Acupuncture for Insomnia - Treatment Protocols

Below you will find some of the more common tcm diagnoses and acupuncture treatment protocols for insomnia and related sleeping disorders. There are many ways to treat this condition with Eastern Medicine and our presentation is only one of many possible options.

• Differentiation:
  • Excess Conditions:
  • LV Fire
  • Phlegm Heat
  • Deficient Conditions:
  • SP Qi & Heart Blood Deficiency
  • KD Yin Deficiency
  • HT & GB Deficiency
  
  
• LV Fire - Excess
  • Signs & Symptoms:
    • Insomnia, usually somewhat chronic, with overall signs of LV Heat - irritability, excessive anger, possibly sub costal pain and/or bitter taste in mouth.
    • Tongue: Red w/yellow coat
    • Pulse: Wiry
  • Treatment Points:
    • Valaskatagis Point Selection:
    • LV 2 - drain liver heat
    • PC 7 - regulate the shen
    • HT 7 - regulate the shen
    • GB 44 - dream disturbed sleep
    • UB 18 - liver shu
    • Anmian - extra point for insomnia/sleep issues
• Phlegm Heat - Excess
  • Signs & Symptoms:
    • Insomnia with phlegm signs - sensation of fullness in the chest, poor digestion/appetite, dizziness, nausea along with heat signs such as a bitter taste in the mouth.
    • Tongue: Greasy coating that is yellow (heat) or white (deficiency)
    • Pulse:Slippery
  • Treatment Points:
    • Valaskatagis Point Selection:
    • CV 12 - tonify spleen
    • ST 36 - tonify Qi
    • ST 40 - resolve phlegm
    • ST 45 - clear heat, calm mind
    • HT 7 - regulate shen
    • GV 20 - clear head
    • Anmian - extra point for insomnia/sleep issues
• SP Qi & Heart Blood Deficiency
  • Signs & Symptoms:
    • Insomnia, usually with dreams, along with deficiency signs such as poor appetite, poor memory, fatigue a/or palpitations.
    • Tongue: Pale w/thin white coat
    • Pulse:Thin, weak
  • Treatment Points:
    • Valaskatagis Point Selection:
    • SP 6 - tonify spleen
    • ST 36 - tonify Qi
    • HT 7 - regulate shen
    • UB 15 - heart shu
    • UB 20 - spleen shu
    • Anmian - extra point for insomnia/sleep issues
    • Xinnong (CAM) Point Selection (with modifications):
    • SP 1 - moxa with small cones, dream-disturbed sleep
    • SP 6 - tonify spleen
    • HT 7 - regulate shen
    • UB 15 - heart shu
    • UB 20 - spleen shu
    • Anmian - extra point for insomnia/sleep issues
• KD Yin Deficiency
  • Signs & Symptoms:
    • Insomnia with difficulty falling asleep a/or waking often along with Yin deficiency signs - heat in the five hearts (hands, feet, chest), palpitations, night sweats, dizziness a/or poor memory. Possibly with KD deficiency signs such as sore lower back a/or knees.
    • Tongue: Red w/little or no coat
    • Pulse:Rapid, thin
  • Treatment Points:
    • Valaskatagis Point Selection:
    • KD 3 - tonify yin
    • KD 6 - tonify yin
    • HT 7 - regulate shen
    • PC 7 - regulate shen
    • SI 3 - night sweats, calm mind - possibly w/HT 6 (instead of HT 7) for strong night sweats
    • Anmian - extra point for insomnia/sleep issues
• Heart & Gall Bladder Deficiency
  • Signs & Symptoms:
    • Insomnia with an overall timid/shy nature - easily frightened, inability to make decisions, etc.
    • Tongue: No specific tongue, possibly pale w/teethmarks
    • Pulse:Wiry, thin
  • Treatment Points:
    • Valaskatagis Point Selection:
    • HT 7 - tonify heart
    • SP 6 - tonify spleen
    • GB 44 - regulate GB, calm mind
    • UB 15 - heart shu
    • UB 18 - liver shu
    • UB 19 - gall bladder shu
    • Anmian - extra point for insomnia/sleep issues

The information on our site is drawn from our own lecture notes and clinical experience. The following lecture notes were consulted within this section:

• St. John, Meredith: New England School of Acupuncture, Etiology and Pathology Lecture Notes
• Valaskatgis, Peter: New England School of Acupuncture, Etiology and Pathology Lecture Notes