Acupuncture for Insomnia

Just like an apple a day keeping the doctor away, eight hours of sleep is necessary for everyone – give or take an hour. Some people need more sleep, others need a little bit less. But, everyone needs at least seven hours or more of quality sleep in order to have good health and proper functioning throughout the day. Even the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says seven hours of quality sleep is crucial for adults within every 24-hour period. The bad news is, approximately 40% of Americans get less than seven hours of sleep, according to this Gallup poll. Some of this can be explained by insomnia, a sleep disorder that causes difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep. The good news is, acupuncture may be able to help you with insomnia.

What is Acupuncture?

Acupuncture is a treatment that helps with symptoms like pain, illness, emotional distress and hormonal imbalance, by increasing circulation and reducing inflammation. The key to understanding acupuncture is that it addresses these ailments as a whole. In other words, it recognizes that insomnia, anxiety, pain, migraines and other issues are the result of fundamental functions within the body that are not working properly. Therefore, acupuncture is not putting the proverbial band-aid on the wound. Instead, acupuncture is about healing the wound from the inside out.

How Do You Treat Insomnia?

There are many existing treatments for insomnia, including acupuncture. Here are some of the other treatments:

Stress reduction techniques/Stress management
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Herbal Supplements
Healthy eating and excersize
Hypnosis
Medications/Sedatives
Melatonin

Can Acupuncture Help You Sleep?

Acupuncture may be able to help you get to sleep, according to various studies, including this one here. Patients involved in the study say acupuncture helped them get to sleep and stay asleep better when compared to a group of patients that did not have any treatment or medication. Acupuncture helped improve both sleep quality and sleep duration.

Many patients say they like acupuncture for insomnia because it’s a non-drug alternative. It’s not addictive. It won’t make you groggy the next morning. In fact, many people say next day grogginess is why they won’t try traditional insomnia medications and sedatives – that even includes melatonin. Therefore, acupuncture is a viable option for helping with symptoms of headaches, lower back pain, neck pain, knee pain, arthritis, IBS, smoking cessation, and of course – insomnia.

Why Does Acupuncture Work for Insomnia?

Acupuncture works for insomnia because it leads to better blood flow. That said, scientists don’t know the other exact reasons why it works. Some say that acupuncture may actually help with the production of melatonin. Read more about that in this article here. Because melatonin is naturally produced within the body and helps make you feel sleepy, this theory makes sense. Some say that because acupuncture increases blood flow and removes blockages, different sleep-inducing regions of the brain are affected positively – and that’s how it works.

Acupuncture Pressure Points at Home

While working with a practitioner is always best, in this paragraph we’ll discuss some of the pressure points for sleep and how you can promote blood flow at home. You can stimulate these acupoints without needles, though it is obviously much less effective than going in for a session.

Before you stimulate these acupoints, make sure you are comfortable, relaxed, and ready. Take a few deep breaths and get into a comfy position. Make sure to use deep, firm pressure when administering the stimulation.

Shenmen point – on the wrist or in the ear
Baihui point – on the highest point of the head
Yongquan – on the bottom of the foot

How can you find a qualified Acupuncturist in Raleigh, North Carolina?

If you’re searching for a qualified Acupuncturist in Raleigh, North Carolina, you’ll want to find someone with experience, qualifications, and compassion. Look no further than Acupuncture Pain and Stress Center. Our goal since 2010 has been to provide quality and compassionate acupuncture in Raleigh, NC and the surrounding areas. Much like the balance that Acupuncture provides for your body, we provide our patients with balanced care: the highest quality healthcare, while at the same time focusing on compassionate services that treat you, the patient, with holistic, individualized treatment.

Acupuncture Pain and Stress Center for all of your Acupuncture needs

Hi, I’m Jim Eleczko, the founder of Acupuncture Pain and Stress Center and it’s my mission to provide you with compassionate, whole-person care using holistic treatments, including Acupuncture. I’m a board-certified and licensed Acupuncturist practicing since 2010 in Raleigh, North Carolina. I love that I get to wake up every day to make meaningful changes in my patient’s lives. I’ve seen first hand the changes that Acupuncture can make. As a teen I suffered from allergies and my father suggested that I try Acupuncture to calm the symptoms. It worked – and left a lasting impression on me! Now I offer Acupuncture and other treatments to help people with a variety of issues, including anxiety, migraines, fibromyalgia, and more. Our other treatments include Dry Needling, Tuina Massage, Guasha, Cupping, Stretching, Orthopedic Movements, Electroacupuncture and Therapeutic Exercises.

Here’s a bit more about me and my qualifications: I studied the 4-year program at Jung Tao School of Classical Chinese Medicine and continue to travel multiple times a year to study with my mentor, Andrew Nugent-Head. I also studied under Dr. Ed Garbacz, M.D. LAc and spent a year working and studying under Dr. Bonnie Walker, M.D. LAc. I have also done extensive post-graduate studies in acupuncture, nutrition, herbal medicine from lectures of acupuncturists like Dr. Nguyen Van Nghi, Dr. Tran Viet Dzung, Matt Callison, and Edward Obaidey.

Get in touch with me by calling (919) 260-4104. I’d be happy to answer your questions and get you booked for an appointment today!