True acupuncture improved sleep quality more than sham treatment in people with Parkinson’s disease-related insomnia, with benefits sustained through sixteen weeks.
In a randomized controlled trial, adults with Parkinson’s disease-related insomnia were assigned equally to receive either true acupuncture or sham acupuncture. Sleep was assessed over sixteen weeks using a Parkinson’s disease-specific sleep scale, alongside measures of insomnia symptoms, sleep timing and efficiency, movement symptoms, medication withdrawal, and adverse effects.
Compared with sham acupuncture, true acupuncture produced earlier and greater improvements in sleep quality, including faster sleep onset, longer sleep duration, and better sleep efficiency. The advantage in Parkinson’s disease-specific sleep scores persisted throughout follow-up, supporting acupuncture as a safe and potentially effective treatment for insomnia associated with Parkinson’s disease.
