Acupuncture for insomnia
Insomnia can involve trouble getting to sleep, waking up several times during the night, or waking up early and not being able to get back to sleep. The NHS classify It as chronic when it persists for 3 nights a week or more, for over a month.
Causes of insomnia include stress, anxiety and depression, noise, a room that’s too hot or too cold, alcohol, caffeine, recreational drugs, physical illness, pain and medications.
According to sleep expert Matthew Walker, insomnia harms the brain impairing memory, worsening focus, concentration, and emotional control. He links it to a shorter lifespan and says It severely impacts your cardiovascular system, metabolism, reproductive system, immune system, and causes inflammation.
Insomnia can affect us at any age. Older adults often struggle with sleep maintenance, women can have issues linked to their menstrual cycle, or perimenopause and menopause, and teens struggle with biological changes which push them towards a later ‘night owl’ sleep schedule.
Why choose acupuncture for insomnia?
Acupuncture has been shown to regulate the release of serotonin which converts to melatonin during the day. Melatonin is the main hormone involved in sleep, signalling to the body when it is time to rest. It has also been shown to promote purinergic signalling which is a process that helps to regulate the communication between all tissues in the body. Two neurotransmitters called adenosine and ATP released in this process are also involved in sleep.
Acupuncture also helps to regulate the hypothalamus, pituitary, adrenal axis (HPA axis), the primary system that the body uses for regulating hormones and the physiological stress response. And it modulates the parasympathetic nervous system which is associated with rest, digest and relaxation.
Acupuncture for insomnia—the research
Studies have shown that acupuncture can help with total sleep time, sleep onset and sleep quality. Benefits have also been seen more specifically with patients experiencing insomnia alongside anxiety, depression and perimenopause.
Acupuncture for insomnia—what to expect
Acupuncture is a holistic treatment and the initial consultation involves taking a detailed case history looking at all elements of your physical and emotional health. Rather than looking at seemingly unrelated symptoms in isolation, they are seen as inter-connected, and can help to form a detailed diagnosis.
Even if your main reason for coming is acupuncture for insomnia, the treatment will look to benefit you as a whole person and many people report ‘feeling better in themselves’, have more energy, feel less stressed, and have improved digestion.