How does Chinese medicine recognize sleep?

Chinese medicine's understanding of the mechanism of sleep generation is based on the principles of yin and yang doctrine, which has three main views: the doctrine of yin and yang, the doctrine of the operation of Wei qi, and the doctrine of the divine master.

(1) Yin-yang doctrine. The doctrine of yin and yang believes that the physiological activities of sleep and wakefulness are produced by changes in the body's yin and yang. Yin is the main quiet, Yang is the main initiative; Yang decline, Yin is full of energy, then sleep occurs; Yang is full of energy, Yin is full of energy, people will wake up. This yin and yang dominate the mechanism of sleep and wakefulness, which is determined by the movement of the body's yang energy in and out.

(2) The theory of the operation of Wei Qi. The theory of the operation of Wei Qi in sleep is included in the theory of yin and yang, and the theory of yin and yang in which Yang Qi is in and out, refers to Wei Qi. According to the theory of Wei Qi operation: Wei Qi runs through the Yang meridian and wakes up, and runs through the Yin meridian and the five organs and sleep occurs.

(3) The doctrine of divine master. The doctrine of divine master of sleep holds that sleep and wakefulness are dominated by divine activity. As Zhang Jingyue said, "Sleep is a Yin, and God is the master of it. When God is at peace, one sleeps; when God is not at peace, one does not sleep."

The god in Chinese medicine refers to the external manifestation of the human body's life activity, and also refers to the human spirit, consciousness and thinking activity. God's activities, with a certain regularity, with the natural world of yin and yang and change. During the day is Yang, Yang active, so the God operating in the outside, people awake and active; night is Yin, Yin main quiet, so the God returns to its house, hidden in the five viscera, people lie down and sleep is rest. If the god can not rest in its house, wandering and flying, there will be sleeplessness, dreamy, sleepwalking, dreaming and other diseases.