Better Sleep with Acupuncture

Almost half of us suffer from disrupted sleep, yet very few people know of alternatives to medication to help us sleep.  Acupuncture, now tried and tested over centuries, has shown to be effective in regulating sleep.  In addition, some simple lifestyle changes can make a world of difference to your sleep patterns.

• If the insomnia is stress related, maybe you can find ways to manage the stress better, such as: getting regular exercise or taking up activities like yoga, taichi or meditation.
• Working late at night or watching TV in bed before going to sleep could be too much stimulation for your brain just before bed. Indeed people tend to sleep better if by the time they go to sleep they have had some time to unwind and rest their minds.
• If you are going to sleep after a heavy meal, it can make it harder to get to sleep, so is having caffeine.

If you are guilty of any of these habits, trying to change them may be all you need to do.  If however your sleep doesn't improve, acupuncture is a natural option to tackle the issue.  In addition, it has none of the side effects that sleeping pills can have and you may find that other aspects of your physical and mental state improve.  Acupuncture aims at restoring balance overall and common effects of treatments are feeling more relaxed, more energy, having better digestion, and better sleep.

Studies have shown effectiveness


A 2007-2008 study in Taiwan involving 33 patients with primary insomnia found that acupuncture was as effective as the drug zolpidem (sold under the brand names of Ambien, tilnox, and Sublinox). In that study, participants were either given one acupuncture treatment per week or 10 mg of zolpidem per night. "Researchers found both groups improved over time at a similar rate," said summary of the study, suggesting that acupuncture may be an effective therapy for insomnia.

Another 2013 study concluded that a combination of acupuncture and moxibustion for the treatment of insomnia. Across the board improvements included better sleep quality, better time to fall asleep and improved daytime function in the group receiving both acupuncture and moxibustion.

The most common treatment for insomnia is, unfortunately, medication - not just sleep aids but also benzodiazepines and tricyclic antidepressants. The tricyclic antidepressants can have debilitating and undesirable effects too, such as dry mouth, orthostatic hypotension (dramatically decreased blood pressure upon standing or standing too quickly), urinary retention or heart arrhythmias.

Acupuncture allows for an individualized approach

Acupuncturists take a detailed history, which includes questioning, pulse analysis and tongue diagnosis, to give a complete picture of the patient as a whole. As a result, two different patients with insomnia are likely to get different treatments, depending on each person's constitution (strength and type of overall body and health) and other factors (overall health, emotional state, etc).

In general, you are most likely to get your best night's sleep right after your acupuncture treatment, and the effect may subside after several days.  Therefore, you will generally need a course of acupuncture treatment to have a more sustained effect and to fully resolve chronic insomnia.