Sleepless in Shanghai: How Traditional Chinese Medicine Can Help You Achieve a Better Night’s Sleep
We intuitively know the value of a good night’s sleep. And we’ve all experienced the frustration, exhaustion, and overall sense of poor health that comes when our sleep cycles are disrupted.
Clinically, solving the problem of sleep is one of the most challenging health issues because it affects our vitality and our fundamental sense of wellness. Sleep is responsible for optimizing our energy, digestion, metabolism and in doing so, it’s the foundation to thrive.
So whether it’s problems falling asleep, waking up at night, waking up groggy, tossing and turning, or the multitude of other sleep-related problems, poor sleep harms us physically, cognitively, and emotionally.
There is a growing amount of scientific evidence that demonstrates any duration of sleep impairment, whether for two days or twenty years, causes short-term memory lapses, lowers immunity, and is associated with dementia and life threatening diseases in the long-term.
Acupuncture, Traditional Chinese Medicine, and Sleep
Despite these somewhat grim findings, Chinese medicine recognizes that our physiology has an amazing ability to heal and adapt. Acupuncture treatment focuses on strengthening these abilities and nudges this inherent energy in the right direction.
This is what is known as “balancing the body,” because in TCM we know that a balanced body is a healthy body where disease, and issues like insomnia, cannot exist. So, acupuncture facilitates these physiological changes. The insertion of hair-thin needles into points along the body correlate to an individual’s unique profile or Chinese medicine pattern. These acupoints lie upon meridians, also known as channels that traverse the body. They are carefully chosen and combined to promote balance, working together synergistically.
We like to tell our patients who suffer from sleep problems that acupuncture is adaptogenic—it helps the body better respond to stress (whether physical or emotional) and reduce its negative impact on our ability to fall into a restorative, deep slumber.
The Impact of Stress on Sleep
While there are a lot of aspects of one’s health and lifestyle that can impact sleep, often a piece of the sleep puzzle (and sometimes the main piece) has to do with stress and/or anxiety. I’ve treated hundreds of people with varying degrees of sleep difficulties, but the majority experience insomnia because of some form of stress. This often stems from a job, a relationship, or money concerns, and even significant life changes like marriage or having a baby.
Even good stress, things that we associate as joyful, can keep us awake from excitement! Chinese medicine distinguishes all of these variables.
For instance, we treated a young woman who recently had a beautiful, healthy baby she had long awaited. Of course, sleep quality was suffering because of the middle of the night feedings and new routines all around.
In order to optimize sleep schedules for the entire family, they hired a night nurse who would tend to the baby for mom to get four hours of uninterrupted sleep. Problem was, she couldn’t fall asleep. She was already tuned in to the baby’s inevitable fussing or crying and her system was on high alert. Despite the exhaustion, she was awake and pretty frustrated, saying “Why did we hire a night nurse if I’m not sleeping anyway? I should just stay awake!” We know, of course, this was not an option.
In this case, the acupuncture treatment was designed to nourish and strengthen her energy, blood, and emotional foundation. In essence, bring the body back to balance, calm the nervous system, settle the anxiety and relax her body. She received weekly treatments for the subsequent three months and is now able to fall asleep and only wakes up when the baby does!
Clinical Approaches to Sleep Disruption
In Chinese medicine it’s said that if digestion and sleep are regulated, there is good health. So, when we’re consulting with patients, we always ask about their sleep. After all, consistent good quality sleep is crucial to our fundamental wellbeing. It’s as necessary as eating and breathing. During sleep cycles our bodies self-heal and essentially repair themselves both physically and mentally.
In conversation with patients, many give a vague answer when we ask about their sleeping habits: “It’s pretty good” or “Okay, I’m getting enough sleep.” Follow up questions that dig a bit deeper tell me more. Do you fall asleep within 30 minutes? Do you have vivid dreams? Nightsweats? Are you rested when you wake up? Suddenly we begin to unwind sleep patterns and it’s the optimal opportunity to provide a customized acupuncture session.
Above all, it’s increasingly rare (and frankly, quite alarming) that a patient experiences consistent, restorative, quality sleep. This is the case for those who fall asleep quickly, stay asleep, and get the coveted eight hours of rest, but still wake up tired.
This is because the quality of your sleep is suffering. If you wake up tired, find yourself hitting the snooze button, or can’t seem to function without a cup of coffee then you have issues with your sleep. You should be able to fall asleep easily, sleep through the night reasonably and wake up feeling refreshed or at least rested.
Can Acupuncture Really Help Me Sleep Better?
So, what does science have to say about the effectiveness of acupuncture when it comes to sleep?
How acupuncture actually works has been extensively examined and somewhat eluded modern medicine for some time. It’s boggled many scientific minds, understandably. For example, how does the insertion of needles in the lower leg actually help shoulder pain?! There are many explanations, some scientific and some not-so scientific.
In a study on acupuncture for pain, evidence indicates that acupuncture causes a serotonin and dopamine release in the brain, due to its influence on central neurotransmitters. In turn, all those feel-good hormones help calm the central nervous system. Serotonin, specifically, is a key player in the regulation of body functions that keep us happy and physically well, including mood, temperature, nausea- and how well we sleep.
More positive effects of acupuncture for sleep are illustrated in a recent study by hospital researchers at the Healthcare Medicine Institute. They examined the role of acupuncture and massage in a group of 80 participants with sleep issues who shared the same Chinese medicine pattern as the causative factor in their sleep difficulty.
Seven acupuncture points were chosen that reflected the pattern disharmony and work therapeutically to promote better sleep. The group that only received acupuncture therapy for a course of three sessions, reported sleep improvement by 72.5%. The second group that received acupuncture and tui na, a type of massage therapy, reported a 92.5% effective rate.
Scientifically, the potential for acupuncture to positively impact stress and anxiety, and thus sleep, is reflected in a small 2010 study that found several acupuncture points, administered twice a week, for only three weeks, significantly reduced levels of stress, anxiety and depression in both the young and the elderly.
Although there is a definite need for consistent, qualitative studies on the merit of acupuncture for sleep, the early results are quite promising. A meta-analysis of available research reveals that acupuncture is statistically better than pharmacotherapy (prescription medications) and placebo. Analysis also shows that acupuncture can increase the effectiveness of both prescription medications as well as herbs used for sleep.
Better Sleep is Possible
In closing, good quality sleep necessitates a daily, concerted effort. Healing sleep won’t come quickly, nor in a vacuum. A myriad of approaches are often necessary, and not two people will benefit from the same protocol. Acupuncture can provide a wide range of benefits for improving many aspects of one’s sleep and overall wellness.
Are you struggling with sleep issues?
If so, we encourage you to reach out and schedule a 1:1 appointment with one of our practitioners.
