acupuncture for improved sleep
The inability to sleep soundly throughout the night is considered abnormal in Chinese medicine, even if it is not diagnosed as full-blown insomnia. Whether you are unable to fall asleep or unable to stay asleep, Acupuncture and Chinese herbs can effectively address sleep disorders. It is very common for an acupuncture patient who has come to clinic for pain relief to report that they are sleeping better after a few treatments.
True insomnia is more than tossing and turning. It's more serious than an inability to fall asleep early. Never the less, in Chinese medicine, all of these conditions are seen as abnormal sleep pattern that should be addressed as the effects can be debilitating over time. An estimated 32 million people suffer from insomnia in the U.S. Oriental Medicine, with its focus on healing whole syndromes rather than individual symptoms, is widely used as an insomnia remedy and has shown great success treating those who experience insomnia and sleep disturbances.
Oriental Medicine relates insomnia to the Heart. Of course, an insomnia remedy would include a complete diagnosis and treatment system that would focus on each individual, and the many syndromes that are differentiated within the context of insomnia would be explored. Other organ systems and syndromes may also be involved, and until the body is brought back into balance through Acupuncture and herbal medicine, each insomnia symptom if left untreated may continue.
One contributor to insomnia, stress, weakens the function of the Liver, which in turn affects the health of your nerves. According to the 5 Element Theory, the relationship between the Liver and nerves flows both ways, causing the function of the Liver to be weakened from the accumulation of things that "get on your nerves." Stress-related insomnia is often accompanied by another nerve-induced problem; restless leg syndrome. This can make bedtime even more of a battle for sleep. When your Liver is unbalanced and being asked to deliver energy it does not have, uncomfortable symptoms are your body's way of signaling the need to get things back into harmony, the need for an insomnia remedy.
Acupuncture has a calming effect on the nervous system. It clears obstructions in the muscle and nerve channels, facilitates the flow of oxygen-enriched energy and relaxes the system. Common noted benefits of Acupuncture include deeper breathing, improved digestive abilities, better sleeping patterns, decrease in various pains and a general sense of well being, which are all excellent treatments for insomnia.
Acupuncture and herbal medicine as an insomnia remedy can greatly improve sleeping patterns, but in order to successfully and completely resolve sleep disturbance one must address all the contributing factors. Oriental Medicine helps do this by treating the whole person and focusing on bringing the entire body into balance.
