Insomnia

Insomnia can start with stress, illness, pain, travel or another disruption—but then continue long after the original trigger has passed.

Over time, difficulty sleeping itself can produce increased physiological arousal and anxiety about sleep, creating a cycle in which trying harder to sleep makes sleep more difficult.

Prognosis

Occasional insomnia often resolves naturally. Chronic insomnia can persist for months or years unless the factors maintaining it are addressed.

Treatment should therefore focus on restoring the ability to sleep rather than relying indefinitely on sedation.

What Does the Research Say?

Acupuncture has a growing evidence base for chronic insomnia.

A 2025 systematic review concluded that acupuncture produced significantly better subjective sleep quality than sham acupuncture in people with chronic insomnia.

Research has also examined acupuncture in combination with standard management, reflecting how it is commonly used clinically rather than treating it as an either/or alternative.

Typical Course of Care

Insomnia usually benefits from consistency.

We commonly treat weekly for approximately 4–8 weeks while monitoring:

• Time required to fall asleep

• Nighttime awakenings

• Total sleep time

• Early waking

• Daytime sleepiness

• Overall sleep quality

A sleep diary can make changes much easier to see.

Acupuncture and CBT-I

For persistent insomnia, cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) remains particularly important.

NIH describes CBT-I as the usual first treatment for long-term insomnia and notes that a standard program generally lasts 6–8 weeks.

Acupuncture can be used alongside CBT-I, especially when anxiety, chronic pain, headaches or physical hyperarousal are also disrupting sleep.

Schedule an evaluation today at Backupuncture of Denver (950 S Cherry St, Ste 1675, Denver, CO 80246; 720.370.2711) for persistent difficulty falling or staying asleep to see if acupuncture is appropriate for you.