Last month we talked a lot about sleep quality and the effect of sleep on overall health. For people with chronic pain, this can be a vicious cycle with pain making it difficult to sleep and sleep deficiency increasing pain perception. This correlation also applies to mental health. Often conditions like depression and anxiety can lead to insomnia, which only increases the symptoms of depression and anxiety. Interrupting this negative cycle can have significant benefits for the person suffering.

Several studies have shown acupuncture to be an effective treatment for depression and anxiety, and particularly insomnia associated with those conditions. A study of acupuncture for depression-related insomnia found significant improvements in sleep quality with acupuncture compared with Western medicine. When acupuncture was given as an adjunctive therapy with Western medicine, both depression and insomnia were improved.

Acupuncture may also be of benefit in anxiety-related insomnia. A Canadian study reported that acupuncture significantly improved sleep quality in patients with anxiety and insomnia. This is likely due to the fact that acupuncture regulates the autonomic nervous system. In patients with mild depression or anxiety, acupuncture was associated with significant reductions in resting heart rate at 5 and 15 min after needle application. Acupuncture also resulted in increased melatonin production at night and significant improvements in total sleep time. This effect was not seen in the control group sham acupuncture.

As instances of depression and anxiety continue to increase in the United States, it’s important to continue researching effective treatments to address both the symptoms and the underlying causes. If you or someone you know suffers from anxiety or depression and related insomnia, acupuncture could help.