Struggling to sleep at night is a common experience all too many of us can relate to. Insomnia tends to be frustrating, cyclical, and can lead to a variety of health problems like increases in body weight, diminished energy, lack of focus and mental clarity- and just plain grouchiness.
Over the years, I have found that there are a variety of common factors that tend to contribute to insomnia. Some patients have an anxious or restless mind, and find it hard to settle into sleep. Some patients wake at night with their thoughts racing and are unable to get back to sleep. Others experience pain that keeps them tossing and turning at night. For some patients, blood sugar imbalance, diet, and alcohol consumption can be part of the picture. Other patients have developed routine patterns around sleep that have set up long ingrained sleep disturbances.
Whether the cause of your sleeplessness is identifiable, or if your insomnia just seems to be a mystery, Acupuncture can be a excellent resource and treatment option to get you into healthier, deeper sleep.
Here's some research behind the efficacy of Acupuncture in the treatment of insomnia:
Acupuncture can increase night-time melatonin, and reduce insomnia and anxiety related insomnia. According to a study done in 2004, patients who received acupuncture treatment for sleep fell asleep faster, were less aroused at night, and were less stressed. The researchers concluded that, “Acupuncture treatment may be of value for some categories of anxious patients with insomnia.” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14990755
Acupuncture found effective for sleep apnea, beats CPAP. Researchers have found acupuncture to be effective in the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea and conclude that it is a potentially valid and successful substitute for the CPAP machine. The findings indicate that acupuncture is a proven treatment option for sleep apnea patients.
http://www.healthcmi.com/Acupuncture-Continuing-Education-News/1674-acupuncture-found-effective-for-sleep-apnea-relief-beats-cpap-for-blood-oxygenation
Acupuncture treats chronic pain, which is a common contributor to sleeplessness.
https://chriskresser.com/chinese-medicine-demystified-part-v-a-closer-look-at-how-acupuncture-relieves-pain/
According to a systematic review of thirty studies on Acupuncture and its effect on sleep, researchers concluded that 93% of these studies showed positive treatment effects of acupuncture in improving various aspects of sleep.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19097814
One of the biggest benefits I have found to hold true in my practice, is that Acupuncture can break a bad sleep cycle. Relaxing into your Acupuncture session is like healthy sleep training- it creates new body memory around rest and sleep, and can rejuvenate your mind and body. Let's get your sleep on track.