Singapore Chinese Insomniacs Physical Features Of Traditional Chinese Medicine Research

Insomnia is a common sleeping disorder, with patients having unsactifactory quality and/or length of sleep to meet their individuals’biological needs for an extended period of time. It is categorized under " Bu Mei " under TCM. Insmonia can exists as an independent clinical disease or it can also be refered to as just a symptom. It could also co-exist with many other physical or mental diseases. Insomnia is very common clinically and is one of the most common symptoms, probably only second to pain in clinical observations. Almost a quarter of the world’s population currently suffers from a varied degree of insomnia. Most of the researches on common diseases conclude the percentage at between30-35%for insomnia, and is more prevalent in females than males. According to the report on " Sleep&Health" published by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Sleep Organization, the average length of sleep per night per person has dropped by more that20%in the21st century. Time differences, shift work and other modern lifestyles has worsen the severity of the insomniac condition. Besides the strain on ones’s mental and physical abilities, deficit from insufficient sleep is now a common trait amongst the modern man. Quietly but quickly spreading in the present century, insomnia is currently not only a globally common health problem, but has now become a public health hazard. In Singapore, recent statistics showed that close to40%of Singaporeans currently suffers from some degree of insomnia.Objective:Using Professor Wang Qi’s Nine TCM Body Constitution questionnaire to explore if there are critical differences between the patients with insomnia and normal people (non-insomniac patients) in Singapore.Method:Using Professor Wang Qi’s Nine Body Constitution questionnaire and the American Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) questionnaire, collated294patients with insomnia (60males and234females) and353cases of normal non-insomniac cases (120males and233females) in Singapore. By comparing the two group’s TCM body constitutions, to explore their diferences and their relations to the various factors affecting the two groups. Findings:There were significant statistical differences (P<0.01) between the two groups’ TCM body constitutions in Singapore. Balanced TCM Body Constitution Type in the Normal Group is40.8%and only9.5%for the same Body Constitution Type for patients with insomnia. The percentages of individual categories of the group with insomnia with Biased TCM Body Constitutions are all higher than that in the normal group, and it is significantly so for Qi-Deficiency&Yin Deficiency TCM Body Constitution Types. There were statistical differences (P<0.05) between the two groups’ TCM body constitutions for the length of their insomniac condition. More than half of the patients with insomnia has had the condition for more than a year, with Yin-Deficiency Type being the most prominent in this category at40%. There were significant statistical differences (P<0.01) for their Sleep-Awake Cycle (SAC) as well. Their SAC are mostly basically regular as well as irregular, with a percentage of51%and41.5%respectively, all significantly higher than those who has very regular SAC. Excessive Heat&Phelgm TCM Body Constitution is prevalent amongst those patients with insomnia that has basically regular SAC, and Yin-Deficiency Type for those with irregular SAC. There were significant statistical differences (P<0.01) for their Actual Length of Sleep (ALS) per night. The ALSleep per night in the range of5-6hours has the highest percentage for patients with insomnia at43.5%, and with Yin-Deficiencybeing the most significant in this range. There were significant statistical differences (P<0.01) for Sleep Efficiencyas well. Most patients with insomnia falls under the range of75-84%at42.2%, in the order of Excessive Heat&Phelgm Type,Yang-Deficiency Type and Qi-Deficency Type. In addition, significant statistical differences (P<0.01) was observed for their Quality of Sleep. More than60%has Poor Sleep Quality, with Qi-Deficiency Type having the higest percentage, followed by Yang-Deficiency Type and Yin-Deficiency Type in this category. The two gender groups with insomnia has significant statistical differences (<0.01) for Actual Length of Sleep per night for the two gender groups. Almost equally, most males gets5-6hours or<5hours per night, as compared with62.4%of females having5-6hours per night.Conclusion:Among the two groups in Singapore, the percentages for all individual categories of the Biased TCM body constitution type in the Insomnia Group are all higher than those under the respective categories under the normal group and is especially so for Qi-Deficiency&Yin Deficiency TCM Body Constitution Types. More than half of the patients with insomnia has had the condition for more than a year, with Yin-Deficiency Type being the most prominent in this category. Their Sleep-Awake Cycle (SAC) are mostly basically regular as well as irregular, with a percentage of51%and41.5%respectively. The Actual Length of Sleep (ALS) per night in the range of5-6hours has the highest percentage for patients with insomnia, and with Yin-Deficiency being the most significant in this range. As for Sleep Efficiency, most patients with insomnia falls under the range of75-84%at42.2%, in the order of Excessive Heat&Phelgm Type,Yang-Deficiency Type and Qi-Deficency Type. As for the Quality of Sleep, more than60%has Poor Sleep Quality, with Qi-Deficiency Type having the higest percentage, followed by Yang-Deficiency Type and Yin-Deficiency Type in this category. The two gender groups with insomnia has significant statistical differences (<0.01) for Actual Length of Sleep per night for the two gender groups. Almost equally, most males gets5-6hours or<5hours per night, as compared with62.4%of females having5-6hours per night.