Clinical Effect of Different Acupuncture Methods on Real Syndrome Insomnia

doi:10.16458/j.cnki.1007-0893.2025.21.012

Abstract：Objective: To investigate the effects of three commonly used treatment methods in traditional Chinese medicine—acupuncture, auricular acupoint pressing, and blood-letting cupping—on patients with real syndrome insomnia. Methods: A total of 90 patients with real syndrome insomnia admitted to Luohu Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Shenzhen from March 2023 to September 2024 were selected as the study subjects. Patients were randomly divided into three groups using a random number table method: acupuncture group (n=30), auricular acupoint pressing group (n=30), and blood-letting cupping group (n=30). The sleep quality, sleep-related indicators, sleep stage results, and incidence of adverse reactions were compared before and after treatment. Results: After treatment, except for the sleep efficiency score, all Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) scores and total scores in the acupuncture group were lower than those before treatment. In the auricular acupoint pressing group, except for the sleep duration score, all PSQI scores and total scores were lower than those before treatment. In the blood-letting cupping group, except for the sleep duration and sleep disturbance scores, all PSQI scores and total scores were lower than those before treatment. Moreover, the sleep quality scores and total scores of the acupuncture group and the blood-letting cupping group were lower than those of the auricular acupoint pressing group, with statistically significant differences (P<0.05). After treatment, the sleep latency and awakening time of all three groups were shorter than before treatment, and the acupuncture group and the blood-letting cupping group were shorter than the auricular acupoint pressing group. The sleep latency of the blood-letting cupping group was shorter than that of the acupuncture group. The total sleep time and sleep efficiency of all three groups were longer or higher than before treatment, and the acupuncture group and the blood-letting cupping group were longer or higher than the auricular acupoint pressing group. The sleep efficiency of the blood-letting cupping group was higher than that of the acupuncture group. All these differences were statistically significant (P<0.05). After treatment, the proportion of N1 in all three groups was lower than before treatment, while the proportion of N3 was higher than before treatment. The proportions of N1 in the acupuncture group and the blood-letting cupping group were lower than those in the auricular acupoint pressing group. The proportion of N2 in the auricular acupoint pressing group was lower than before treatment and lower than that in the acupuncture group and the blood-letting cupping group. The proportions of REM in the acupuncture group and the blood-letting cupping group were lower than before treatment and lower than that in the auricular acupoint pressing group. All differences were statistically significant (P<0.05). Conclusion: Acupuncture, blood-letting cupping, and auricular acupoint pressing therapies have good therapeutic effects on real syndrome insomnia. They can improve patients' sleep quality, shorten sleep latency, enhance sleep efficiency, and improve their daytime functional impairments. Among them, acupuncture and blood-letting cupping therapies show better efficacy than auricular acupoint pressing therapy.