Impact of Acupressure Therapy on Sleep Quality in Adults with Insomnia

Abstract

Insomnia is one of the most common sleep disorders among adults and is characterized by difficulty initiating sleep, maintaining sleep, or achieving restorative sleep despite adequate opportunities for rest. Poor sleep quality can negatively affect physical health, mental well-being, cognitive functioning, and overall quality of life. Although pharmacological treatments are widely used, concerns regarding side effects, dependency, and long-term effectiveness have increased interest in complementary and alternative therapies such as acupressure. The reviewed studies suggest that acupressure therapy can significantly improve sleep quality among adults with insomnia. Participants receiving acupressure reported improvements in sleep duration, sleep efficiency, sleep onset latency, and overall sleep satisfaction. Several studies also demonstrated reductions in nighttime awakenings, fatigue, anxiety, and stress levels, which are commonly associated with sleep disturbances. Acupressure was generally found to be safe, well tolerated, and associated with minimal adverse effects. Evidence from the reviewed literature indicates that acupressure therapy may be an effective complementary approach for improving sleep quality in adults with insomnia. Its non-invasive nature, low cost, ease of application, and favorable safety profile make it a promising alternative or adjunct to conventional treatments. However, further high-quality randomized controlled trials with larger sample sizes and standardized intervention protocols are needed to strengthen the evidence and establish clear clinical recommendations.