We all know how important sleep is…could acupuncture help increase sleep quality?
(NOTE: When organs are discussed in this blog, these do not correspond to the Western understanding of the body's organs, so if you resonate with the symptoms in this blog, please do not think you have a problem within these organs. This may not be the case, in TCM, we have a completely different way of looking at the body/mind/spirit. If you believe you have a medical issue, then please speak to the appropriate medical professional).
Sleep, a fundamental aspect of well-being, is acknowledged universally for its pivotal role in maintaining optimal health. The average adult requires 7-9 hours of sleep per night, yet a staggering 30% of adults in the UK experience poor sleep quality, an unsurprising consequence of our fast-paced lifestyles (Mental Health Foundation, 2023).
The importance of quality sleep cannot be overstated. Deficient or poor-quality sleep has been linked to a myriad of health issues, including impaired cognitive function, mood disorders, a compromised immune system, susceptibility to infections, weight gain, cardiovascular problems, impaired metabolism, diabetes, increased inflammation, and overall compromised physiological restoration.
From a Western perspective, sleep is a complex physiological process involving distinct stages lasting approximately 80-100 minutes. These stages encompass Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep, which is associated with vivid dreaming, and non-REM sleep, a deep phase crucial for recovery.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), particularly regarding sleep, the two organs primarily involved are the Liver and the Heart. The liver is responsible for intuition, vision, and inspiration. The Liver’s role in sleep involves the Hun spirit, which resides in the Liver and goes out during the day and returns at night, facilitating peaceful sleep with soul-benefiting dreams. The Heart is believed to control emotions, grounding the mind at night, as Maciocia (2015) noted.
Identifying whether the Liver or the Heart is imbalanced requires observation of signs such as the pulse and tongue and the patient’s symptoms. For instance, Heart deficiency may manifest as difficulty falling asleep or dreams featuring mountains, fire, smoke, laughter, or volcanic eruptions. Conversely, a Liver imbalance may be indicated by dreams containing fragrant mushrooms, being unable to move from under a tree, or forests on mountains.
There is a substantial body of literature on the evidence of acupuncture improving sleep. Yin et al. (2017) conducted a single-blinded, randomised, controlled clinical trial with 72 patients diagnosed with primary insomnia. After an 8-week study, the patients who had received acupuncture treatment showed a significant improvement in sleep compared to the sham acupuncture treatment group.
Hachul (2012) conducted a small randomised, double-blind study with 18 postmenopausal women aged 50 – 67b years old to evaluate the effectiveness of acupuncture on sleep in postmenopausal women with insomnia. The participants were divided into two groups: acupuncture and ‘sham’ acupuncture. The participants completed questionnaires and a polysomnography (PSG) exam before and after the treatment. The results showed that after 5 weeks of treatment, the acupuncture group’s results from the questionnaire and PSG had substantially improved.
Zheng et al. (2020) conducted a randomised controlled study with 96 participants who had been diagnosed with insomnia and mood disorders. They were randomly divided into two groups: sham acupuncture and acupuncture. The results were analysed through various tests such as recorded sleep rate, self-reported depression scale and self-assessment anxiety scale. The participants were given 10 acupuncture sessions with the use of points such as PC 6, HT 7, LI 4, ST 36, KID 6, BL 62 and LIV 3 once per day, each lasting 30 minutes for 5 consecutive days, followed by a 2-day break for 2 weeks. Their data was collected 2 weeks, 1 month and 6 weeks after treatment. This study showed that acupuncture, compared to placebo acupuncture, can significantly improve insomnia, and its clinical efficacy was maintained for at least six weeks.
Lin et al. (2023) completed a systematic review of the effectiveness of acupuncture on sleep quality in patients with Parkinsons' disease. They reviewed twenty-four studies, which included 1701 participants, and from their research, they concluded that acupuncture did improve the patient's sleep quality, anxiety and depressive symptoms, and quality of life.
In conclusion, these studies provide compelling evidence for acupuncture’s effectiveness in enhancing sleep quality. A qualified acupuncturist, employing a holistic diagnostic approach, can identify the cause of disturbed sleep and offer personalised solutions. Additionally, they can assist in pinpointing various lifestyle factors that may contribute to sleep disturbances, such as sleep schedules or substance intake, such as caffeine and imbalanced hormones.
Hachul, H. Garcia, T. Maciel, A. Yagihara, F. Tufik, S. Bittencourt, L. (2012) Acupuncture Improves Sleep in Post menopause in a Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-controlled Study. Climacteric. 15: 1 -5 [Online] Available from: https://www.hmieducation.com/pub/articles/hmi_50a41bf737a01.pdf
Lin, J. Kong, Y. Zhou, W. (2023) Effects of Acupuncture on Sleep Quality in Patients With Parkinson’s Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Clinical Rehabilitation. [Online] Available from: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/02692155231218535
Maciocia (2015) The Practice of Chinese Medicine. London: Churchill Livingstone
Mental Health Foundation (2023) UK Adults Report Poorer Sleep, Seeing Friends Less Often and Exercising Less as Finacial Strain Takes it Toll – New Survery Results. [Online] Available from: https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/about-us/news/new-survey-results-report-concerns-due-financial-strain
Yin, X. Gou, M. Xu, J. Dong, B. Yin, P. Masqeulin, F. Wu, J. Lao, L. Xu, S. (2017) Efficacy and Safety of Acupuncture Treatment on Primary Insomnia: A Randomised Controlled Trial. Sleep Medicine. 37: 193 – 200 [Online] Available from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S138994571730093X
Zheng, H. Xiao, X. Zhou, S. Zheng, Q. (2020) The Effects of Active Acupuncture and Placebo Acupuncture on Insomnia Patients: A Randomised Control Trial. Psychology Health and Medicine. [Online] Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Xianjun-Xiao/publication/339924200_The_effects_of_active_acupuncture_and_placebo_acupuncture_on_insomnia_patients_a_randomized_controlled_trial/links/5fab3bcea6fdcc331b944bc3/The-effects-of-active-acupuncture-and-placebo-acupuncture-on-insomnia-patients-a-randomized-controlled-trial.pdf
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