Effect of Needling at <i>Anmian I</i> (Ex-8) and <i>Anmian II</i> (Ex-9) Acupuncture Points on Quality of Sleep in Insomnia: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Background: Insomnia is the most common disease in modern society. Anmian I (Ex-8) and Anmian II (Ex-9) are commonly used along with other acupuncture points for the treatment of insomnia. However, no known studies reported the effect of Ex-8 and Ex-9 alone on insomnia. This study aimed to determine the efficacy of acupuncture needling only at those acupuncture points on the quality of sleep in patients with insomnia. Materials and Methods: This study was conducted on 100 primary insomnia patients, aged between 18 and 40 years, who were randomly allocated into two groups (i.e., study group and control group). The study group underwent 10 sessions (20 min/session, daily) of acupuncture needling at Ex-8 and Ex-9, while the control group underwent their normal routine for 10 days. Assessments were taken before and after the intervention. Results: After 10 sessions of intervention, the study group showed a significant reduction ( p -value &lt;0.001) in the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Insomnia Severity Index, and Epworth Sleepiness Scale compared to the control group. Conclusions: This study’s results suggest that 10 sessions of acupuncture needling at Ex-8 and Ex-9 improve the quality of sleep and reduce insomnia severity and daytime sleepiness in PI patients.