“Can acupuncture help with sleep problems?”

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“Can acupuncture help with sleep problems?”

My 16 year old has insomnia and sleeps terribly. Can acupuncture help with sleep problems?

30 Answers

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**Kaiti Wang** Acupuncturist Baytown, TX · Accepted Answer

Kaiti Wang Acupuncturist Baytown, TX

yes, acupuncture can help with sleep problems

**Catherine Rahm Coudray** Acupuncturist Laramie, Wy · Accepted Answer

Catherine Rahm Coudray Acupuncturist Laramie, Wy

Yes

Accepted Answer

If acupuncture is used to help pain it should help one sleep better. I'm not aware of simply acupuncture helping one sleep better. I have an article forthcoming explaining how I have been helping my patients sleep better along the Gulf Coast for the past 30 years.

**Ms. Ellen D. Leonard** Acupuncturist Grants Pass, OR · Accepted Answer

Ms. Ellen D. Leonard Acupuncturist Grants Pass, OR

Yup, acupuncture can be very effective for sleep problems, especially with younger people. They react quickly to acupuncture.

**Phavikone Sundara** Acupuncturist Kent, WA · Accepted Answer

Phavikone Sundara Acupuncturist Kent, WA

Acupuncture with massage, and herbs can help for sleep.

**Carolyn Shannon Sullivan** Acupuncturist Randolph and Stoughton, MA · Accepted Answer

Acupuncture CAN help but it depends upon other factors. Is he or she eating too late at night before bed or eating a lot of sugary/caffeinated foods/beverages? Exercising too late at night? Oftentimes, insomnia can be caused by emotional problems, unresolved issues that are creeping up at night when all is quiet. Is that an issue? He or she may need counseling. Does the mattress or pillow need to be changed out? If the spine is not supported properly, getting restorative sleep can be problematic. Not sure if this is your son or daughter, but in girls, hormone levels can fluctuate so much so as to create/worsen sleep problems.
First, I would suggest watching out for bad eating habits. Drinking coffee or eating chocolate/sugary foods, even in the afternoon, can cause sleeplessness in those that are sensitive. Secondly, your child may need to seek out a therapist if emotional instability is at play. Being honest with oneself of the inability to cope with stressors can be the start of attacking issues head on. Lastly, I would strongly suggest partaking in internal exercises such as Tai Chi, meditation, yoga and so on. Even deep breathing....in through the nose, out through the mouth has been shown to be helpful in lowering blood pressure, cortisol levels and the like, which help with sleep problems.
All that being said, acupuncture works to balance meridians, or pathways that are imbalanced and can reduce stress. So it can be extremely helpful in that respect, but if the aforementioned lifestyle changes are at play and not addressed, you may still have trouble. Good luck!!!

**Poyuan (Kevin) Hou** Acupuncturist Pomona, CA · Accepted Answer

Poyuan (Kevin) Hou Acupuncturist Pomona, CA

Yes, acupuncture can definitely help insomnia issue, as long as the acupuncturist is able to distinguish the causes of the insomnia.

Best Regards,

**Xuezhao Zhang** Acupuncturist SAINT LOUIS, MO · Accepted Answer

Xuezhao Zhang Acupuncturist SAINT LOUIS, MO

Yes

**Natalie Ramsey** Acupuncturist Montclair, New Jersey · Accepted Answer

Natalie Ramsey Acupuncturist Montclair, New Jersey

Sure! Improving sleep is one thing acupuncture does best. It’s important to look at other factors as well though, like reducing screen time in the evening, ceasing a couple hours before bedtime altogether and charging electronics in a separate room other than the bedroom. These are a couple of tricks that could also help.

**Dr. Anthony Gordon** Acupuncturist SMITHTOWN, NY · Accepted Answer

Dr. Anthony Gordon Acupuncturist SMITHTOWN, NY

Acupuncture would most likely help him a lot and be worth trying. I often help patients with insomnia.

**David Paton** Acupuncturist Catonsville, MD · Accepted Answer

David Paton Acupuncturist Catonsville, MD

First we have to find out the reasons for his sleep issues, then we can address those issues with acupuncture and with herbs. Short answer is yes.

**Jinhua Qian** Acupuncturist Windsor Mill, MD · Accepted Answer

Jinhua Qian Acupuncturist Windsor Mill, MD

Yes, acupuncture can reduce Insomnia symptoms and help to improve sleeping condition. You can definitely try acupuncture for sleeping problem.

**Yiqin Feng** Acupuncturist Clarksburg, MD · Accepted Answer

Yiqin Feng Acupuncturist Clarksburg, MD

Yes, acupuncture can help sleep problem

**Neilly A. Buckalew** Acupuncturist Post Falls, ID · Accepted Answer

Thank you for your question,

Without knowing more about your teen’s medical history and the reasons for the insomnia, this is not an easy question nor appropriate to answer in a general sense.

There are a number of reasons both medical and psychological why a teenager would not be sleeping. The first step is always to have a thorough evaluation by a qualified physician, in your teen’s case a pediatrician that can determine why they have insomnia.

It is possible that acupuncture can be a helpful addition to treating whatever the cause is for their insomnia. But, do not forgo a medical evaluation by a medical doctor and jump to acupuncture alone.

Kind Regards,
B

**Mary Hills** Acupuncturist Alpine, CA · Accepted Answer

Mary Hills Acupuncturist Alpine, CA

Yes, acupuncture can help sleep issues. Sleep issues can be caused by different reasons, and it would require an evaluation by a licensed acupuncture practitioner to determine the best course of treatment.
I hope this helps answer your question.

Mary Hills, DACM, LAc

**Hsin Yun Tu** Acupuncturist Austin, TX · Accepted Answer

Hsin Yun Tu Acupuncturist Austin, TX

Acupuncture can help sleep problems, much research reported after acupuncture treatment can increase nighttime melatonin production and sleep time, patients also feel more relaxed and fell asleep faster.

**ryan bishop** Acupuncturist loxahatchee, fl · Accepted Answer

ryan bishop Acupuncturist loxahatchee, fl

Yes

**Mr. Anthony James Lorenzo** Acupuncturist · Accepted Answer

Mr. Anthony James Lorenzo Acupuncturist

Yes.

**Ramona Whan** Acupuncturist Wildomar, CA · Accepted Answer

Ramona Whan Acupuncturist Wildomar, CA

Yes, and a holistic herbal remedy would most likely be added to help him.

**Lawrence Kwong** Acupuncturist New York, NY · Accepted Answer

Lawrence Kwong Acupuncturist New York, NY

Acupuncture can help with sleep problems. From traditional Chinese medicine perspective, sleep problems can stem from various reasons and we would have to properly diagnose properly in order to come up with the proper treatment protocol.

**Yolanda Seliga** Acupuncturist Park Ridge, IL · Accepted Answer

Yolanda Seliga Acupuncturist Park Ridge, IL

Hello & thank you for your question. Yes, acupuncture helps with insomnia, whether it's trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or both. It does this by regulating hormones and activating the parasympathetic nervous system (rest & digest) in order to bring about relaxation and improved sleep.

**Dr. Gary H. Miller** Pulmonologist Washington, DC · Accepted Answer

While it is possible that it might be of benefit it is neither standard nor well studied studied. Almost all insomnia 1n 16-year-old's is addressable with a conventional approach and can relate to some mixture of poor sleep habits, poor sleep environment, anxiety, medical illness or depression.It would make far better sense to have him evaluated by a pediatric sleep specialist.

**Jeff Rippey** Acupuncturist Saint Joseph, MO · Accepted Answer

Jeff Rippey Acupuncturist Saint Joseph, MO

Yes, acupuncture has a pretty good track record with insomnia - most studies show it equaling or outperforming typical prescription sleep medications. It may take 3-5 treatments to get things moving in the right direction, and there will probably also be lifestyle suggestions which may influence how quickly the issue comes under control.

**Daisy Dong** Acupuncturist Denver, CO · Accepted Answer

Daisy Dong Acupuncturist Denver, CO

Insomnia, unspecific or specific, is a common reason for acupuncture.

**Mrs. Angela Kay Buckridge** Acupuncturist Seymour, TN · Accepted Answer

Mrs. Angela Kay Buckridge Acupuncturist Seymour, TN

Acupuncture can help with sleep problems. There are many points on the body to calm the mind, body and spirit.

Yours in Health,

Angie

**Ms. Qin Milla Mu** Acupuncturist San Jose, CA · Accepted Answer

Ms. Qin Milla Mu Acupuncturist San Jose, CA

Yes, acupuncture can help with sleep problems.

**Brianna Viens** Acupuncturist Columbia, MD · Accepted Answer

Brianna Viens Acupuncturist Columbia, MD

Absolutely. One of my favorite things to treat is insomnia. I have also been a patient of insomnia, and acupuncture resolved it quickly for me.

**Andrea Cillo** Acupuncturist Bay Shore, New York · Accepted Answer

Andrea Cillo Acupuncturist Bay Shore, New York

Yes. Acupuncture can be very effective in treating many sleep disorders including insomnia. It is also safe for all ages when applied by a licensed acupuncturist.

**Long Vi Vuong** Acupuncturist San Diego, CA · Accepted Answer

Long Vi Vuong Acupuncturist San Diego, CA

Hello! Yes, acupuncture can work on the conditions and symptoms of insomnia.

**Mozart Paiva** Acupuncturist Baltimore-Nottingham, MD · Accepted Answer

Mozart Paiva Acupuncturist Baltimore-Nottingham, MD

Acupuncture is very effective to help with sleeping problems.

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