The practice of traditional Chinese medicine today brings together many hundereds of years of medicine practiced in China including the use of Chinese medicine as a natural insomnia cure. The term 'traditional Chinese medicine' is a relatively modern term which was first used by the People's Republic of China during the 1950s when the country was attempting to build a substantial and sustainable export trade for its time honored medicines and practices.

Nowadays, traditional Chinese medicine does not simply encompass medicinal products, but also encompasses such things as herbal preparations and a number of practices including acupuncture and massage. The basis of traditional Chinese medicine is that the human body functions as the result of numerous interrelated processes which are also in constant interaction with the environment around us. Providing these processes remain balanced you are healthy. However, if these processes are not running together smoothly, then your health will suffer.

There are several different philosophies which govern the practice of Chinese medicine including things like the theory of Yin-Yang, the part played by the five elements (earth, water, wood, fire and metal), energy flow along the meridians of the body and the interaction of the body's organs as set out in the theory of Zang-Fu.

There has been a great deal of conflict for many years between those who follow traditional Chinese medical practices and people who believe in the science-based practice of western medicine. Nowadays however traditional Chinese medicine, as well as other forms of Oriental and Asian medicine, is increasingly being accepted in the west and today we usually refer to such practices simply as alternative medicine.

For millions of sufferers around the world, herbal remedies have long proved to be effective as a cure for insomnia, or for the relief of insomnia symptoms, and things like lavender, chamomile, lemon balm and passion flower have long been known for their medicinal properties. There surely cannot be very many insomnia sufferers who have not tried a drink of hot honey combined with lemon balm before turning in for the night.

More and more people are also turning to acupuncture or, for those who do not like the idea of needles, acupressure. Both arts have been practiced for hundreds of years and the principles were born out of the traditional Chinese practice of adjusting the energy in the body by controlling its flow along the meridian lines.

In spite of its increasing acceptance there are still many people who are wary of traditional Chinese medicine but anybody who has experienced it in action, particularly those of us who have been lucky enough to spend time living in the Far East, will most certainly vouch for just how effective it is.

If you suffer from insomnia then using traditional Chinese medicine for curing insomnia naturally is one route that you should consider very seriously.