A study appearing in the journal Sleep (2009; 32(8): 1039-4) looked at the effect acupuncture treatment had on 60 subjects suffering from insomnia. The subjects hhad insomnia of at least three month duration, with sleep being disturbed at least three times each week. The subjects were divided into two groups with one group receiving acupuncture and the second group receiving sham acupuncture as a placebo.
Results were determined using sleep diaries, questionnaires and scores on the Insomnia Severity Index. The subjects who received the acupuncture experienced more improvement than the placebo group. A greater percentage had less than a half-hour of being awake after going to sleep and they had a sleep efficiency of 85% or better.
