Acupuncture improved executive functioning and restored healthier sleep patterns in people with chronic insomnia, while also improving perceived sleep quality.
Participants with chronic insomnia attributed to heart-kidney disharmony were assigned to receive either daily acupuncture at specified head, wrist, ankle, and back points on weekdays or daily oral lorazepam for four weeks. Researchers assessed executive function using a colour-word interference task, measured sleep architecture including sleep duration, latency, awakenings, efficiency, and sleep stages, and recorded self-reported sleep quality before and after treatment.
Both treatments improved several measures of sleep and cognitive performance, but acupuncture was associated with better executive function, including reduced interference during the colour-word task. Acupuncture also shortened the time required to fall asleep and periods awake after sleep onset, improved sleep efficiency and deeper sleep stages, and reduced self-reported sleep difficulties and daytime impairment.
