5 Pressure Points For Sleep That Can Treat Your Insomnia

Written By Filip

Sleep Advisor

10 November 2023 4 min read

Insomnia is a common sleep disorder that manifests in different ways. Some can't sleep, some often wake up during the night, and many people have more than one symptom. There are various ways to treat insomnia. One of them is finding pressure points for sleep.

Insomnia is a very tricky disorder both to diagnose and treat. It can be the result of mental problems, underlying medical conditions, lifestyle and unsuitable sleeping environment. 

It can be treated with medication, as well as many other therapies such as psychotherapy. Lifestyle changes are often beneficial for solving sleep disorders.

But sometimes it is impossible to determine a trigger, and when there is no trigger how to approach treatment? In such cases, people turn to many alternative methods, of which acupressure is the most popular.

Acupressure is a part of traditional Chinese medicine that has proven to be very useful for a wide variety of disorders.

What are sleep pressure points?

To understand what sleep pressure points are, you first need to know the basics of acupressure, acupuncture and reflexology. Traditional Chinese medicine to which all these techniques belong is based on the belief that life energy flows through “meridians” in the body.

When blockage occurs in these meridians, it is necessary to apply physical pressure to trigger points to restore the flow of energy. Most often the deep pressure is applied by hand and elbow, sometimes by devices.

Acupressure for sleep should affect different aspects of physical and mental health, in order to overcome the problem of insomnia as soon as possible. Acupressure is most effective when done by a professional, but you can also try to stimulate pressure points yourself. Although the effectiveness of acupressure has not yet been fully proven, more and more respectable studies show a correlation between acupressure and improved sleep quality.

Acupuncture for sleep can be combined with acupressure to get even better results. During acupuncture treatments, thin needles are inserted into the body by acupuncturists, who must be trained to keep everything safe and almost painless. The goal is to stimulate the nervous system and to provoke the body's natural healing abilities. Also, overall well-being should be achieved which will also improve night’s sleep.

What are 5 pressure points?

There are over 300 pressure points in the body, but not all of them are related to sleep. Following are 5 basic acupressure points for sleep. Some professionals will tell you that there are more than 5 pressure points, so some stimulate 6, 7 or 8 points, but these 5 are the most proven.

The crease of the inner hand wrist

You will also encounter this pressure point under the names the spirit gate and HT7. Each pressure point has several different names. The spirit gate is located on the inner wrist, below the little finger.

When you touch that part, you should feel a small void. It is located right next to where you measure your pulse and you should apply deep pressure slightly.

Yin intersection

At the top of your ankle, on the inside, is located San Yin Jiao or the three yin intersection. This pressure point is located 3 to 4 fingers above the ankle, and as soon as you locate it and start stimulating it with up and down movement, you will feel calm.

Sole of the foot

The feet are one of the main parts of the body for acupressure, and when you want to beat insomnia, then you have to locate the bubbling spring point. It is very easy to find the bubbling spring point, because all it takes is to curl your toes inward and you will notice depression.

In that depression bubbling spring acupressure point is located. You can apply gentle pressure to part on your own or ask your partner to do that for you.

A point between the two tendons on your arm

There are two tendons that end in the hand from your forearm and are called flexor capri radials and palmaris longus.

Right between those two tendons you will find inner frontier gate point. Skinnier people will be able to easily notice the small gap between the tendons.

The back of the neck

You need help locating a so-called wind pool pressure point. Wind pool pressure points pressure points on head are located in parallel at the places where the muscle attachment in the skull is located.

You can try to touch them yourself with up and down motion, but it is more effective if you have help.

How to treat insomnia using a crease on the outer hand wrist?

The Spirit gate is one of the few acupressure points in the hand and forearm, and the spirit gate is used to treat insomnia because by stimulating you achieve calming of the mind. That is especially useful for those who can sleep because of night anxiety.

How to treat insomnia using the Yin intersection?

A large number of women have painful menstrual periods, and even most over-the-counter painkillers cannot help. Of course, this leads to sleep problems during menstruation, because the pain often wakes them up as soon as the action of painkiller passes. Stimulating the three-yin intersection point helps many women with menstrual cramps, so it is recommended that you massage that point before going to bed. Pregnant women should not massage the yin intersection point.

How to treat insomnia using the sole of your foot?

If you’ve ever been to a foot massage, you know how pleasant and soothing it is. According to traditional Chinese medicine, a bubbling spring point is a place where a large part of energy passes, and that pressure point has a direct effect on sleep.

How to treat insomnia using the point between tendons on your arm?

When you apply pressure to this point you should do it gently, there is no need to apply firm pressure as it can cause tendon pain. The inner frontier gate is one of the headache relief pressure points, and when you have a headache you certainly can’t fall asleep. It also helps with abdominal pain. So massage for migraine and stomach pain and you will experience pain relief very soon.

How to treat insomnia using the pressure point on the back of your neck?

Wind Pool Point is known for the fact that when you massage for a headache the pain stops very quickly and the mind calms down because all the stress you had during the day disappears. What is little known is that a wind pool can also help with coughs. Coughing does not let you sleep, so if you have respiratory problems, a wind pool can help.

So – are pressure points for sleep natural remedies for insomnia treatment?

No treatment, whether medical or natural, will be effective for every single person. So we can’t claim this will solve your problems. However stimulating pressure points for sleep has proven to be a very effective method in many people who suffer from insomnia. That's why everyone should try because even if it doesn't help, there are certainly no harmful effects. In addition to helping you with sleep problems, acupressure can have many other benefits for your body.

Conclusion

And that's all you need to know about the five pressure points for sleep! Have you ever used these pressure points to get better sleep? If you have any questions or tips of your own, make sure to leave them in the comments.

About the author

Filip

Since I'm a light sleeper, I know the importance of creating the perfect sleep sanctuary. Every little disturbance means a poor night's sleep for me. Armed with earplugs and a sleep mask, I navigate the nocturnal world, ensuring every corner is dark and silent.