How Does Acupuncture Work for Insomnia? Find Out HERE! blog pic

How Does Acupuncture Work for Insomnia? Find Out HERE!

  • Primary Insomnia – insomnia that is not linked to another health condition.

  • Secondary Insomnia – insomnia that is linked to a health condition such as depression, cancer, asthma, heartburn, arthritis, pain, medications, or substance abuse.
  • Sleep-Maintenance Insomnia – this is when someone has an issue staying asleep at night or waking up too early in the morning.

  • Sleep-Onset Insomnia – this is when someone has an issue getting to sleep to begin with.

  • Mixed Insomnia – this is when someone has an issue getting to sleep and staying asleep throughout the night.

  • Paradoxical Insomnia – this is when someone feels like they slept less than they actually do.

Common Causes of Insomnia:

  • Bad Sleep Habits – this can be going to bed or waking up at different hours each day, being too hyper before bed, not having a comfortable sleep area, taking naps during the day, working, eating, or watching tv in bed. Additionally, this can include using electronics before bedtime can severely disrupt the melatonin surge that is needed to fall asleep as well as being associated with poor sleep quality according to recent research.

  • Stress – any number of issues that adults deal with daily can cause stress such as work, health, school, money, family, or more traumatic events like divorce or death of a loved one, and these can make it difficult to sleep at night.

  • Mental Health Conditions – insomnia is known to occur often along with other mental health conditions such as depression or PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder).

  • Schedule – this can be your work or travel schedule which can interrupt your circadian rhythm (also known as your internal clock), and this interruption can cause insomnia.

  • Medications – various prescription medications can disrupt sleep such as certain antidepressants, blood pressure, and asthma medications. There are also some over the counter medications that can mess with sleep such as pain medicine, weight loss medication/supplements, and cold and allergy medicines.

  • Medical Conditions – there are several conditions that have been associated with insomnia such as cancer, diabetes, asthma, hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid), Alzheimer’s disease, heart disease, GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease), and Parkinson’s disease.
  • Melatonin – allows the body to calm down and get the body ready for sleep.

  • Norepinephrine – helps the body stay awake

  • GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) – allows the body to fall and stay asleep through the night.
  • Increasing energy while decreasing fatigue

  • Building up memory and concentration

  • Improving digestion

  • Decreasing headaches

  • Encouraging more restful sleep via regulating the nervous system

  • Increasing melatonin secretion

  • Increasing blood flow to relax the mind and body

  • Decreasing the body’s fight or flight response in the nervous system

  • Managing the levels of neurotransmitters

  • Increase nitric oxide which will stimulate hormone release and regulate neurotransmission

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