I’ve been using Cool Slumber, inspired by the Chinese Herbal Medicine formula, Tian Wan Bu Xi Dan, to sleep better for the last 6 months. I trained as a general surgeon in the 1990s, and was trained to be ready for action any time, day or night.

I’ve taken care of elective patients, emergency patients, as well as patients who have suffered trauma from a car accident or even guns. I trained my brain to respond to the needs of the patients, especially when woken up in the middle of the night.  

This training comes with a cost.

Many surgeons like me don’t sleep well when “on call”, and even when not on call. When the smallest sound wakes us up, we are ready for action! Some call this “beeper anxiety”.

Over the years, this beeper anxiety migrated to times when I was not on call. My brother-in-law is DAO Labs Co-Founder and Chief Doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Dr. Eric Karchmer.  Last fall, in the midst of this transition, he introduced me to Tian Wan Bu Xin Dang and Cool Slumber

I’ve noticed a sense of calm that supports a more restful night. 

Finding the Right Herbal Formula – From Stress to Sleep

Eric first introduced me to these herbs about 6 months ago. I was just in the process of making a transition in my surgical practice to focus only on the care of patients with inguinal hernia, umbilical hernia, and pilonidal disease. This transition had both positive and negative effects. 

First of all, there was a lot more stress in creating a focused healthcare clinic. There was the upside of not having to cover unassigned patients from the emergency room in the middle of the night. The combination of the stress and being trained to wake up easily impacted my sleep. I used to wake up around 4:00 AM feeling wide awake. When I tried to fall back asleep, I often felt warm and found it tough to settle in again.

From Mental Tranquility to Cool Slumber

When I actually mentioned this to Eric over Thanksgiving, he suggested I try one of two Chinese herb combinations he thought could help my sleep. The first was Gui Pi Tang (the formula of inspiration behind Mental Tranquility), and it did not seem to make much difference.

Dr. Eric thought that I needed to deal with my racing mind first, before dealing with the temperature regulation.

After incorporating Cool Slumber into my nightly routine, I felt more at ease throughout the night and found it easier to return to sleep. Over the next few months, my rest felt steadier and more refreshing, with fewer nighttime disturbances.

Cool Slumber has become an essential part of my evening ritual. On the rare occasion I forget to take it, like one morning when I woke up at 4:00 AM feeling restless and warm, I notice the difference. That experience reinforced how much I value this part of my nightly routine. 

I love sleeping well again. I know many other people like me are out there, sleeping too little and enjoying their life, kids just a little less than they could.

Use code PTSLEEP and save 15% on your first purchase.  

Care Consideration: Just a reminder that the above information is not a substitute for medical care and is not a substitute for medical advice or recommendations from a healthcare provider.  This information is not intended to treat, mitigate, or cure any disease.  That said, we encourage you to connect with an Acupuncturist in your community to learn more about this and other Traditional Chinese Medicine options.  If you’ve got questions about Chinese herbal medicine or getting started with an Acupuncturist, feel free to connect with us at hello@mydaolabs.com. 

Dr. Micki Reinhorn is a Boston hernia and pilonidal specialist. His focus is in the treatment of inguinal hernia, umbilical hernia and pilonidal disease. He maintains the sites bostonhernia.com and pilonidalclinic.com to provide patient education about these diseases. As Eric Karchmer’s brother in law he has experienced the advantages of Chinese medicine herbs and acupuncture first hand and recommends it to many of his patients. He is a husband, father, swimmer and cyclist when time permits. He recently coauthored a paper in the Journal Surgery calling for procedure-specific prescribing of opioids postoperatively, based on research conducted in his clinical practice.