Insomnia & Acupuncture

Treating insomnia naturally with acupuncture and Chinese medicine means understanding the pattern behind your unique set of symptoms in order to treat the root cause of imbalance.

Treating each case of insomnia can be very different. With individualized care, we unveil the root cause of your sleep difficulties.

A 2019 study in the Journal of Sleep Medicine states approximately 30% of the general population suffers from chronic insomnia.

Difficulties with sleep are typically an indication of something deeper occurring in the body. In contrast to a Western medical approach, treating sleep with Traditional Chinese Medicine will vary based on more in depth signs and symptoms.

Questions to dive deeper into insomnia

* Do you have more trouble with falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking early unable to return to sleep?

* Do you experience accompanying symptoms such as restlessness, night sweats, frequent urination, vivid dreams, nightmares?

* Do you wake each night around the same time?

Chinese Medicine Organ Clock & Sleep

According to the Organ Clock in Chinese medicine, different times of the day correspond to different organ systems. When it comes to patterns of insomnia, you can look at this clock to provide insight on which organ system may be out of balance.

Organ systems that we look to for an understanding on sleep imbalances are the gallbladder, liver and lungs given the time of day they correspond to.

11pm - 1am — Gallbladder

Responsible for bile storage & secretion, decision making, courage, and the pivot for transitions. Symptoms of imbalance may include timidity, lack of courage, initiative, and assertiveness, easily startled and prone to panic.

1am - 3am — Liver

Responsible for the smooth flow of qi and emotions, detoxification, blood storage, and control of the eyes, tendons and nails. Symptoms of imbalance may include anger, irritability, bottled up emotions, resentment, frustration, moodiness, sighing, chest & breast distention, PMS, dizziness, migraines, blurry vision, red eyes & face.

3am - 5am — Lung

Responsible for the respiratory and immune system, the skin, and the body’s sweating mechanism. Symptoms of imbalance may include unresolved grief, sadness, depression, sweating easily, runny nose, frequent colds, lung conditions like shortness of breath, weak voice, cough, sore throat, asthma, allergies, and chest pain.

There is great variability to sleep disorders

Treatments involve a little detective work to find a pattern that matches to identify the root cause of insomnia and which systems are out of balance, treating holistically rather than suppressing symptoms.

Lifestyle adjustments to reduce sleep disorders

~ Don’t eat too late – eating dinner around 6-7pm is optimal. If you go to bed while you're still digesting food, your body’s energy is preoccupied and it will be more difficult for your nervous system to wind down.

~ Eliminate greasy, fatty food intake in the evening so the gallbladder system isn’t overwhelmed.

~ Minimize alcohol intake, especially too close to bedtime – the liver’s role of detoxification during sleeping hours gets too overwhelmed once alcohol is introduced to the system.

~ Gentle passive yin stretching before bed to help move stuck energy.

~ Breathing exercises to strengthen the lungs.

~ Journal & meditation to help process unresolved or pent up emotions.

~ Eat breakfast before your morning coffee to keep blood sugar and cortisol levels in check throughout the day.