For decades, I have frequently struggled to go to sleep quickly and then stay asleep. I have tried many different solutions; listening to the internal body clock, cool and dark bedroom, lavender oil, no devices or caffeine after a certain etc etc. None of these seemed to have a lasting effect. I would periodically enjoy short periods of restorative sleep but I would inevitably end up back in a cycle of little and/or broken sleep. 

However, in July this year it suddenly dawned on me that I was nodding off almost straight away night after night and not for only a few days. This was happening week after week! I began to track this pattern, somewhat hesitant to think too hard about it lest I jinx it. But, to my surprise, this has remained steady in the months that followed. 

What had changed?! I searched my memory for an explanation but I kept coming back to the fact that the only thing that I was doing differently was having regular (weekly or two-weekly) acupuncture sessions at Jason Bei’s community sessions on a Sat morning since Feb 23. I had seen Jason off and on over the last 2 years, as we worked together on a ‘acupuncture for Veterans’ project and on my own physical injuries (most of which arose out of my Army service) but for short periods only. 

When I ended up with a number of injuries all resulting in constant pain and reduce immobility I decided to give more regular acupuncture ‘a go’ – what could it hurt? As it turned out it has not only improved pain management and mobility but, as a completely unforeseen consequence, improved my sleep significantly, which has had flow on benefits to other parts of my day-to-day life. 

I can confidently say that the complimentary and holistic benefits of acupuncture have worked for me in an area which, for literally decades, was a significant health problem.