Night crying
AliasInfantile Night Crying
Traditional Chinese Medicine Definition
In traditional Chinese medicine, "night crying" (Xia Er Ye Ku) refers to a pediatric condition characterized by a child's inability to sleep and ceaseless crying during the night. As recorded in "Internal Medicine of Traditional Chinese Medicine," night crying is often attributed to deficiencies in the spleen and stomach, excessive heart fire, or internal movement of liver wind, presenting with symptoms such as crying at night with varying intensity, pale complexion, decreased appetite, and restless sleep.
In clinical practice of traditional Chinese medicine, the core pathogenesis of night crying is commonly associated with deficiencies in the spleen and stomach, excessive heart fire, or internal movement of liver wind. Common precipitating factors include irregular diet, exposure to external pathogens, and emotional disturbances. During diagnosis, attention should be paid to distinguishing between cold, heat, deficiency, and excess, such as the spleen cold and qi stagnation syndrome, which presents with night crying, weak crying sounds, preference for curling up, and abdominal preference for massage; and the heart channel accumulation of heat syndrome, which presents with night crying, loud crying sounds, restlessness, and a red face and lips. The overall direction of treatment suggests adherence to the principle of syndrome differentiation and treatment in traditional Chinese medicine, including warming the spleen to dispel cold, clearing the heart to guide the fire, and calming the liver to subdue the wind, in order to harmonize yin and yang and restore the child's normal physiological state. During the treatment process, attention should be given to dietary adjustments, avoiding cold and greasy foods, maintaining good indoor air circulation, and avoiding excessive emotional fluctuations to aid in recovery.
Common Syndrome Types and Key Points of Differentiation
Spleen Cold and Qi Stagnation Syndrome
Main Manifestations: Nighttime crying, with a low and weak crying sound, prefers to curl up, and likes abdominal massage
Management Approach: Warm the spleen and dispel cold, promote Qi and relieve pain
Heart Channel Accumulation of Heat Syndrome
Main Manifestations: Crying at night, loud crying, restlessness, red face, and red lips
Management Approach: Clear the heart and guide the red, drain fire and calm the mind
The above syndrome information is based on traditional Chinese medicine textbooks and clinical standards. Specific differentiation should be completed by a practicing traditional Chinese medicine physician in person.
Physician's Clinical Insights
The understanding of physicians is that children with night crying often suffer from excessive fire in the heart and liver. Clearing the heart and draining fire, and calming the mind and soothing the heart are the key points of treatment.
— Tang Yulan Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioner (Apprentice)
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This page is for the popular science of traditional Chinese medicine knowledge and does not constitute medical advice. Specific diagnosis should be completed by a licensed traditional Chinese medicine practitioner in person.
This article has been reviewed by licensed TCM physicians at Hangzhou Kezhentang TCM Clinic. It is for TCM popular science reference only and does not involve specific treatment plan recommendations.
References: Internal Medicine of TCM (13th Five-Year Plan Textbook), Diagnostic and Therapeutic Effectiveness Standards for TCM Diseases and Syndromes (ZY/T001.1-94), Classification and Codes of TCM Diseases and Syndromes (GB/T 15657-2021)