy weakness, or kidney yin deficiency. Signs and symptoms of kidney energy weakness include low back ache tiredness, dry mouth, especially at night, dark scanty urine, thirst, dizziness, check flushing, sensation of heat in the palms soles and chest, constipation, forgetfulness, poor circulation in the ears, a loss of hearing at the higher frequencies, and sometimes ringing in the ear desire to lie down and sleep, hair loss, toothache, reduced muscle mass, dry throat, and a burst of energy around 11pm. The skin of people with weak kidneys are often described as brown-black in color and lacking elasticity. Additional symptoms of Kidney energy weakness include a reddish tongue with little coating, a weak floating and “empty” pulse, high blood pressure, diabetes, and urogenital infection.
Psychologically, those with weak kidney energy are described as chronically anxious and fearful. They suffer from lack of determination, and, they usually have family troubles because they lack patience and endurance.
Western medicine often prescribes sleep medications for people who suffer from insomnia, whereas the Chinese approach, grounded in their understanding of the cause of insomnia, is entirely different. According to traditional Chinese healers, the most important way to treat insomnia is often to strengthen the kidney energy. To do this, a traditional practitioner will prescribe a herbal preparation that stimulates Qi in the kidney meridian. Eucommia is a perfect choice for this job as it tonifies the kidney Qi.
BioDream, by the natural health products company eHelps, is an example of a natural sleep supplement that incorporates Eucommia into the ingredients. According to eHelps the 12 herbal extracts in BioDream tonify and strengthen the Qi in the 12 meridians, thereby restoring a natural balance to the body. Eucommia, as is known, strengthens the Kidney Qi, and thereby helps to correct kidney energy weakness in people who take the supplement.
http://altmedicine.about.com/ od/tcmpatterns/a/kidney_yin. htm