Eastern Medicine and Insomnia

By Aifei Wang, LAc, MAc

Insomnia is a contributor to poor health. More than 30 million Americans suffer from insomnia, restless leg syndrome, night sweats or other sleep disorders. The standard treatment for insomnia is a sleeping pill. A pill does not solve the underlying problem that is causing your inability to get a good night's sleep.

Eastern medicine takes a nuanced approach to insomnia. We recognize that it can have many different causes and we will ask you about your specific condition in order to pinpoint the problem. For example, if you have trouble falling asleep, that may relate to an excess condition of the liver or an imbalance of Heart and kidneys. The root of the problem for insomnia is a dysfunction or imbalance of the fundamental substances (Qi, blood, Yin, Yang, Jing, Shen), or of the major organ systems (Lungs, Heart, Spleen, Liver, Kidneys). When a person suffers from insomnia, two of the organs will be out of balance.

Stress, digestive problems, hormones or environmental issues may all cause insomnia. Once we know the root of your problem, we can use acupuncture and herbs to help your body rebalance itself in the correct way.

Medical Research

Clinical studies have found that acupuncture is a safe and effective treatment for insomnia. Among 47 insomnia patients in a study conducted by researchers for Acupuncture Today, 85% showed remarkable improvement when treated with acupuncture. The effects of treatment can be detected with an EEG, which records the brain's electrical activity. Researchers believe that acupuncture likely alters the brain's bioelectric and biochemical patterns by changing the release pattern of neurotransmitters and neuro-hormones, thus causing relaxation and sleep.

Case Study

Mary was a 43 year old woman who came to us after ten years of struggling with obesity, intermittent depression and insomnia. She would often wake up at around 2 or 3 a.m., unable to go back to sleep. She had her depression treated with medication but she wanted to have more energy, lose weight and be able to sleep through the night.

We diagnosed her with a disorder of the digestive system, or “spleen dampness,” as well as “Liver Qi stagnation” resulting from stress and anxiety. Her digestion problems, exacerbated by stress were causing both her insomnia and weight gain.

Using acupuncture and herbal supplements, we helped to rebalance her digestive functions and to restore the proper circulation of her “Liver Qi.” She lost weight, felt an increase in her energy levels, and was again able to get a good night's sleep.