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Moxibustion for Insomnia: Acupoint Protocol for Better Sleep
Insomnia affects approximately 30% of adults worldwide. In Chinese medicine, insomnia is most commonly a deficiency pattern involving the heart and spleen (heart blood deficiency) or the heart and kidney (heart-kidney imbalance). Moxibustion can be effective for the deficiency types of insomnia by nourishing blood, calming the shen (spirit), and balancing the water-fire axis.
How does moxibustion help with sleep?
Warm stimulation at specific acupoints promotes parasympathetic activation and regulates the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. A 2020 systematic review of 16 RCTs found that moxibustion improved sleep quality scores (PSQI) by an average of 3.2 points compared to sham treatment, with effects most pronounced in deficiency-pattern insomnia. Moxibustion also increased nocturnal melatonin secretion in a dose-dependent manner.
What is acupoint protocol for insomnia?
| Acupoint | Location | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| ST36 (Zusanli) | Below knee | 10-15 min | Tonifies spleen to produce blood |
| SP6 (Sanyinjiao) | 4 cun above medial malleolus | 10 min | Benefits heart and calms shen |
| CV4 (Guanyuan) | 3 cun below navel | 10-15 min | Nourishes kidney yin |
| HT7 (Shenmen) | Transverse crease of wrist, ulnar side | 5-8 min (gentle) | Influential point for shen disturbance |
Frequency: Daily before bedtime for 4-8 weeks. Use gentle indirect moxa (slightly greater distance, 3-4 cm) for a calming effect. Avoid strong stimulation that could cause wakefulness.
What is related articles?
What is references?
- Zhang Y, et al. Moxibustion for insomnia: systematic review and meta-analysis. Sleep Med. 2020;75:231-240. PubMed
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