23/02/13…..Not sleeping? Get to the point with Acupuncture

NEXT week heralds the arrival of Acupuncture Awareness Week (February 25 to March 3, 2013), and this year the focus is on sleep. Research commissioned by the British Acupuncture Council reveals that two thirds of people in the UK are getting less than the recommended eight hours of sleep a night. More concerning is that 1 in 3 cannot sleep most days or would say they suffer insomnia.

Over half surveyed said they had no energy or felt drained the next day if they didn?t get good sleep the night before. And 1 in 2 people feel it affects their mood, losing their sense of humour or snapping at family and friends.

Thame-based acupuncturist, Rhiannon Griffiths, sees this in her patients. ?Lack of sleep has a massive impact on day-to-day functioning,? she said, ?and on so many levels ? physically, it can lower the immune system and create lethargy or exhaustion; and emotionally, troubled sleepers may be more susceptible to stress, anxiety, depression or feeling low.?

This can create a vicious cycle, with statistics showing the top causes for sleep disturbances being worries about money, family, relationships and work, needing the toilet or feeling too hot.

?In Chinese Medicine, night corresponds to Yin,? Rhiannon explains. ?This is the dark, quiet, cool, calm energy. If it is abundant, there is rest, a settling down of the mind, ready for sleep. If there are deficiencies or imbalances within the body, this process is interrupted and sleep issues occur.?

The study also revealed that a fifth of people resort to taking sleeping pills or drinking alcohol to help them sleep, which can make sleep worse long term. In contrast, acupuncture focuses on treating the root cause reason, by harmonising internal energy, known as Qi. Ultra fine needles are inserted into specific points on the body, to address imbalances causing dysfunction.

Despite this, statistics show that 1 in 5 would consider acupuncture for sleep only as a last resort, and a quarter of those polled didn?t realise acupuncture could help with sleep issues.

Rhiannon is not surprised by these figures. ?Perception and lack of information about acupuncture is still one of the barriers in people coming for treatment,? she said. ?From a scientific perspective, acupuncture is known to calm the nervous system and increase endorphin production, which is why most patients find treatment so relaxing ? many fall asleep whilst the needles are in!?

?Whether you have trouble falling asleep at night, or drift off quickly only to wake up in the early hours, if your worries keep you awake, or you just lack energy on getting up, acupuncture can offer some help.?

Rhiannon is offering one lucky person the chance to WIN their first three treatments, worth over