Sleep Problems – Obtaining Insomnia Relief with Acupuncture

Almost everyone in our society will experience insomnia sometime in
their lives.

• Do you have trouble falling asleep?
• Do you have difficulty staying asleep?
• Do you wake up frequently during the night and
• Are you unable to fall back to sleep again?
• Are you a sound sleeper?
• Do you feel rested in the morning and ready to face the day?

Occasional sleep problems may be due to a situational factor such as anxiety over a big test, a job interview, or a public speech. Neither of these situations is cause for alarm. But, chronic insomnia, will certainly affect our health, and may lead to serious health problems.

How many of us awake refreshed every morning after a good night’s sleep?

Poor sleep is a concern that I hear frequently in my clinic. A night or two of restless sleep is generally only annoying and a bit tiring! You should be aware that chronic insomnia can lead to serious health problems.

If insomnia persists and begins to interfere with your ability to function efficiently during the day, you could benefit from seeking acupuncture.

Your sleep problems may have a number of causes, including:

• Stress
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Irregular work schedules
• Medications
• Drugs
• Alcohol abuse
• Major life changes
• Chronic pain
• Hyperthyroidism
• Arthritis

You may have already tried prescription medications. These may be helpful for a short while, but after a week or two, they can lead to other problems. Such as:

1. Anti-anxiety drugs may interfere with the quality of sleep, and cause “rebound insomnia”, loss of appetite, fatigue, and sexual dysfunction.
2. Benzodiazepines has a high abuse potential and can be addicting.
3. Tricyclic antidepressants may have intolerable adverse effects including dry mouth, hypotension, urinary retention and cardiac conduction effects.

The use of acupuncture has been proven to be very useful in the treatment of chronic sleep difficulties. Acupuncture has an extremely calming effect on the nervous system. Within a few minutes of insertion of needles, the body starts releasing endorphins and other neurochemicals. Many people become very drowsy and even fall asleep during their treatment.

Studies have shown that some types of insomnia may be due to a deficiency of endorphins.

Endorphins are the body’s own natural painkillers, and this makes acupuncture a very useful therapy.

Herbs for insomnia are generally suggested as part of your care.

Testimonials:

“I had trouble sleeping for months, but now I’m sleeping like a baby.”
_{Mo Seiller; Clearwater, Florida}
“I slept only one or two hours a night for almost 10 years. After a few
weeks of treatments and herbs, I was sleeping for at least three hours.
And now I usually sleep for five or more hours a night. I feel so much
more rested and able to function better in my business.”

_{Deb DeVito; New Port Richey, Florida}

If you are interested in determining how I can help you find relief for your sleep problem , give me a call at (727) 771-7110.