After his death in January 168, she served as regent for his successor Emperor Ling, assisted by her father Dou Wu and the Confucian scholar Chen Fan (陳蕃).
Her father Dou Wu was a low-level official during Emperor Huan's administration and a well-known Confucian scholar; he also came from a background of nobility, as a descendant of Dou Rong (竇融),[3] who had contributed much to the restoration of the Han dynasty under Emperor Guangwu.
In 165, around the time that Emperor Huan deposed his second wife, Empress Deng Mengnü, Dou Miao became an imperial consort.
As regent, Empress Dowager Dou appeared to be diligent and paid attention to many important matters, including the suppression of Qiang revolts.
Chen and Dou Wu became alarmed, and they began to set up a plan to exterminate the powerful eunuchs.
Chen was quickly captured and executed, while Dou publicly declared that the eunuchs were rebelling and put on a resistance.
Empress Dowager Dou was never able to regain any real power, as the eunuchs controlled the political scene for years.
In 171, the eunuch Dong Meng (董萌) also tried to speak on her behalf with Emperor Ling, claiming that she was innocent of wrongdoing, and Emperor Ling initially believed him, and therefore repeatedly visited Empress Dowager Dou and supplied her with many things.
The powerful eunuchs so hated the Dous that they had her body placed on a wagon for transporting luggage and exposed to the elements for a few days, and eventually wanted to bury her with the honors only due an imperial consort.