Acupuncture for sleep problems
Do you suffer any of the following?
Difficulty in maintaining sleep
Trouble getting to sleep
Non-refreshing sleep
Dream disturbed sleep
Fatigue & poor daytime functioning
A state of hyperactivity during day and night
Insomnia is an umbrella term describing a number of different sleep disorders. Using Chinese medical diagnosis, we assess each individual, formulate the root cause of the sleep problem and adjust your treatments accordingly.
Research on the benefits of sleep has revealed more about the negative effects of insomnia on body and mind – long term insomnia has been linked to depression and cardiovascular disease. Information is generally a good thing, but it can make insomnia even harder to manage if we restlessly fret about its effects on our long-term health.
How does Acupuncture help with insomnia?
During your first consultation, we will take a thorough case history looking into various areas of your life, such as general health, work and home stresses, constitutional factors, diet and other lifestyle factors. Our treatments are aimed at helping to create long term change.
Stimulation of certain acupuncture points has been shown to impact areas of the brain that are known to reduce sensitivity to pain and stress, as well as promoting relaxation and deactivating the ‘analytical’ brain, which is responsible for insomnia and anxiety.
Acupuncture for Insomnia: The Research
• Acupuncture is an amazing modality to treat insomnia and any sleep disturbance. In fact, acupuncture for insomnia has always been my first choice as a treatment for patients. Many times people come to me for complaints other than sleep, but then report that whenever they receive acupuncture then they sleep great.
• Increase nocturnal melatonin secretion
• Reduce sympathetic (stress related) nervous system activity
• Regulate the brain’s mood chemistry to help to increase relaxation
• Two studies were just released to determine the efficacy of acupuncture for insomnia and general sleep disturbances.
• One study compared Ambien to acupuncture and found that they BOTH significantly improved sleep. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22981051/
• The other study looked at the efficacy of acupuncture point Anmian (Peaceful Sleep) to improved quality of sleep https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22903446/ Researchers found that the addition of these occiput acupuncture points significantly improved sleep quality over meridian points alone.
• Do consider acupuncture and Chinese Medicine for the treatment of sleep disorders before resorting to medications. Your body will appreciate you for it
• Cats sleep so well… we can learn to have better quality sleep too.
Click on our link www.wellnessmedicalcenter.com for information about supplements and herbs for your Healthy Sleep Routine.