How many nights a week do you wake during the night and find your mind spinning? Maybe there are problems you’re working through. Maybe you’re wondering if you sent that email. Maybe you have SO MUCH on your to-do list that you just can’t stay asleep.
Do you stay awake for 30 to 60 minutes or longer? Do you wake multiple times in the night? Do you wake early in the morning and you just can’t get back to sleep before your alarm goes off?
And… do you feel exhausted all day and have even MORE trouble getting all your tasks completed with a clear head?
I have good news for you… Acupuncture and herbal medicine can help!
Acupuncture is known for its ability to let the body move from a state of fight or flight (the sympathetic nervous system state) to a state of rest and digest (the parasympathetic nervous system state). While acupuncture overall tends to be relaxing and restorative there are specific acupuncture points that are especially good at relieving stress, calming anxiety, and rebalancing the body.
If you’re struggling with anxiety you may also find that you sweat easily, you’re extra hot and even sweaty at night, you have butterflies in your chest or stomach, and sometimes you have digestive problems. All of these are signs that your body is a bit out of balance and needs help resetting. Acupuncture can help to re-balance hormonal issues and can adjust the gut-brain axis, making it easier for you to digest food and helping you to feel less anxiety and tension.
Typically you’ll feel some relief after the first acupuncture session, and often we will need a series of sessions (four or more) to ensure that your anxiety and sleeping return to normal. For faster and deeper results I often prescribe herbal medicine in addition to the acupuncture to support overall calming, a relaxed digestion, and restoring hormone balance.
Lastly, there may be some dietary and/or lifestyle changes that may help reduce your anxiety and improve your sleeping. Often cutting back on caffeine makes a significant improvement, and certain calming practices in the evening (reducing/removing screens before bedtime, lowering lights around the house, taking a bath, and/or meditating) can be very beneficial for both falling and staying asleep.
