Insomnia is defined as the inability to sleep which can consist of difficulty getting to sleep or staying asleep causing you to feel stressed and poorly rested in the morning.
Within acupuncture there are many imbalances which can result in insomnia such as empty heat irritating the mind, heart and kidney yin deficiencies. Allowing ourselves to get enough sleep is extremely important for both our physical and mental health as whilst we sleep, the body carries out many healing processes. Without sufficient sleep we are left feeling fatigued and not at our best but not allowing ourselves to to get a good nights sleep on a long term basis can leave us vulnerable to more serious illnesses. Recent studies have shown further evidence to suggest that a consistent lack of sleep can be as detrimental to your health as drugs and alcohol.
Within Traditional Acupuncture the energy within our bodies circulates through 12 meridians which are linked to different organs and by extension, our emotions. The spleen is linked to worry, the heart is linked to anxiety and the liver is linked to anger and stress. Too much of any of these emotions can affect its correlating organ which disturbs your overall health, prevents you from sleeping and causes poor sleep quality.
In 2004 a study found that patients who suffered with anxiety that were treated with acupuncture experienced an increased production in night time melatonin which resulted in a longer sleep time. These patients also experienced less stress, less arousal and were able to fall asleep faster at night.
Another similar study was carried out on patients with HIV, who often suffer with uneven and disturbed sleeping patterns. The study found that the amount of sleep and the quality was significantly improved after 5 weeks of acupuncture treatments.
Despite these studies showing promising results for patients with various health issues there are also research to show that individuals without these problems can be helped too. A study carried out in 1999 showed evidence that acupuncture is able to successfully improve the quality of sleep in people without other health problems who suffer with insomnia.
If you suffer from insomnia or sleepless nights and they’re getting you down, why not try acupuncture from Acupuncture That Works? Call us on 0800 051 76 88 to find out how we can help you.
