John Martin suffered what he calls "seasonal" insomnia, which corresponded with allergy season and stressful periods
at his Internet marketing job in Manhattan. He'd go to bed and just lie there. He tried Benadryl for the allergies, but that sped him up. He popped a prescription sleeping pill (Ambien), but it left him fuzzed out. He stared at the ceiling for years."It was exhausting," he says. The sleeplessness built on itself and went on and on.
Finally a doctor friend of Martin's suggested
acupuncture. The first time, he says was creepy: "Someone is actually leaning over you and sticking you with pins." For the first few minutes, Martin was skeptical, but soon- and involuntarily- he became more relaxed. The evening after the second session, he slept better than he had in weeks. As Martin continued his treatments-twice a week for three weeks-his sack time continued to improve and his allergies lessened. These days, Martin goes for maintenance jabs once every few weeks, but his insomnia is gone.
How he beat it: Acupuncture
Make it work for you:
Don't like needles? Don't worry, says Christopher Trahan,OMD, a licensed acupunturist and and doctor of oriental medicine in New York City.
"Acupuncture needles aren't hypodermic needles. They're superthin,almost like filament and sterilized. It's not going to hurt, and there's generally no bleeding." For insomnia treatment, acupuncturists
usually focus on two main points on your ears that induce relaxation
."Acupuncture enhances the release of calming endorphins and neurotransmitters in the brain, says Dr. Trahan. The time it takes to achieve results varies, but even severe insomnia sufferers usually see improvement within 10 treatments.( The need for maintenance sessions also varies.)