HORNSBY Acupuncture &.Herbal Medicine Clinic

​

Treat Insomnia in The Chinese Medicine Way

 

Consultation:

• In the Chinese Medicine system, insomnia is considered a symptom, instead of a diagnosed disease,  although sometime one seems to suffer from insomnia only. 

• A thorough assessment is given at the initial consultation to address the "pattern" that caused insomnia. Acupuncture and/or herbal medicine treatment and a management plan are drawn to the patient to achieve best result. 

​

How treatment are carried out and reviewed:
 

• It is advised to have standard 45-minute acupuncture treatment twice a week and/or herbal medicine treatment daily,  for a fortnight, to kick off the effect. 
   

• Very often herbal medicine decoction is needed in conjunction to acupuncture. The formula of this decoction is tailored according to each individual's specific condition. Patient can choose cook the herbs at home or have the clinic made it into packs. 
   

• Each pack of herbal medicine decoction contains approximately 200ml liquid, which worths half of a daily dose. For easy transportation, frozen packs are given to the client in plastic bag. Please defrost the pack, pour the liquid into a cup, reheat it to body temperature in microwave or a water bath. Drink it according to the doctor's instruction. 
   

• At the last session the patient's response to the treatment will be reviewed therefore the doctor will decide the following treatment plan. 

​

Make a booking now, Call 02 9446 7220!

​

Want a full assessment of your condition? Use this form.

（please note: this online questionaire is just for reference）

​

The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI)

 

Instructions: The following questions relate to your usual sleep habits during the past month only. Your answers should indicate the most accurate reply for the majority of days and nights in the past month. Please answer all questions. During the past month,

 

1. When have you usually gone to bed? ______________

​

2. How long (in minutes) has it taken you to fall asleep each night? ______________

​

3. When have you usually gotten up in the morning? ______________

​

4. How many hours of actual sleep do you get at night? (This may be different than the number of hours you spend in bed) ___

 

5. During the past month, how often have you had trouble sleeping because you...

Not during the past month (0)     Less than once a week (1)     Once or twice a week (2)     Three or more times week (3)

​

    a. Cannot get to sleep within 30 minutes

    b. Wake up in the middle of the night or early morning

    c. Have to get up to use the bathroom

    d. Cannot breathe comfortably

    e. Cough or snore loudly

    f. Feel too cold

    g. Feel too hot

    h. Have bad dreams

    i. Have pain

    j. Other reason(s), please describe, including how often you have had trouble sleeping because of this reason(s):

​

6. During the past month, how often have you taken medicine (prescribed or "over the counter") to help you sleep?

​

7. During the past month, how often have you had trouble staying awake while driving, eating meals, or engaging in social activity?

 

8. During the past month, how much of a problem has it been for you to keep up enthusiasm to get things done?

​

9. During the past month, how would you rate your sleep quality overall?

Very good (0)   Fairly good (1)   Fairly bad (2)   Very bad (3)

​

More Info of insomnia

for Your to Read in Sleepless Nights 

 

Introduction 

After a long day, there’s nothing better than a good night’s sleep and wake up in the morning well refreshed and recharged.

Sufficient and restful sleep is essential for human being. The average adult needs slightly more than 8 hours of sleep per day.

But if you struggle with insomnia, falling asleep and staying asleep can be a nightly challenge. 

​

Definition of Insomnia

 

Clinically, insomnia is defined as "unable to fall asleep or stay asleep for at least three nights per week; in addition to complaints of sleep-related daytime impairment". 

It is the most commonly seen sleep disorder, affecting up to one third of Australian adults at some point in their lives.

Insomnia usually lasts for a short time, although it can go on for months or even years. At certain point, medical help will be needed. 

​

Types of Insomnia

 

People with insomnia tend to experience one or more of the following sleeping patterns: 

• Difficulty falling asleep at night

• Waking too early in the morning

• Waking frequently throughout the night

• Sleep that is chronically non-restorative or poor

Insomnia may stem from a disruption of the body's circadian rhythm, an internal clock that governs the timing of hormone production, sleep, body temperature, and other functions. While occasional restless nights are normal, prolonged insomnia can interfere with daytime function, concentration, and memory. Insomnia increases the risk of substance abuse, motor vehicle accidents, headaches, and depression. Recent surveys indicate that 50% of people suffer from sleep difficulties, and 20 to 36% of them struggle with such difficulties for at least 1 year. Other studies show that 1 person out of 3 in the United States has insomnia, but only 20% tell their health care providers about it.

 

Signs and Symptoms

Signs of insomnia may include:

• Not feeling refreshed after sleep

• Inability to sleep despite being tired

• Daytime drowsiness, fatigue, irritability, difficulty concentrating, and impaired ability to perform normal activities

• Anxiety as bedtime approaches

• Tension headaches

•  

Causes

The cause of primary insomnia remains undiscovered. However, underlying medical or psychological conditions, such as depression or sleep apnea, often causes secondary insomnia. There are also studies show that a large group of people who have insomnia show signs of depression.

​

Risk Factors

The following factors may increase an individual's risk for insomnia:

• Age. The elderly are more prone to insomnia.

• Gender. Women are more likely to have insomnia than men.

• Stressful or traumatic event

• Night shift or changing work schedule

• Travel across time zones

• Substance abuse

• Asthma. Bronchodilators occasionally cause insomnia.

• Excessive computer work

• Depression

• Sedentary lifestyle

<!-- put this paragraph under risk factors and shrink it into read-more

Some conditions or situations that commonly lead to insomnia include:

• Substance abuse. Consuming excessive amounts of caffeine, alcohol, recreational drugs, or certain prescription medications, such as stimulants, can disrupt the body's natural sleep-wake cycles. Smoking can cause restlessness and quitting smoking may also cause temporary insomnia.

• Disruption of circadian rhythms. Shift work, travel across time zones, or vision loss can impair the body's natural clock. Circadian rhythms are regulated, in part, by release of a hormone called melatonin from the brain. As individuals age, less melatonin is available for use by the body.

• Menopause. Between 30 to 40% of menopausal women experience insomnia. This may be due to hot flashes, night sweats, anxiety, or fluctuations in hormone levels.

• Hormonal changes during menstrual cycle. Insomnia may occur during menstruation. Sleep improves mid-cycle with ovulation.

• Advanced age. Biological changes associated with aging, underlying medical conditions, and side effects from medications all contribute to insomnia.

• Medical conditions. Gastroesophageal reflux (return of stomach contents into the esophagus), fibromyalgia, other chronic pain syndromes, heart disease, arthritis, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and obstructive sleep apnea (difficulty breathing during sleep) may prevent you from settling into a restorative sleep.

• Psychiatric and neurologic conditions. Anxiety, depression, manic depressive disorder, dementia, Parkinson's disease, restless legs syndrome, and post-traumatic stress disorder are associated with insomnia.

• Certain medications. Decongestants (such as pseudoephedrine or Sudafed), bronchodilators (such as albuterol or Proventil inhaler), and beta-blockers (such as metoprolol or Lopressor) are associated with sleep disruptions.

• Excessive mental stimulation, particularly close to bedtime, can make it difficult to fall asleep.

• Unpredictable noises, such as partners snoring, can prevent one from falling asleep or cause one to wake up in the middle of the night. -->​

 

Diagnosis

Clinical history (including all current medication and recreational drug use) and physical exam are usually sufficient to make the diagnosis. Polysomnography, an overnight sleep study, can be helpful to rule out other types of sleep disorders, such as breathing-related sleeping disorder.

​

​