Many male friends are very concerned about the condition of their kidneys—whether they are healthy or deficient. And if they truly are deficient, what type of deficiency is it? Actually, there's no need to make wild guesses. Traditional Chinese Medicine teaches you how to distinguish between Yang deficiency, Yin deficiency, and Essence depletion by observing your sleep! Next, let’s discuss this in detail!

First, Kidney Yin Deficiency—sweating after falling asleep at night

Some people wake up in the later part of the night only to find their back and forehead drenched in sweat; in severe cases, the bedsheet may even be soaked. In traditional Chinese medicine, this is referred to as night sweats. If, in addition to night sweats, you often experience dryness in the throat before bedtime, feel thirsty even after drinking water, experience soreness and weakness in the lower back and knees, have a restless heart, and feel warmth in the palms and soles, along with frequent thoughts about sexual desire but a lack of physical ability, and if your tongue appears red with little coating, this is likely a case of kidney yin deficiency. This condition requires nourishing kidney yin, and Liuwei Dihuang Wan or Zhibai Dihuang Wan may be considered for regulation.

Next, kidney yang deficiency—cold hands and feet, unable to warm up the bed.

For individuals with this condition, the onset of cold weather brings worry. Even after spending a long time under the covers, they struggle to generate warmth, and this becomes particularly evident in winter. Their hands and feet remain icy cold, and they often feel a chill in the lower back and spine, which is mostly due to yang deficiency. If they also frequently experience cold pain and soreness in the lower back, feel chilly in the knees and calves, lack energy throughout the day, suffer from diarrhea in the morning, notice undigested food in their stool, and have diminished interest in sexual desire, this is likely a case of kidney yang deficiency. This condition requires supplementing yang qi, and Yougui Wan or Guifu Dihuang Wan may be considered for regulation.

Then, kidney qi deficiency—frequent nighttime urination.

If you frequently wake up in the middle of the night feeling the urge to urinate, and find yourself needing to go to the bathroom repeatedly soon after lying down, with a significant amount of urine each time, this may indicate kidney qi deficiency. Kidney qi has a consolidating and restraining function, much like a gatekeeper, controlling the release of urine and preventing it from being expelled indiscriminately. When kidney qi is insufficient, the "gate" does not close tightly. You may also often feel overall fatigue, dizziness, tinnitus, spontaneous sweating, shortness of breath, a sensation of not being able to take a deep breath, a sunken appearance at the base of the tongue, and other symptoms. In such cases, it is necessary to tonify kidney qi, and one may consider using Jin Gui Shen Qi Wan for regulation.

Lastly, kidney essence deficiency—always dreaming

If you sleep restlessly at night, constantly having chaotic dreams, and in daily life frequently experience hair loss, premature graying of hair and beard, declining memory, forgetting things as soon as they are mentioned, ringing in the ears, low spirits, soreness and weakness in the lower back and knees, and appear older than your peers, this may indicate kidney essence deficiency. In such a situation, it is essential to thoroughly nourish kidney essence, and one may consider using Wu Zi Yan Zong Wan for regulation.

The content of this article is for educational purposes only, reminding everyone that kidney deficiency may be accompanied by issues such as liver stagnation, spleen deficiency, phlegm-dampness, and others. Therefore, before tonifying the kidneys, it is crucial to first understand exactly what is wrong with you. Avoid using medication blindly. If the medication is not suited to your condition or the regulation is not comprehensive, the results will certainly be unsatisfactory. It is recommended to seek medical attention promptly if you experience physical discomfort!