How To Treat Sleep Deprivation with Acupuncture

The word acupuncture alone often incites trepidation when offered to clients. But what if it could help solve one of the most common problems? According to the American Sleep Association, 50-70 million adults in the United States experience trouble sleeping. Tuck Sleep Foundation, a web-based community devoted to improving sleep hygiene, health, and wellness, has created a guide to the benefits of acupuncture for sleep apnea and insomnia. 

It’s important to know what acupuncture is in order to better understand how it might benefit clients with sleep disorders. Acupuncture involves the insertion of thin, sterile needles into specific parts of the body, with the goal of treating pain by stimulating various nerves and muscles. Additionally, it can alleviate symptoms of insomnia, sleep apnea, and feelings of stress and anxiety which can interfere with sleep.

Acupuncture assists individuals with sleep apnea by stimulating the muscles and tissues of their airways, so they’re stronger and less likely to collapse during sleep, causing the apnea. Acupuncture lessens anxiety, stimulates melatonin production, induces sleep onset, and reduces sleep disruption and arousal during the night. All of these effects amount to an overall increase in total sleep time. In some instances, acupuncture is used as a treatment not for insomnia itself, but for pain from other physical conditions that in turn make it difficult to fall asleep at night. Acupuncture can be beneficial as a standalone or additional service based on clients’ needs. 

Read the full acupuncture and sleep guide on Tuck’s official website.

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