Acupuncture—Another Treatment Option for Insomnia

• Insomnia affects all ages and genders, especially those of working age and the elderly.
• In traditional Chinese medicine it is held that, in addition to the presence of external factors affecting mood and emotions, insomnia may also be caused by insufficient nutrients in the body, poor blood circulation, or possibly inconsistencies or incompatibilities between related internal organ functions. Proper balance may be achieved using herbs or acupuncture.

Insomnia affects all ages and genders, especially those of working age and the elderly. Symptoms of insomnia include an inability to sleep normally, a shorter sleep duration than normal (generally less than 4-6 hours), difficulty falling asleep at night (taking more than 30 minutes to fall asleep), waking up frequently or easily, frequent dreaming or disturbed sleep, and waking and then having difficulty falling asleep again (waking more than two times during the night or waking before dawn and being unable to go back to sleep). All of these result in decreased quality of sleep and, eventually, can cause an inability to sleep at all during the night. This, in turn, causes daytime drowsiness or sleepiness, dullness, weakness, difficulty paying attention, fatigue, etc., which often affects one’s daily life, work, study, and health. Insomnia can be caused by physical or mental conditions, or may be the effect of encountering a stressful situation over a prolonged period, also known in modern medicine as a neurological disorder that affects the sleep.

Today, insomnia is classified into two main categories: acute insomnia, which is often caused by emotional issues, stress and anxiety, or physical ailments; and chronic insomnia, which is often the result of one or a number of combined causes, such as mental health disorders, underlying diseases, substance or drug use, or a primary sleep disorder.

In the treatment of insomnia using traditional Chinese medicine, TCM doctors will first make a diagnosis and will then treat the symptoms using acupuncture to regulate and create balance within the body. They may also recommend the use of common herbs to be taken as supplements or for use in cooking, including in herbal teas that are easy to drink on a daily basis. These herbs include jujube, lingzhi mushroom, honey, dried longan, and chamomile tea, some of which have medicinal properties that can help to nourish associated organs or have nerve and muscle-relaxing properties, thus helping the patient sleep more easily. Traditional acupuncture treatment for insomnia uses tiny needles to access distinct points on the body corresponding to the patient’s symptoms. The needles will be left in place for 20-40 minutes and then removed. The patient will be given continued treatment 2 to 3 times per week for a total of 10 sessions, which is considered 1 course. The treatment duration depends on the severity and the stage of the insomnia. For example, acute insomnia may require treatments of one course over the period of about a month. For temporary insomnia, fewer than 10 sessions may be needed, while chronic insomnia may require more than one course of treatment.

• Avoid turning on the television or using mobile devices before bedtime
• Avoid sleeping during the day
• Avoid heavy meals or food that is difficult to digest before bed
• If you are unable to sleep, you can engage in some light or calming activity, such as reading, listening to music, or meditating
• Avoid drinking coffee, caffeinated tea, or soft drinks
• Exercise regularly, but do not exercise shortly before bedtime