In the sleep series Part 1 we discussed a few tips on how to better manage your sleep. Part 2 will discuss acupuncture's role in helping to regulate sleep.
Clinical research proves that acupuncture plays a beneficial role in sleep quality. How does an acupuncture treatment achieve this?
The first step will be identifying what's causing you to have bad sleep in the first place. For many people this could be: stress related, digestion related, medication related, environmentally related, etc.
A thorough intake will help us reveal what's going on internally. Once the "root" of the issue is identified, a unique treatment plan is developed to meet your body's needs.
So what happens when your lying down and relaxing with the acupuncture needles? Acupuncture stimulates the parasympathetic response of the body, thereby promoting our essential "rest and digest" function. The parasympathetic nervous system promotes relaxation and general feelings of calm and well being.
In addition, by focusing the treatment on the root cause of the sleep disturbance, we can address the culprit and treat it so that the pattern of bad sleep does not continue.
Furthermore, research shows that acupuncture increases natural melatonin secretion and reduces anxiety and insomnia. Those patients who participated in the study and received acupuncture were able to fall asleep faster, were less stressed, and felt less awake at night.
The positives?
Acupuncture does not require the use of any drugs or medications that could have potentially harmful side effects. Your body will be led to self-regulate itself, helping to prevent the unhealthy sleep triggers to happen in the first place.
Want to know more about acupuncture? Check out some of the most frequently asked questions.