Insomnia - I can't sleep deeply

What is Insomnia?

Insomnia presents with various symptoms, including:

• Sleep onset insomnia (difficulty falling asleep)
• Sleep maintenance insomnia (waking up soon after falling asleep and being unable to fall back asleep)
• Fatigue due to reduced sleep quality and quantity

Insomnia can cause difficulties with daytime activities, and in severe cases, it can be accompanied by psychological symptoms such as depression and anxiety. The anxiety of not being able to sleep, followed by further worry about not being able to sleep again, creates a vicious cycle that exacerbates insomnia and significantly degrades quality of life.

Korean Medicine Treatment for Insomnia

While pharmacological treatments such as sleeping pills, anxiolytics, and antidepressants are available, there are concerns about side effects, dependency, and withdrawal symptoms associated with habitual drug use. Therefore, many people are interested in Korean medicine treatment for insomnia.

Mandıroğlu, S., & Ozdilekcan, C. (2017). Impact of Acupuncture on Chronic Insomnia: A Report of Two Cases with Polysomnographic Evaluation. Journal of Acupuncture and Meridian Studies, 10(2), 135–138. doi:10.1016/j.jams.2016.09.018

Acupuncture Treatment Cases for Insomnia

Changes in insomnia patients before and after acupuncture treatment are reported through polysomnography.

First Patient

This patient experiences difficulty falling asleep and fragmented sleep. They feel anxious during the day due to thoughts of not being able to sleep at night. Symptoms have progressed for 5 years, worsening significantly in the past 6 months. Even after lying in bed to sleep, they toss and turn for over an hour, cannot achieve deep sleep, and wake up 5-6 times. In the morning, their head feels foggy and they suffer from severe headaches.

Second Patient

A 49-year-old housewife with symptoms lasting approximately 6 years, experiencing difficulty with both sleep onset and maintenance. She suffers from severe daytime fatigue, and her symptoms began after breast cancer surgery 6 years ago, leading to chronic insomnia.

Acupuncture Treatment Method

Acupuncture treatment was performed every two days. Acupoints primarily used included Baihui and Sizhukong on the head, as well as Hegu and Sanyinjiao. Needles were inserted into the body, and after achieving deqi sensation, they were retained for 20 minutes. Polysomnography was conducted and evaluated at one-month intervals.

Changes in polysomnography for both patients confirmed a decrease in sleep latency, an increase in total sleep time, and improved sleep efficiency. Furthermore, the deficiency in deep sleep stages was compensated, indicating a recovery in overall sleep architecture.

Above, we introduced a study on acupuncture treatment for insomnia. If you are suffering from insomnia, please consider Korean medicine treatment.

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