Objective To review the compatibility law of Chinese patent medicine of treating insomnia recorded in Pharmacopeia of the People’s Republic of China（ Chinese pharmacopeia for short）. Methods Collected Chinese patent medicine of treating insomnia recorded in Chinese pharmacopeia（ 2010 Edition and enlarged version）. Extracted the information of included Chinese patent medicine

such as syndrome types

functional indications

class of herbs

single herbs

herbal pairs

angle herbs. Established database and made frequency statistics. Built dendrogram and made variable cluster analysis on herbs compatibility law. Results There were 51 kinds of Chinese patent medicine included in total

141 herbs included

with the total using frequency of 496. According to syndrome differentiation

syndromes were divided into deficiency syndromes

excess syndromes and syndromes of intermingled deficiency and excess. The main syndrome of deficiency syndromes was deficiency of both Qi and blood. The main syndrome of excess syndromes was upper hyperactivity of liver Yang. The syndrome of intermingled deficiency and excess was mainly the syndrome of blood stasis due to Qi deficiency. Used herbs were 15 types in total. Herbs of invigorating deficiency were used the most common（ frequency 203

accounting for 40. 93%）. The second was herbs for tranquillization（ frequency 59

accounting for 11. 90%）. The single herbs of top 5 using frequency were Suanzaoren [Semen Ziziphi Spinosae]（ 17）

Gancao [Radix Glycyrrhizae]（ 17）

Huangqi [Radix Astragali seu Hedysari ]（ 15）

Wuweizi [Fructus Schisandrae Chinensis]（ 14） and Fuling [Poria]（ 13）. The herbal pairs of top 5 using frequency were Suanzaoren + Yuanzhi [Radix Polygalae ]（ 11）

Suanzaoren + Danggui [Radix Angelicae Sinensis ]（ 11）

Suanzaoren + Fuling（ 10）

Gancao + Danggui（ 10）

Danggui + Yuanzhi（ 10）. The angle herbs of top 5 using frequency were Suanzaoren + Yuanzhi + Danggui（ 10）

Suanzaoren + Yuanzhi + Fuling（ 9）

Suanzaoren + Yuanzhi +Gancao（ 9）

Suanzaoren + Danggui + Gancao（ 9）

Yuanzhi + Danggui + Gancao（ 9）. Cluster analysis showed that top 20 high frequency herbs of treating insomnia could be divided into 5 classes. The first class included Suanzaoren

Yuanzhi

Danggui

Fuling and Gancao. The second class included Huangqi

Dangshen [Radix Codonopsis ]

Chuanxiong [Rhizoma Ligustici Chuanxiong] and Banxia [Rhizoma Pinelliae]. The third class included Maidong[Radix Ophiopogonis]

Chishao [Radix Paeoniae Rubra]and Dihuang [radices rehmannia]. The forth class included Danshen [Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae ]

Gouqizi [Fructus Lycii ]

Heshouwu [Radix Polygoni Multiflori ]

Yinyanghuo [Herba Epimedii ]

etc. Dazao [Fructus Jujubae] was another class. Conclusion Chinese patent medicine of treating insomnia recorded in Chinese pharmacopeia

taking invigorating deficiency and tranquillization as the main treatment principle

combined with promoting blood circulation

clearing heat

calming the liver

relieving superficies syndrome

diuresis

regulating Qi-flowing

eliminating phlegm

warming interior

astringent and resuscitation

were composed and concerted application.