Is Acupuncture Effective In Curing Insomnia And Stress?
Insomnia can affect anybody but it is commonly seen in the elderly. It also affects women during their hormonal changes during the menstrual cycle and at menopause.
An average person spends about one-third of their life sleeping. Normally people (adults) require about 7-9 hours of sound sleep to function well but some people can do very well even with 4-5 hours of sleep.
Lack of sleep can cause daytime sleepiness, drowsiness, fatigue, restlessness, poor appetite, irritation, poor memory, lack of concentration. It can affect job or school performances, driving abilities, analytical and decision-making skills of the person. Lack of inability to get up in the morning and daytime sleepiness can affect work or studies significantly.
Insomnia also increases the risk of systemic diseases like hypertension, diabetes, heart diseases, psychiatric disease. In long term, Insomnia can elevate the level of stress too much and may cause anxiety and depression.
CAUSES OF INSOMNIA
Sometimes, insomnia only lasts a few days and goes away on its own, especially when the insomnia is tied to an obvious temporary cause, such as stress over an upcoming presentation or a painful breakup. Chronic insomnia, however, is usually tied to an underlying psychological or medical issue.
- Psychological problems and emotional distress: Anxiety and depression are two of the most common causes of chronic insomnia. Other common emotional and psychological causes include chronic or significant life stress, anger, worry, grief, bipolar disorder, and trauma
- Medical problems or illness: Many medical conditions and diseases can contribute to insomnia, inclusive of asthma, allergies, Parkinson’s disease, kidney disease, and cancer. Chronic pain is also a very common cause of insomnia
- Medications: Many prescription drugs can interfere with sleep, including antidepressants, corticosteroids, thyroid hormone, high blood pressure medications, and some contraceptives
- Sleep disorders: Insomnia is itself a sleep disorder, but it can also be a symptom of other sleep disorders, including sleep apnea, restless legs syndrome, and circadian rhythm disturbances tied to jet lag or late-night shift work
LIFESTYLE RELATED CAUSES
- Sleep environment being noisy, too bright, or not very comfortable
- Watching TV, playing video games, or using a computer, tablet or smartphone in bed
- Drinking caffeinated beverages (coffee, tea, soda) within eight hours of bed
- Irregular sleep schedule
- Exercising or eating late in the evening
- Using alcohol to fall asleep
MANAGING INSOMNIA
- Try using Acupuncture
- Using a sleep diary to identify insomnia-inducing habits
- Adopting new habits to help you sleep
- Stick to a regular sleep schedule
- Avoid short naps
- Limit caffeine, alcohol, and nicotine
- Avoid late meals
- Get regular exercise
- Develop a better bedtime routine
- Make sure your bedroom is quiet, dark, and cool. Noise, light, and heat can interfere with sleep
- Avoid stimulating activity and stressful situations before bedtime
- Turn off screens one hour before sleep.
We have seen many people benefit a lot from using Acupuncture for anxiety and insomnia.
The problem is that often one’s perception of a “stressful” event must also shift. Sometimes a person needs to reduce stress in their life, use stress management techniques like meditation and moderate exercise, adjust diet to more supportive foods, and make sure that all needs such as proper hydration are also met.
We have also seen very good results with an anxiety disorder, some get cured in just 3 sessions. There’s a number of people that come for anxiety treatment, they often continue to improve slowly over time and at some point may say that they no longer have anxiety.
So if you have already done everything that you can to work on your sleep habits at home. Acupuncture is your next step to get you sleeping well and feeling better!
The Takeaway: Is Acupuncture Effective In Curing Insomnia And Stress?
If you are interested in working with a skilled Acupuncturist you can schedule or visit our page on our website. We offer many other holistic treatments such as decompression therapy, acupuncture, chiropractic, neurofeedback, psychology, reiki, nutrition, massage, rolfing and corrective exercise. If you need some help figuring out what service is right for you, try our personalized consultation. Our Wellness Center and Chiropractor office in Miami Florida specializes in restoring your health!
