Insomnia is no joke! If you’ve experienced it, then you know all about the restless nights and the following day’s fatigue.
Insomnia is a sleep disorder that can make it incredibly difficult to fall asleep and stay asleep. It can also cause you to wake up early, and make falling back asleep very challenging. For some, stress or trauma can cause them to have difficulty sleeping for days to weeks, but others who suffer from chronic insomnia can have trouble sleeping and staying asleep for several months.
In Eastern medicine, the mind and body are interconnected, and when your internal energy known as Qi is disrupted or compromised, you can develop a variety of health problems. One health problem that can manifest as a result of Qi blockages is insomnia. There are many methods in Eastern medicine to combat it, including acupuncture and herbal medicine, but in this blog post, we will be covering 5 acupressure points that you can massage YOURSELF to treat your insomnia independently!
Yin Tang
This pressure point is located in between your eyebrows. It’s a point commonly used in traditional acupuncture, but you can also massage it yourself to relieve insomnia. It is also known to calm down emotions related to fear and worry.
An Mian
This pressure point is located behind your ears on either side of your neck. To find this pressure point, place your fingers behind your earlobe, and if you slide your fingers backward just past the bony portion of your skull, you will find the An Mian point. Massaging this point lightly can treat your insomnia, and reduce feelings of anxiety and depression.
Shen Men
This pressure point is located on the inside of your wrist. More specifically, it’s just below your wrist joint on the side closest to your pinky finger. When it comes to your sleep, massaging the Shen Men pressure point can improve the quality of your sleep directly afterwards. Furthermore, studies have shown that individuals who consistently massage this pressure point for 5 weeks, can experience better sleep for 2 weeks afterwards, even if they stop practising acupressure.
San Yin Jao
This pressure point is located on the inner side of your leg, approximately 4 finger-widths above the highest point of your ankle. To properly massage this pressure point to combat your insomnia, you must apply deep pressure directly behind your ankle bone.
Taixi
This pressure point is located on the backside of your foot, just above the heel. In addition to improving your ability to sleep, massaging this pressure point is also believed to treat hypertension and lower blood pressure.
If you’re suffering from insomnia, chances are that you have unbalanced or blocked Qi. This is because one of the fundamental principles of Eastern medicine is that one must balance their internal flow of Qi in order to be in their healthiest state, homeostasis. With these 5 self-massage acupressure points you have just some of the tools we use to treat insomnia. The other tools we use include traditional acupuncture, herbal medicine, and Tui-Na massage. Interested in learning more, or want to book an appointment? Contact us today!