Stress and Sleep Support

Acugio offers acupuncture support for people who are feeling overwhelmed, depleted, restless, or caught in patterns of poor sleep. Treatment is shaped around the individual, with the aim of helping you feel calmer, more settled, and better able to recover.

Stress and sleep difficulties rarely exist in isolation. They can influence mood, energy, concentration, physical tension, and the body’s ability to restore itself well. Acupuncture offers a calm, attentive space to slow down, take in the wider picture, and support what is happening for you as a whole.

Who this support may be for

This support may be helpful if stress or poor sleep is affecting your daily life, whether that looks like:

difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep
restless or unrefreshing sleep
feeling wired, tense, or unable to switch off
stress-related overwhelm or emotional fatigue
disrupted sleep alongside anxiety, physical tension, or hormonal changes

Treatment expectations

Appointments begin with a thoughtful conversation about your health, your symptoms, and how stress or sleep issues are presenting for you. From there, treatment is tailored with care and clarity, taking into account both immediate concerns and the wider patterns that may be contributing.

Evidence and approach

Research referenced by the British Acupuncture Council website has looked at whether acupuncture may help people who struggle with sleep or feel anxious. Several reviews compared acupuncture with sleeping pills, no treatment, or placebo (Sun 2010; Cao 2009; Yeung 2009; Lee 2008; Cheuk 2007), though experts noted many of those early studies had limitations and more research is still needed. Some newer trials have since reported positive findings on certain sleep measures (Luo 2010; Reza 2010; Lee 2009a; Huang 2009). Researchers have also explored how acupuncture might work, including its effects on melatonin, endorphins, blood flow, and neurotransmitters such as serotonin and GABA (Spence et al 2004; Cheng et al 2009; Gao et al 2007; Yan 2010; Lee 2009a, 2009b; Samuels 2008; Zhou 2008). The overall evidence remains mixed, and acupuncture may be used alongside conventional medical care.

If you would like to ask about acupuncture support for stress or sleep concerns, you are welcome to get in touch or book a treatment.

Stress & Sleep Acupuncture FAQs

Some people seek acupuncture when stress, tension, or poor sleep are affecting how they feel day to day. At Acugio, treatment is tailored to the individual and approached as part of broader support, especially where symptoms are persistent or linked to other health factors.

That is common. Stress can show up in physical ways such as muscle tension, headaches, digestive discomfort, or difficulty unwinding, so your appointments should take the wider picture into account rather than focusing narrowly on one symptom.

There is no fixed number that suits everyone. Recommendations depend on how long sleep has been disrupted, whether stress is ongoing, and how you respond to treatment over time. This is usually reviewed with you rather than assumed in advance.

Your first appointment includes a conversation about your sleep pattern, stress levels, energy, and any other factors affecting your wellbeing. From there, treatment is tailored carefully, with enough time for questions and a calm explanation of what to expect.

Yes, it is often considered alongside other appropriate support rather than instead of it. If you are already speaking with your GP, therapist, or another clinician, that context can help shape a more joined-up treatment approach.

Yes — Acugio is a practical option for patients in West Kensington and nearby parts of West London who want appointments that fit around a working day or regular commute. If you are considering a first visit, getting in touch can help you decide whether the clinic is the right fit.

References

Sun, J.L., Sung, M.S., Huang, M.Y., Cheng, G.C. and Lin, C.C. (2010) 'Effectiveness of acupressure for residents of long-term care facilities with insomnia: a randomized controlled trial', International Journal of Nursing Studies, 47(7), pp. 798-805. doi: 10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2009.12.003

Cao, H., Pan, X., Li, H. and Liu, J. (2009) 'Acupuncture for treatment of insomnia: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials', Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 15(11), pp. 1171-1186. doi: 10.1089/acm.2009.0174

Yeung, W.F., Chung, K.F., Leung, Y.K., Zhang, S.P. and Law, A.C. (2009) 'Traditional needle acupuncture treatment for insomnia: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials', Sleep Medicine, 10(7), pp. 694-704. doi: 10.1016/j.sleep.2008.12.001

Lee, M.S., Shin, B.C., Suen, L.K., Park, T.Y. and Ernst, E. (2008) 'Auricular acupuncture for insomnia: a systematic review', International Journal of Clinical Practice, 62(11), pp. 1744-1752. doi: 10.1111/j.1742-1241.2008.01876.x

Cheuk, D.K., Yeung, W.F., Chung, K.F. and Wong, V. (2007) 'Acupuncture for insomnia', Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, (3), CD005472. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD005472.pub2

Luo, L., Hu, Y.P., Yu, S.G. and Li, N. (2010) 'Observation on therapeutic effect of rolling needle therapy on insomnia', Chinese Acupuncture & Moxibustion, 26(3), pp. 183-185.

Reza, H., Kian, N., Pouresmail, Z., Masood, K., Bagher, M.S.S. and Cheraghi, M.A. (2010) 'The effect of acupressure on quality of sleep in Iranian elderly nursing home residents', Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice, 16(2), pp. 81-85. doi: 10.1016/j.ctcp.2009.07.003

Huang, L.S., Wang, D.L., Wang, C.W., Hu, Y.P., Zhou, J.W. and Li, N. (2009) 'The needle-rolling therapy for treatment of non-organic chronic insomnia in 90 cases', Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 29(1), pp. 19-23. doi: 10.1016/S0254-6272(09)60025-X

Spence, D.W., Kayumov, L., Chen, A., Lowe, A., Jain, U., Katzman, M.A., Shen, J., Perelman, B. and Shapiro, C.M. (2004) 'Acupuncture increases nocturnal melatonin secretion and reduces insomnia and anxiety: a preliminary report', Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, 16(1), pp. 19-28. doi: 10.1176/jnp.16.1.19

Cheng, C.H., Yi, P.L., Lin, J.G. and Chang, F.C. (2009) 'Endogenous opiates in the nucleus tractus solitarius mediate electroacupuncture-induced sleep activities in rats', Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2011, p. 159209. doi: 10.1093/ecam/nep140 (Note: published 2009/2011)

Gao, X.Y., Wang, L., Gaischek, I., Michenthaler, G., Zhu, B. and Litscher, G. (2007) 'Brain-modulated effects of auricular acupressure on the regulation of autonomic function in healthy volunteers', Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 4(3), pp. 345-350. doi: 10.1093/ecam/nem062

Yan, X.K., Zhang, Y., Yu, L., Yue, G.L., Li, T., Chen, C., Wang, Y., Jiang, M., Wang, F.C. and Liu, W. (2010) 'Effect on tranquillizing and allaying excitement needling method on brain blood flow in the patients of insomnia of heart and spleen deficiency', Chinese Acupuncture and Moxibustion, 30(2), pp. 113-116. PMID: 20214067

Lee, S.Y., Baek, Y.H., Park, S.U., Moon, S.K., Park, J.M., Kim, Y.S., Jung, W.S. and Park, J.M. (2009) 'Intradermal acupuncture on Shen-Men and Nei-Kuan acupoints improves insomnia in stroke patients by reducing the sympathetic nervous system activity', American Journal of Chinese Medicine, 37(6), pp. 1013-1021. doi: 10.1142/S0192415X09007624