Struggling to Sleep? Acupuncture can Help!

We’ve all had our fair share of restless nights. You get into bed after a long day and end up tossing and turning all night with no relief. Your body and mind are so tired, but you just can’t seem to fall asleep.  It is rare in our office when doing an intake a patient reports that they sleep great all. night. long. I usually stop and look at the new patient to see if I can detect any deception in their answer. It definitely gives me pause. Occasionally, patients will report that they have a hard time falling asleep. But mostly what we hear at Dedham Acupuncture, is that patients fall asleep easily, but they wake up in the middle of the night. I often ask them, “So, do you find yourself waking up between 1 and 3 am nightly?”, to which they reply, “How did you know?!”

We see this pattern every day in our office. Insomnia and other sleep disorders affect 25% of people, but our acupuncture treatments have helped our patients finally sleep regularly through the night. Let’s talk about what leads to sleeplessness and how acupuncture can help. You can visit our website to schedule your next appointment!

 

Why You Might Experience Insomnia

Stress: If our bodies need sleep to function, why do so many of us struggle to get enough of it? A lot of times it can come from being under too much stress. If you have a high-stress job or are overwhelmed in your day-to-day life, you can feel the weight of these issues when trying to sleep. Do you feel relaxed at night? Do you feel like you’re actually ready for bed when your head hits the pillow?  If you’re feeling really stressed all day, chances are you don’t. High stress causes high cortisol levels that are keeping your body alert before bed, and on edge even if you are sleeping.

Our Schedules: We all have a natural sleep-wake schedule that our bodies are aligned with. During the day, when the sun is out, we are meant to be alert and active. At night, as the sky gets darker, our relaxation and sleep hormones should be released to help us get to bed. But for most of our patients, that doesn’t work. When my patients tell me they work late into the night, travel to different time zones often, and use their phones in bed, I can see their circadian rhythms are thrown off. Our crazy schedules and hectic days can confuse our bodies to not know when it’s time to sleep. But in today’s world, sometimes it’s not possible to control those factors, and finding treatment that aligns with your lifestyle is key.

Lifestyle and Habits: Our daily habits can affect how well we sleep at night. We always tell our patients to look at their life holistically if they are experiencing health issues because everything is connected! Your diet, routines, and habits affect everything, especially your sleep. If you drink coffee late in the day or load up on sweets and sugars after dinner, this will cause trouble sleeping! If you sit all day for work and don’t cut out time for exercise and movement, you may not be tired when it’s time for bed. Even our phones and exposure to light can wreak havoc on our rest. Scrolling through social media late at night is overstimulating to the brain and will likely cause difficulties sleeping. Working on your habits to be more aligned with our natural wake-sleep cycles can improve your sleep and reduce symptoms of insomnia.

Acupuncture for Insomnia

If you want to work on your sleep and finally get a good night’s rest,  give acupuncture a try. A lot of our patients don’t want the side effects or risks of sleeping pills. Acupuncture is a safe and effective alternative and we’ve seen amazing results from our insomnia sufferers. There is a lot of research showing acupuncture improves insomnia symptoms, sleep efficiency, and total sleep time during treatment. Many of our patients experience relief within as little as two weeks, and it can be life-changing. Over time, fewer treatments are needed to maintain healthy sleep.

Acupuncture helps balance your body’s hormones and will increase the natural release of melatonin. It can also help treat underlying issues causing insomnia, such as chronic pain, anxiety, hormone imbalance, sleep apnea, and depressive disorders. We’ve treated many patients for insomnia and have seen the benefits acupuncture can provide. If you’re ready to improve your health with a better night’s sleep, schedule an appointment with one of our acupuncturists!

 

Lifestyle Changes You Should Consider

Want to sleep better tonight? Eat a low sugar diet today like the Whole 30 diet. Only cutting out sugar before bed doesn’t quite have the benefits of cutting out sugar throughout the day. Eating a plant-based diet with protein and no processed food can really translate into better sleep tonight. 

If the sleep problems are still severe, consider a supplement to regulate your cortisol levels like STandard Processes Adrenal Complex and get regular acupuncture. If you live a hectic lifestyle, try meditating each day for 15-30 minutes to work on your stress levels throughout the get regular acupuncture. day.

Before bed, set aside at least an hour before bed to wind down. Put away your screens and dim the lights to boost melatonin production. Try sipping on some warm chamomile tea and doing something relaxing, like breath work or reading. This will help signal to your body that you’re ready to wind down and sleep.

We hope these tips help you find relief, and we look forward to your next acupuncture appointment!