For millions of Canadians, Insomnia and sleep disorders are an extremely unhealthy and frustrating reality. The inability to have a proper night’s sleep can affect mood, work performance, and a person’s overall ability to function. It can result in irritability, lack of focus, stress, anxiety, depression, and countless other conditions. And in our increasingly fast-paced, high-stress 21st-century society, insomnia has become a legitimate problem.
What is Insomnia?
Although most people see insomnia as merely an “inability to sleep,” it’s not always that simple. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, there are different forms of insomnia”
- Difficulty in falling asleep.
- Waking in the early or middle part of the night and not being able to return to sleep.
- Waking early in the morning and not being able to return to sleep.
- Sleep with disruptive dreaming
- A general inability to sleep
Insomnia can be debilitating.
No matter the form it takes, insomnia is not fun. But the good news is that it can be cured…without popping pills or other forms of sleep aids. Because it is specialized to each patient’s needs, acupuncture can help to relieve all forms of insomnia. Each type of insomnia is caused by specific energy blockages and imbalances. Through the insertion of needles in the corresponding acupoints, acupuncture treatment can clear the blockages, allowing for a free flow of energy (qi). This results in a more relaxed, balanced body, which are ideal conditions for proper sleep.
Stress and Anxiety
Often, things like stress, anxiety, and depression can play a leading role in an ability to sleep properly. This makes perfect sense. All parts of the body are connected. When the brain is dealing with unwanted external stimuli, like stress and anxiety, it naturally will affect the whole body, as well as the brain’s ability to shut down into sleep mode. Luckily, acupuncture is famous for its ability to target those blocked pathways that cause stress, anxiety, and depression. By clearing those pathways, it puts the brain, and the whole body, in a better condition for sleep.
Acupuncture will naturally help you to get a good night’s sleep.
Insomnia and Drugs
Perhaps the most common “treatment” for insomnia is the use of pills: sleeping pills, anti-depressant medication, sleep aids. Whether they are prescription medications, like Ambien, or over-the-counter remedies, like Unisom, there is no certainly no shortage of drugs available that claim to help you sleep better. However, while some of these might work, a few important factors must be considered:
- Many over-the-counter and prescription drugs contain antihistamines and other products that will make you feel groggy, even after getting some sleep. Many sleep medications even come with warnings not to drive or operate machinery after taking them. They may help you sleep, but the side effects may also negatively impact your day to day living.
- There is also the risk of becoming dependent on sleeping pills, which can be both unhealthy and expensive.
- Sleeping medications mask the problem with drugs. Acupuncture, on the other hand, tackles the root of the problem naturally by balancing the systems and pathways in your body that are causing insomnia.
When practiced by a professional, acupuncture helps cure all forms of insomnia and sleep disorders. Instead of masking the problem with medications that can make you feel drowsy, acupuncture targets the areas of your body that are causing your inability to sleep and clears them up.
Are You Looking for an Acupuncture Clinic in Vancouver?
If you are suffering from insomnia and want to try acupuncture, or are interested in any other aspects of Traditional Chinese Medicine, book an appointment today by phoning 604-260-2713 or visit our clinic in person.
