[Randomized and controlled study on effect of acupuncture on sleep quality in the patient of primary insomnia]

OBJECTIVE: To observe characteristics of acupuncture in improvement of sleep quality in the patient of insomnia. METHODS: Forty-six cases of primary insomnia were randomly divided into an observation group (n = 24) and a control group (n = 22). The observation group were treated by the needling method for regulating mental activity, with Baihui (GV 20), Shenting (GV 24), Shenmen (HT 7) selected as main points; the control group were treated with oral administration of Estazolam. The therapeutic effects and scores of Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index Scale before and after treatment were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: The total effective rate was 83.3% in the observation group and 72.7% in the control group, the observation group being better than the control group (P < 0.05). Estazolam was better than acupuncture treatment in prolonging sleeping time, and the acupuncture treatment was better than the control group in the improvement of somnipathy and the increase of daytime functional state (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Acupuncture treatment has advantages of improving somnipathy and increasing daytime functional state.
PMID: 18271228