Twisting, turning, and tossing in the bed? Is this how you describe your last nights’ sleep?? Have you tried all the ways but they all failed to induce a good peaceful sleep? If your answer is a ‘yes’ then you belong to the Insomnia club.
Along with you, almost 40% of the adult population suffers from Insomnia with around 10%-15% with chronic insomnia and 25%-35% from transient insomnia. A sure shot solution that not many people have tried across the globe is acupuncture for insomnia.
Acupuncture is a healing therapy with its roots deep in the history of China which spans from almost 5000 years.
Many people are now increasingly aware of the incredible benefits that this therapy beholds for issues related to the human body. Read ahead as we explain about acupuncture and how to use it for insomnia.
Acupuncture for Insomnia
Can Acupuncture Actually Help to Cure Insomnia?
From the perspective of Chinese medicine and treatment, there are various settled patterns which clarify why the mind does not stop thinking at night despite the fact that the individual is physically depleted.
An acupuncture professional will need to know not just about the sleep pattern but also the related day-to-day patterns. It is exceedingly plausible that there will be different symptoms and signs which will appear or affirm what is out of parity and therefore should be revised and remedied.
Acupuncture therapy is widely prevalent for the natural treatment of different ailments and fundamentally for relief from pain, discomfort, and sleeplessness. One of the most excellent ways to treat sleeplessness is by the administration of acupuncture for insomnia.
Health Benefits of Acupuncture for Insomnia
In Chinese medication, Insomnia is known to be of numerous types which include:
- Trouble in drifting off to sleep or wakefulness during odd hours of the night.
- Waking amidst the night and inability to return to sleep.
- Delayed or terminal sleeping disorder, or waking up at the wee hours of the morning accompanied by an inability to get back to sleep.
- Sleep that is aggravated by nightmares and disruptive dreams.
- And finally, an inability to sleep on time.
[ Read: Sleepless Nights? Proven Remedies for Insomnia ]
In acupuncture for insomnia, each kind of insomnia shows an imbalance of energy in a specific part of the body. Subsequently, acupuncture cures each sort of insomnia in alternate ways. The acupuncturist redirects the imbalanced flow of energy and helps to establish a healthy sleeping pattern.
The type of insomnia decides the kind of acupuncture therapy that you need. You can fall asleep right after the acupuncture therapy and continue to sleep profoundly for hours. The best and most peaceful sleep is the one that you get immediately after an acupuncture therapy session.
Does Acupuncture Cure Insomnia?
Around 7 percent of the people of America have opted for acupuncture for insomnia(1) at least once, and about one-fourth of those have attended acupuncture session according to the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS)of 2007.
Acupuncture is incredible in the treatment of sleeping disorders like insomnia, sleep apnea, and stress and anxiety which can cause disruption in sleep. Is acupuncture effective? It is a viable treatment for insomnia and is effective in the redirection of energy.
Acupuncture decreases anxiety, activates melatonin generation, initiates sleep, and lessens sleep disturbance and arousals at night. These impacts add up to a general increment in complete sleep duration.
Five Active Acupuncture Points for Insomnia That Can Induce Sleep
Acupuncture is a remarkably good cure for insomnia. But, what are the most effective acupuncture points of insomnia treatment? Here is a list of five best points and a description of each from an oriental prescription. While a sleeping disorder is a common problem, it requires an individualized plan of treatment, customized to your necessities for an ideal cure.
1. A Mian
This is an “additional” point which is not situated on a meridian. To discover this point, go to the back area of your head at the bottom of the skull. Move out from the center line with your forefinger until you reach the point of depression (this point is the GB20 point of acupuncture).
Keep pushing your forefinger ahead until you reach another point of depression, right at the back of the earlobe.
The point of acupuncture for insomnia is located exactly in the middle of these two points of depression. The name of this point of depression is “peaceful sleep” and as you may envision, it is useful for the treatment of insomnia.
[Read: Natural Remedies for Depression]
2. Stomach 36 (ST36)
This point of acupuncture is called the Zu San Li or the “Leg Three Miles”. Working on this point can furnish you with the vitality to walk three more miles. The point is situated on the leg underneath the knee. When you place four of your fingers beneath the top of your knee, then you will find that the point is situated at this level, at a finger’s breadth on the outside of the ankle bone.
This point is generally used to build a patient’s vitality or Qi. You must be wondering about what vitality has to do with sleep. All things considered, this point of acupuncture is said to procure blood (and Qi is utilized in Chinese medication to produce blood and so without adequate Qi there will not be adequate blood).
In Chinese medication, the spirit or the Shen requires a spot to dwell when we sleep, and where does it stay? The spirit dwells in the heart and blood. So when there is a dearth of blood in the body, the soul is said to meander, causing restlessness and sleeping disorders.
Things being what they are, a considerable lot of us who experience the ill effects of a sleeping disorder are almost always exhausted. Tired but still sleepless.
This is the point where we need the energy to sleep well. This energy is administered with the help of acupuncture for insomnia.
3. Pericardium 6 (PC6)
This point of acupuncture is situated around three fingers up from the crease of the wrist and is called Inner Pass or Nei Guan. It is effective for the treatment of uneasiness, palpitations, mental issues, irritability and insomnia in addition to other problems. It is said to quieten the Heart and calm the spirit.
You might be comfortable with this point if you experience the ill effects of motion sickness. Acupuncture on this point induces restfulness in the spirit and makes the patient of insomnia drift off to sleep.
4. HEART 7 (HT7)
The name of this acupuncture point is “Spirit Gate” or Shen Men(2) and is explicitly indicated for sleeping disorders like insomnia. It is additionally demonstrated for irritability, palpitations, insanity, and dementia, sleep apnea, in addition to other disorders. This point of acupuncture is situated on the pinky area of the wrist wrinkle, within the tendon that connects the hand to the arm.
The Spirit Gates bear a special significance in Chinese prescription and when the entryways that ought to remain open are shut, or the other way around, it implies that energy is either not streaming effectively or not contained correctly. By opening or shutting these doors, the body is conveyed back in to adjust the balance. When an entryway is related to the spirit, sleep can be effectively induced.
5. Yin Tang
This point is an “additional” point and keeping in mind that it is not a part of a meridian, it lies on a similar line as the points of Governing Vessel.
It is found right in the middle of the eyebrows and the name means “Hall of Impression”. This point is effective for migraines and insomnia. Acupuncture on this point is said to quiet the soul.
Does Acupuncture Have Side Effects Too?
Acupuncture is completely natural with almost negligible side effects. However, some patients experience the following side effects of acupuncture or insomnia treatment.
- Soreness of the muscles and bruising of the areas where the needles are applied. The pain is normal though and disappears within 24 hours of the acupuncture session.
- Muscle twitching and muscular spasms.
- Dizziness and lightheaded feeling.
- Bleeding from the bruises for people with bleeding disorders, and etc.
How to Prepare for Your First Acupuncture Appointment?
Keep the following steps in mind for your first acupuncture appointment.
- Seek for a professional and expert acupuncturist for your treatment.
- Keep yourself free for the rest of the day as you might need an entire day to recover from the impacts of acupuncture therapy.
- Eat at least a couple of hours before your acupuncture session. Do not undergo therapy on an empty stomach.
- Avoid alcohol and caffeinated drinks during your acupuncture session.
- Wear comfortable and loose clothes during the session so that the acupuncturist can access the points without any hindrance.
What Acupuncture Side Effects and Precautions One Must Be Aware Of?
Following are the two precautions that you need to be aware of before undergoing acupuncture for insomnia treatment.
- If you are a cardiac patient with a pacemaker then avoid acupuncture as the electrical impulses in the needles might interfere with the pacemaker.
- If you are on blood-thinning medication then the needle bruises might bleed profusely and hinder the treatment.
Sleep deprivation can be incapacitating and can deny you of a healthy lifestyle. If you experience the ill effects of insomnia, visit an expert acupuncturist to cure insomnia instead of resorting to toxic sleeping pills and drugs.
The procedure is painless and you will experience a slight twitch followed by immense relief and restfulness. So don’t be scared of the needles and give acupuncture a try to redress your sleep problems. You will drift off to sleep immediately after the session and with regular administration of acupuncture, insomnia will get cured completely.
