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A woman lying in bed suffering from insomnia
Chronic insomnia affects over 30% of adult Americans, and the incidence rises with age. Cognitive therapy and sleeping medications are common forms of treatment. While sleeping drugs come with some hazards, they can be beneficial in the short term and cognitive therapy has a lot of potential as an effective cure. But using conventional methods, it is a problem that can be managed but regrettably not healed. Even while many Americans may not fit the definition of “chronic insomnia,” anyone who consistently lacks adequate sleep will eventually experience negative effects on their physical, mental, and emotional well-being. In addition to the obvious weariness that many types of insomnia cause, these conditions can also cause mood problems, headaches, dizziness, and painful muscles. According to a significant study, those with insomnia were five times more likely to experience depression than people who slept well. In addition, there are other negative consequences on the immune system, weight, cardiovascular system, and brain health.
Acupuncturists typically always ask about quantity and quality of sleep no matter the initial complaint or reason for seeking treatment. This is because as holistic health practitioners, we recognize the enormous impact sleep has on the overall health experience. If there are any deficits when it comes to sleep, this will usually be part of the focus for treatment. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), nighttime is yin time, a time for rest, healing, and recovery. It needs to be in balance with yang time (daytime) activity levels. This harmony of yin and yang is central to the TCM understanding of health.
Since everyone is unique and there are numerous causes of imbalance, acupuncture treats insomnia on an individual basis. A person’s internal environment will be examined in addition to external factors like trauma or stress. A pattern evaluation is performed to assess any organ imbalances, excess hot or cold-type diseases, and the flow and availability of blood and energy (qi) in the body. But does it work?
In a review of random controlled trials evaluating the effectiveness of acupuncture for insomnia, acupuncture was found superior to medications in its ability to increase sleep duration for >3 hours. Also, acupuncture plus medications showed a better effect than medications alone on total sleep duration. And finally, acupuncture plus herbs was significantly better than herbs alone in increasing sleep rates. Worthwhile to note that there were no serious adverse effects of acupuncture observed in any of the trials.[1]
According to Western physiology, acupuncture has an impact on our ability to sleep by causing the production of the hormone that makes us sleepy, melatonin, as well as several other yet-to-be-determined mechanisms like the activation of specific regions of the brain involved in sensory processing. Additionally, acupuncture has been shown to activate the vagus nerve, which aids in bringing about a feeling of relaxation throughout the body. Not only does the quality of sleep increase while the body is in this calm state, but it also activates the immunological and repair systems, reducing oxidative stress and inflammation in the body.
Given the interrelationship of sleep and overall health, if all acupuncture did was improve sleep, it would still merit recognition as a valuable health system. But Acupuncture is prescribed for so much more! Call today to set up a sleep and overall health-improving series of treatments and start feeling the benefits right away!
[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3156618/
