Self-administered acupressure can improve insomnia

Researchers from Hong Kong suggest self?administering acupressure as a low?cost alternative treatment for insomnia. In their study, published in the Journal of Sleep Research, they assessed the short?term effects of self?administered acupressure in alleviating insomnia.

• The researchers recruited 31 people with insomnia for the randomized controlled trial.
• The participants received two lessons on either self-administered acupressure or sleep hygiene education.
• Participants in the self-administered acupressure group learned to practice self-administered acupressure every day for four weeks.
• Participants in the comparison group were advised to follow sleep hygiene education.
• The researchers then measured the effects of the interventions on insomnia.
• The results showed that participants in the self-administered acupressure group had a significantly lower Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) score compared to those in the sleep hygiene education group during the eighth week.
• Moreover, participants in the self-administered acupressure group continue to practice acupressure even after completing the lessons.

The team concluded that self?administered acupressure taught in a short training course may potentially be used to improve insomnia.

To read more studies on traditional Chinese medicine like acupressure, visit ChineseMedicine.news.

Journal Reference:

Yeung WF, Ho FY, Chung KF, Zhang ZJ, Yu BY, Suen LK, … Lao LX. SELF-ADMINISTERED ACUPRESSURE FOR INSOMNIA DISORDER: A PILOT RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. Journal of Sleep Research. 2018 April; 27(2): 220-231. DOI: 10.1111/jsr.12597