THE FOLLOWING ARE SYMPTOMS AND CONDITIONS COMMONLY TREATED BY THE WASHINGTON ACUPUNCTURE CENTER. INSOMNIA Insomnia is difficulty sleeping and is a problem to almost everyone at times. The amount of sleep a person needs depends on many factors which are difficult to identify and analyze, but very few people actually need more than six hours of sleep out of 24 to maintain optimum health. Many people worry unnecessarily, because they think they need more sleep than children, adolescents or young adults. Some people who have lived long and successful lives have claimed that they seldom slept more than four hours out of 24. Lack of exercise, worry, fear, anxiety, anger, malnutrition, grief and pain may cause insomnia. Medications, such as barbiturates and tranquilizers, given to promote sleep actually may cause increased insomnia if taken regularly for even a week. They deprive a person of normal sleep, make them feel depressed during the day after taking them and may cause muscle spasms. Sudden withdrawal from barbiturates may even cause convulsions. By relieving pain and anxiety, acupuncture will almost always relieve insomnia. Acupuncture treatment for insomnia can be given along with treatment for other conditions which may be causative factors in insomnia. Some patients begin to sleep well after their first acupuncture treatment, even before symptoms of their other medical problems have been completely relieved. Six acupuncture treatments are usually enough to restore a normal sleep pattern, even in patients who have suffered from insomnia for many years. Taking calcium lactate 10 grains, Vitamin C 500 mg, Pyridoxin 20 mg. and the essential amino acid L-Triptophane 1 -2 grams at bedtime is more effective than taking sleeping pills and eliminates the nutritional causes of insomnia. Deficiencies of these nutrients is a common cause of insomnia. They are available without a prescription and promote general good health. Physicians might also recommend other nutrients and diet changes to help relieve insomnia. next