Acupuncture for Insomnia

How Chinese medicine understands insomnia

In Chinese medicine, sleep depends on the mind, called the Shen, settling down at night. The Shen is said to rest in the Heart and to be anchored by Blood and Yin. When something stirs it up, or there is too little to hold it, sleep breaks. How your sleep breaks shows which pattern is at work.

The common patterns are:

• Liver Qi stagnation turning to heat. Stress and frustration build up. You lie in bed with your mind running, feel irritable, and may have headaches or a bitter taste in the mouth. Sleep is worse after a tense day.
• Heart and Spleen deficiency. Worry and overwork wear down digestion and Blood. You fall asleep but wake often and lightly, dream a lot, and feel tired and forgetful during the day.
• Heart and Kidney not communicating. A Yin-deficient pattern, common with age, perimenopause or years of overwork. You wake in the early hours hot or sweaty, with a restless mind and a dry mouth.
• Phlegm-heat in the Stomach. Rich, greasy or late meals leave you restless at night, with indigestion, a heavy feeling and a sticky tongue coating.
• Heart and Gallbladder Qi deficiency. You startle easily, wake from dreams with a jolt, and feel timid or on edge.

The pattern decides the treatment. Clearing heat is not the same as building Blood, so two people who both sleep four hours a night can get quite different care.

What treatment involves

Your first visit covers when you go to bed, how long it takes to fall asleep, when and why you wake, your dreams, and how you feel in the morning. We also talk about stress, digestion, your cycle if it applies, and any medicines you take. I check your tongue and pulse, then explain your pattern in plain terms. A week or two of notes on your sleep is useful to bring.

Acupuncture for insomnia typically uses fine needles at points on the arms, legs and head, chosen for your pattern. The aim is to calm the mind and to clear what is disturbing it, or build what is missing. If worry is a big part of your sleeplessness, the anxiety page covers that side.

Chinese herbal medicine is often part of insomnia care, because you take it every day between visits. You get a formula written for your pattern, and it changes as your sleep changes. Tell me about any sleeping pills, antidepressants or supplements so nothing clashes.

Plan on 5–10 treatments to judge progress. The clinic is in Keswick, and treatment can run alongside the care you get from your family doctor.

Between visits

• Get up at the same time every day, weekends included. A fixed wake-up time anchors your body clock more than a fixed bedtime does.
• Don’t lie there fighting it. If you have been awake for what feels like 20 minutes, get up, sit somewhere dim and do something quiet until you feel sleepy.
• Stop caffeine by noon and keep alcohol low. Alcohol can help you fall asleep, but it breaks up sleep later in the night.
• Finish your evening meal two to three hours before bed.
• Keep the bedroom cool, dark and quiet, and leave your phone out of reach.

When to see your doctor first

Insomnia can be a sign of another problem. See your doctor if you have:

• Loud snoring, gasping, or pauses in your breathing that someone has noticed, or heavy sleepiness during the day. These can point to sleep apnoea.
• Dozing off while driving or at work.
• An urge to move your legs at night, with crawling or aching feelings.
• Night sweats, weight loss you cannot explain, a racing heart, or feeling hot all the time.
• Sleeplessness that started with a new medicine.
• Low mood, hopelessness or thoughts of harming yourself. In Canada, call or text 9-8-8 at any time. If you are in immediate danger, call 911.