但欲寐

dàn yù mèi

Desire only to sleep · dan yu mei

Also rendered: Desire only to sleep (This site) · Merely wanting sleep (Literal) · Somnolence (Clinical, loses the wanting)

Pathology

Reviewed · 2026-10-31

At a glance

Pinyin: dàn yù mèi
Simplified: 但欲寐
Literal: 但 dàn is merely, only; 欲 yù is to want; 寐 mèi is sleep, the closing of the eyes and the settling of the spirit. The three graphs describe not healthy sleep but a heaviness that wants nothing but lying down, while the person is not at rest — the spirit is dimmed rather than sleeping. It is the second half of the lesser yin opening line, paired with a faint fine pulse.
Shuowen: **《說文》：「但，裼也。」「欲，貪欲也。」「寐，臥也。」** 但本義為袒露，經傳借為「只」「僅」；寐者，目合而神息。**凡二見**，皆在第十一篇（行2提綱、行3欲吐不吐）。**與「但欲卧」之别**：行30作「但欲卧」，卧者身倒，寐者神息，卧未必寐，本篇兩存之，詞目取「但欲寐」。**與「不得眠」之别**：此為神倦欲睡，彼為心煩不能睡，一虚一熱。

In brief

A dull, heavy wanting to lie down that is not refreshing sleep. It is the second sign of the lesser yin opening line: the pulse is faint and fine, the yang is too weak to keep the spirit bright, so the eyes close and the person drifts without rest. Where it comes with a wish to vomit that never resolves and with vexation, the cold is full within and a remnant yang is stirring above; the sleepiness is not peace but the dimming of a spirit under siege. Where it deepens into lying down all day with a faint, fine, deep pulse and spontaneous sweat, the chapter reads it as a fatal sign. The phrase is therefore never a comfort: it marks how much yang is left.

Senses in the classical corpus

少陰提綱但欲寐脉微細，但欲寐

陽氣衰微，神氣昏倦，故但欲寐；與脉微細並見，為少陰病之提綱

The yang is faint and the spirit dims, so the person wants only to sleep. With a faint fine pulse this forms the opening definition of lesser yin disease.

少陰之爲病，脉微細，但欲寐也。 — 辨少陰病脉證并治第十一

陰盛煩擾之但欲寐欲吐不吐，心煩，但欲寐

陰寒內盛，虚陽上擾，故欲吐不吐而心煩；神氣已倦，仍但欲寐

Yin cold fills the interior and a remnant yang stirs above, so there is a wish to vomit that never resolves, with vexation; yet the spirit is spent and still wants only sleep.

少陰病，欲吐不吐，心煩，但欲寐，五六日，自利而渴者，屬少陰也。 — 辨少陰病脉證并治第十一

Occurrences in the classics

Passages where the term does real work, with the original, pinyin and English on the same line.

Display

3 passages

辨少陰病脉證并治第十一·辨少陰病脉證并治第十一 Read in context →

少陰之爲病，脉微細，但欲寐也。少阴之为病，脉微细，但欲寐也。

shào yīn zhī wéi bìng mài wēi xì dàn yù mèi yě

When shaoyin is diseased, the pulse is faint and fine, and the patient only wants to sleep.

提綱只六字「脉微細，但欲寐」，脉與神並見，少陰之為病盡矣。

辨少陰病脉證并治第十一·辨少陰病脉證并治第十一 Read in context →

少陰病，欲吐不吐，心煩，但欲寐，五六日，自利而渴者，屬少陰也。少阴病，欲吐不吐，心烦，但欲寐，五六日，自利而渴者，属少阴也。

shào yīn bìng yù tǔ bù tǔ xīn fán dàn yù mèi wǔ liù rì zì lì ér kě zhě shǔ shào yīn yě

In shaoyin disease the patient wants to vomit yet cannot, is restless at heart, and only wants to sleep; by the fifth or sixth day, if there is spontaneous diarrhoea with thirst, it belongs to shaoyin.

欲吐不吐、心煩而仍但欲寐，是陰盛於下、陽擾於上，非純虚。

辨少陰病脉證并治第十一·辨少陰病脉證并治第十一 Read in context →

少陰病，脉微細沉，但欲卧，汗出不煩，自欲吐，至五六日，自利，復煩躁，不得卧寐者，死。少阴病，脉微细沉，但欲卧，汗出不烦，自欲吐，至五六日，自利，复烦躁，不得卧寐者，死。

shào yīn bìng mài wēi xì chén dàn yù wò hàn chū bù fán zì yù tǔ zhì wǔ liù rì zì lì fù fán zào bù dé wò mèi zhě sǐ

In shaoyin disease with a faint, fine, deep pulse, a wish only to lie down, sweat without restlessness, and a spontaneous urge to vomit, if by the fifth or sixth day diarrhoea comes, restlessness returns, and sleep is impossible, it is fatal.

但欲卧而脉微細沉，汗出不煩，自利復煩躁，則由倦入脫，故死。

Compounds built on this term

但欲卧

dàn yù wò

wanting only to lie down

辨少陰病脉證并治第十一

脉微細

mài wēi xì

faint fine pulse

辨少陰病脉證并治第十一

不得卧寐

bù dé wò mèi

unable to lie down or sleep

辨少陰病脉證并治第十一

How it has been translated

Every rendering below is a decision about which reader is being addressed. There is no neutral option.

This site	desire only to sleep	keeps 但 as only
Literal	merely wants to sleep	exact, slightly colloquial
Clinical	somnolence of lesser yin	names the pattern, loses the wanting

Entry status

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2026-10-31

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