​​The loss of one night’s sleep is followed by ten days of inconvenience. Chinese Proverb

According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), sleep requires us to be in harmony with the daily transitions of yin and Yang. During the day, we are Yang, expanding our energy out into the world, and as night comes, we become Yin - lying down, covering up, turning inwards. Entering this deep Yin state, our body and mind are nourished and restored.

In Chinese medicine theory, sleep relies on an abundance of blood & yin to house or anchor the Shen (mind) and Hun (ethereal soul).

Difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, waking at particular hours, waking unrefreshed or having disturbing dreams are all indicative of disharmony in the energetic mechanisms of sleep. Many things contribute to difficulty sleeping, from stress to illness to hormones.

Sleep is like a miracle we take for granted when it happens every night, and when it doesn’t, we yearn for it deeply.

Sleep is essential to support good health. Getting enough sleep can help regulate appetite, metabolism, and mood, as well as immune, hormonal, and cardiovascular functioning.

Too much or too little sleep is associated with an increased risk of several conditions, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease (and high blood pressure), coronary heart disease, and stroke. Chronic lack of sleep is also associated with poor memory and cognitive ability, depression and other mood disorders, anxiety, and poor overall health (1).

Guess how many Australian adults are having trouble with their sleep? Nearly half (48%) of all Australian adults report at least two sleep-related problems, with women experiencing insomnia more regularly than men.

Ready for some good news? At the heart of Chinese medicine is an inherent understanding of the interplay between yin and yang, awake and asleep. We have a depth of traditional wisdom and knowledge to draw from when it comes to helping people with insomnia regulate their sleep patterns and improve sleep quality.

SO, HOW DOES ACUPUNCTURE IMPROVE SLEEP AND HELP INSOMNIA?

Chinese medicine is big on daily routine, and living harmoniously with nature. The ancient people spent thousands of years observing the movement of energy in the body and developed a set of guidelines for optimal health.

Chinese medicine theory firmly believes we should be asleep by 10 pm and up with the sun.

Yes, 10 pm!

The hours between 10 pm and 2 am are the time of utmost Yin. Yin is our nourishing energy. If we are not resting during these hours, we are burning Yin rather than replenishing it. This means accelerating aging.

From a Western perspective, these are the hours we enter our deepest sleep. Our melatonin production steadily rises after sunset, making us sleepy. By 10 pm, melatonin levels have kicked in, peaking at midnight and declining around 2 am, when we shift into a different sleep phase.

Melatonin is a potent antioxidant, clearing and repairing the cells after the day's work. It is this repair function that is so essential to our health, both mental and physical.

Whilst your acupuncturist will be talking about regulating yin and yang, balancing energy, tonifying deficiency, clearing excess and calming the spirit - there are also some known mechanisms by which acupuncture helps promote better sleep:

• Evidence has suggested that various neurotransmitters, including norepinephrine, melatonin, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and β-endorphin, may mediate the clinical efficacy of acupuncture in treating insomnia (2).

CHINESE HERBS FOR INSOMNIA AND BETTER SLEEP

Chinese herbal medicine offers natural solutions for improving sleep quality by utilising herbs that promote relaxation and balance. Herbs such as valerian root, jujube seed, and schisandra are traditionally used to calm the mind and support restful sleep. By addressing underlying imbalances and enhancing relaxation, these remedies can help you achieve more restorative and uninterrupted sleep.

IS THERE RESEARCH FOR ACUPUNCTURE AND INSOMNIA?

• A randomised control trial (RCT) of 270 patients with insomnia found that an eight-week course of acupuncture significantly improved sleep quality. Further, the improvement was sustained through to the follow-up at 32 weeks (3)

• Another small RCT published in Sleep Medicine found that acupuncture safely provided significant improvement to sleep efficiency and total sleep time, as well as reduced awakenings from sleep and improved (self-rated) anxiety (4)

A note on the research: acupuncture trials tend to be small (we don’t have access to big pharma budgets), and there is no sure way to compare to a placebo, as even touching the skin has therapeutic benefits. So, there is always a need for more, quality research to fill the evidence gaps.

IS IT ALL ABOUT THE NEEDLES, OR WILL MY ACUPUNCTURIST SUGGEST OTHER THINGS TO HELP ME SLEEP?

The pins are powerful, and you may notice an improvement in your sleep from your first treatment (or it might take some time - your response is unique). But as with anything health-related, proactive lifestyle changes will accompany the best and most sustained improvements to your sleep quality.

These might include practitioner-prescribed herbal formulas or supplements, sleep hygiene tips, dietary changes or adjustments to your eating habits, movement habits (think yoga, qigong, breathwork), and general stress reduction. You will also hear me talking about herbal foot soaks, self-acupressure for sleep, guided meditation, and yoga nidra, and potentially suggesting a referral for CBTI (cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia).

I’m serious; you had better be ready to start hearing all about foot soaking.

If you are in Brisbane North (Albion, Newstead, Teneriffe, Clayfield, Woolloowin, Ascot, Hamilton), and would like to try acupuncture for better quality sleep - book online today.

RESOURCES
Free Yoga Nidra - Yoga Nidra Network
Free Yoga Nidra for Sleep - iRest Yoga Nidra for Sleep
Subscription-based yoga nidra (and meditation) - one month free - Waking Up App
Podcast on sleep protocols and tips - Huberman Lab
Book about sleep & sleep science - Why we Sleep - Dr Matthew Walker

REFERENCES
1. https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/risk-factors/sleep-problems-as-a-risk-factor/summary
2. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24215925/
3. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2793930
4. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28899535/