Sleep: Acupuncture = More Shut Eye
Sleep is something many people take for granted until they no longer can get it. It’s the most under-utilized way to boost immunity, relieve stress and promote wellness. The average American adult needs roughly 8 hours of sleep every day to continue functioning at optimum performance. But here are some staggering facts for you.
50-70 million US adults have a sleep disorder.
Those are just the adults claiming to have a disorder. Not necessarily the people who occasionally have problems sleeping in a more acute setting.
Insomnia is the most common sleep disorder.
Insomnia is described as habitual sleeplessness where a person could be completely exhausted but unable to either fall asleep or stay asleep.
Over 35% of adults report that they get less than 7 hours of sleep during a typical 24hr period.
These facts show that sleep disorders are more common than most people realize. When I ask patients about their sleep, I often hear this. “Yes, I don’t sleep well but that’s fine. I’m just a little tired but it doesn’t seem to affect other parts of my life”. So many people are so used to being sleep deprived that they don’t even care to fix it because they’ve become used to it.
Here are three studies that prove just how important sleep is.
The CDC did a study that showed that adults who were short sleepers (less than 7hrs in a 24hr period) were more likely to report 10 chronic health conditions (heart attack, coronary heart disease, stroke, asthma, COPD, cancer, arthritis, depression, chronic KD disease and diabetes)
The University of Warwick did a study that found that getting less than 6 hours of sleep on a continuous basis makes you 48% more likely to die of heart disease and 15% more likely in developing a stroke.
A study done by the Mental Health Foundation found that people that didn’t get enough sleep were four times more likely to suffer from lack of concentration, have relationship problems and three times more likely to be depressed.
Sleep affects everything. It helps boost your immune system, balance hormones, regenerate cells, promote health body weight and even affects your life expectancy. With all the health benefits that sleep provides, it’s about time we start talking about ways to improve sleep both in length and quality with an alternative method.
Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese practice that has been helping people sleep for centuries. It is the utilization of fine, sterile needles that help benefit the flow of blood and energy throughout the body. It helps lessen inflammation, relieve stress, promote endorphin response and relax nerves and muscles thereby benefiting sleep as well as dozens of other health conditions. These studies alone show just how much acupuncture can benefit sleep.
A preliminary report in 2004 found that in patients with anxiety, acupuncture increased nighttime melatonin production and total sleep time.
A study done in 1999 found that acupuncture improved sleep quality in an average patient with insomnia.
A study in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine from 2016 revealed that acupuncture even helped manage sleep apnea and beat out the CPAP as a more effective method of treatment for .
Studies around the world have shown the efficacy of acupuncture on treating sleep disorders. In my own office, we have seen incredible changes within just a few treatments that have impacted people’s moods, mentality, immunity and stress levels.
If you’d like to learn more about how acupuncture could best benefit you and your specific sleep issues, please give us a call and set up your FREE CONSULTATION. If you could improve your sleep and overall health, why wait? Start today!
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