Physiology, pathophysiology and therapeutic treatment of insomnia from natural and traditional medicine

Abstract

Sleep disorders constitute a health problem of high global prevalence, and among them insomnia is the most frequent, with significant repercussions on people’s life quality. Given the limitations of pharmacological treatments, natural and traditional medicine has emerged as a promising therapeutic option. A literature review was conducted with the aim of describing the physiological foundations of sleep, the pathophysiology of insomnia, and the main therapeutic modalities of natural and traditional medicine used in its treatment. Various databases were consulted, such as LILACS, MEDLINE, Elsevier, SciELO and Google Scholar, as well as sources available in the Virtual Health Library of Cuba. Sleep was defined as an active, cyclic physiological process regulated by homeostatic, circadian and ultradian mechanisms. Insomnia was characterized as a multifactorial disorder, underpinned by sustained central hyperarousal with neurochemical, genetic, immunoendocrine and behavioral alterations. From the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine, insomnia was interpreted as an imbalance between Yin and Yang, with involvement of the Shen, the Hun and the Zhi, related to disharmonies of the heart, liver, spleen, kidney and stomach organs. The most commonly used therapeutic modalities within traditional medicine were identified, including phytotherapy, acupuncture, auriculotherapy, homeopathy, flower therapy and massage. It was concluded that these modalities constitute promising options due to their safety profile, accessibility and holistic approach.