Childhood Insomnia: A Narrative Review on the Efficacy and Safety of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Naturopathy

Background: Sleep is essential for a child's development, but insomnia is a prevalent issue that can be associated with behavioural, medical, neurological, or psychological conditions. While conventional treatments often involve medication and behavioural therapies, there is a growing parental interest in natural, complementary approaches like Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Naturopathy. Methods: This narrative review analyses scientific literature on TCM and Naturopathy for treating childhood insomnia. A bibliographic search was conducted in databases like PubMed, SciELO, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar using a combination of key terms. The review includes studies published from January 2000 to March 2025 in both Portuguese and English, focusing on reviews, clinical trials, and observational and experimental studies. The analysis aims to identify the therapeutic benefits and underlying physiological mechanisms. Results: Tui Na massage seems to improve sleep, behaviour, digestion, and psychomotor development in children, as well as to strengthen the mother-child bond. Moreover, acupuncture shows potential for treating specific symptoms like night crying. Tai Chi and Qigong, while not directly studied for sleep, were found to reduce stress and anxiety, which can indirectly benefit sleep quality. Naturopathic herbal medicine using plants like valerian, chamomile, and lemon balm demonstrates promise in treating insomnia, while aromatherapy, with essential oils such as lavender and chamomile, shows clear benefits for sleep quality. Overall, the quality of evidence was considered moderate due to methodological limitations like small sample sizes, lack of blinding, and study heterogeneity. Conclusion: Both TCM and Naturopathy offer safe and potentially effective alternatives to pharmacological treatments for childhood insomnia. The reviewed practices, including Tui Na massage, acupuncture, herbal medicine, aromatherapy, Tai Chi, and Qigong, show favourable results in promoting sleep and overall well-being. However, there is a clear need for more rigorous, large-scale, randomised clinical trials to further validate their efficacy and safety in a paediatric context.