Poor sleep is a rampant issue. Just read the 2025 Sleep in America Poll from the National Sleep Foundation (NSF) that reports:
6 out of every 10 adults don’t get enough sleep.
Nearly 4 in 10 adults have trouble falling asleep 3 or more nights per week
Almost half of adults have trouble staying asleep 3 or more nights per week
That same report sought to study the relationship between sleep and “flourishing”, a collective term used by the NSF to describe several different aspects of well-being including, “happiness, productivity at work and home, goal achievement, and a fulfilling social life.” Perhaps to nobody’s surprise, the NSF discovered that people who sleep better are more likely to be flourishing:
People who get NSF-recommended amount sleep are more likely to be flourishing.
Adults who are satisfied with their sleep are 45% more likely to be flourishing than those not satisfied with their sleep
People with no trouble falling asleep are 47% more like than those with trouble falling asleep 3 or more nights per week to be flourishing
In Chinese Medicine, sleep is the time of yin, it is when the spirit (consciousness) rests and is nourished by merging with our qi and essence. Anything that depletes yin (think excessive fluid loss from intense exercise) or activates yang (anything that is stimulating to the mind or body) prior to bedtime impairs the spirit’s ability to rest and receive nourishment. When the spirit rests and receives nourishment at night, then it is nimble and clear during the day, allowing us to perceive the world accurately and respond to it appropriately. When we resort to moving through the world in a constant state of misperception (however slight), then all subsequent thoughts and emotions become unreliable.
In modern sleep medicine and psychology, sleep hygiene is the set of behaviors during the day and just prior to bedtime that directly impact sleep health. This study on the impacts of sleep hygiene on sleep quality and mental health in college-aged students (a population at high risk for poor sleep hygiene and mental health issues) showed that sleep hygiene directly predicted sleep quality, which in turn predicted rates of depression and sense of mental well-being. The better one’s sleep hygiene, the better their quality of sleep, and the more likely they were to report a positive sense of mental well-being and less likely to report symptoms of depression. The worse one’s sleep hygiene, the poorer their quality of sleep, and the less likely they were to report a positive sense of mental well-being and the more likely they were to report symptoms of depression.
I generally believe in making few changes to one’s lifestyle at a time (unless drastic measures are called for, say under the circumstances seen in some forms of addiction), as this is the most reliable way to create lasting and permanent change. The following is a distilled list of behaviors that promote quality sleep based on the Sleep Hygiene Practices Scale. I’ve picked the 5 that I believe will be the most efficacious and easiest to implement. If you’re curious about the full 22-item list, I’ve created a separate post for that here.
5 Behaviors that Promote Quality Sleep
Having a consistent, regular wakeup time from day to day (this sets a consistent circadian rhythm and is often easier to control than bedtime)
Getting exposure to outdoor natural light during the day (this suppresses melatonin production, which allows that system to rest and primes it for the sharp rise in melatonin production 1-3 hours before sleep)
Avoiding tobacco, caffeine, and other stimulants within 4 hours of going to bed and alcohol within 2 hours of going to bed (stimulants make it difficult to fall asleep and stay asleep while alcohol leads to light, poor quality sleep)
Avoiding mental stimulation before bedtime (for example: videogames, scrolling social media, using the internet, cleaning / organizing)
Sleeping in a comfortable bedroom (dark enough, good circulation / quality air, right temperature, right humidity, quiet enough)
When To Seek Help
While these hygiene practices provide the necessary essentials for quality sleep, sometimes the body’s natural rhythms require an external reset. In Chinese Medicine, we look beyond sleep hygiene to harmonize and regulate any body systems that might be affecting sleep. If you’ve optimized your environment and improved your sleep hygiene but you still feels restless and depleted, acupuncture and herbal medicine can help restore your body’s natural sleep-wake cycle.
If you're struggling to implement these changes or find that sleep hygiene improvements still aren’t bringing you rest, find a reputable and qualified acupuncturist and Chinese Medicine practitioner. Click below to schedule an appointment at Open Flow Acupuncture.