According to the National Institute of Medicine, nearly 70 million Americans suffer from sleep deprivation or other sleep-related problems. If you’re one of the statistics, a treatment you can seek is acupuncture. But how exactly can acupuncture for insomnia help you?
Insomnia has many causes, and each is unique to the individual who suffers from it. However, regardless of whether it is due to anxiety, depression, stress, or medicinal side effects, insomnia is agitating for any lifestyle.
Many sufferers try sleeping pills in hopes of correcting their sleep deprivation; except with drugs comes the risk of potential side effects. Sleeping pills may lead to low blood pressure, nausea, or even more anxiety for an insomniac. They are not ideal for chronic insomnia patients, either, as a dependency can develop and cause their effectiveness to drop.
Changing your lifestyle is always an option when attempting to get your sleep back. Choosing a specific bedtime and sticking to it every night can help your biological clock know when to shut down for a rest – and for how long. Altering your eating habits and increasing physical activity can also benefit your need for sleep.
But if none of these remedies are working for you, why not try out acupuncture?
Acupuncture is a centuries-old Chinese technique used to correct and calm disruptive energy pathways in your body. Acupuncturists use very tiny needles to pinpoint acupoints that, when stimulated, will redirect the flow of qi. Qi is defined as the circulating life force whose existence and properties are the basis of much Chinese philosophy and medicine. By changing the flow of energy throughout your body, acupuncture causes feelings ranging from energized to deep relaxation and well-being. In the case of insomnia, this shift in energy can help you to become placid, undisturbed. Thus, it can enrich your sleep.
Although doctors are unsure exactly how acupuncture affects insomnia and sleep disturbances specifically, there have been studies done that show the significance of using acupuncture for insomnia. It appears in most trials that those who have tried acupuncture as a treatment experienced more improvement than those who have tried nothing; and those who have tried other medication and acupuncture also experienced more improvement than using other medication alone.
Our practice offers acupuncture for insomnia patients. If you think it could help you, don’t hesitate to give our Parkland office a call at (954) 340-7545. Or on one of those sleepless nights, request an acupuncture appointment online, anytime.