Sleeplessness is an ancient problem that the Chinese have had solutions for since the Tang Dynasty.

One solution was sleeping during the Zi hour — 11 p.m. to 1 p.m. — which traditional Chinese medicine doctors still advise their patients today.

In the “Essential Formulas Worth a Thousand in Gold for Emergencies,” written by Tang Dynasty (618-907) doctor Sun Simiao, it was also recommended to sleep lying on one’s side, preferably with the head facing east during spring and summer, and west during autumn and winter, South China Morning Post (SCMP) reports.

In the Chinese practice of feng shui, the direction to the sun yields positive energy or yang.

There is also a Chinese superstition that evil spirits cause insomnia or restless sleep and placing scissors, walnuts, or amulets under the pillow turns them away. Some pillowcases with walnuts sewn in them are even sold today, indicating the persistence of the belief.

Meanwhile, a Chinese woman surnamed Wang has yet to relieve her insomnia caused by a bad cosmetic surgery.

Wang underwent double eyelid surgery in June 2020. The procedure creates a natural fold or crease in the upper eyelid for individuals who are born without one.

The surgery was carried out by Meng, marketing director of Meixi Cosmetic Surgery Clinic in Suzhou, Jiangsu province, according to the SCMP. The evening after the surgery, water built up in her two eyes, sending her to the hospital. Doctors found that her lacrimal gland had been cut and she was unable to shut her eyelids, preventing her from sleeping.

Further surgeries failed to fix the problem, prompting Wang to sue Meng, who was later found to lack a doctor’s qualification certificate, while her Meixi cosmetic clinic lacked a business license, resulting in its closure.

Meixi and Wang later signed a settlement deal in which the former paid Wang 850,000 yuan in exchange for dropping her lawsuits.