General Insomnia
Everybody occasionally has problems falling asleep. If lack of sleep makes it difficult for you to function during the day, you might be one of the 1 in 3 people who suffer from insomnia.
The following list of symptoms of insomnia can last from a few days to several months or longer:
- having trouble falling asleep
- waking up during the night
- having trouble falling back to sleep
- having trouble getting out of bed
Insomnia has a variety of causes, including:
- health issues like sleep apnea
- mental health conditions like anxiety
- enduring pain
- unusual sleeping patterns
- no established environmental, psychological, or medical cause (known as primary insomnia)
For Stanton, acupuncture is a more natural sleep aid than drugs like benzodiazepines. Even when taken as prescribed, benzodiazepines frequently result in misuse, abuse, and addiction, according to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA).
“Patients value options”, according to Stanton. “Acupuncture is safe, it encourages internal healing, and it presents a patient with significantly fewer hazards than pharmacological therapy.”
According to Stanton, some study indicates that acupuncture may be effective in treating anxiety, insomnia, restless legs syndrome, and obstructive sleep apnea.
Overall, it’s important to avoid exaggerating the evidence. It is generally mild to modest, but it is there, he says.