Auricular Acupressure for Perimenopausal Insomnia

Launched by THE FIRST AFFILIATED HOSPITAL OF ZHEJIANG CHINESE MEDICAL UNIVERSITY · Feb 26, 2025

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is looking at a type of treatment called auricular acupressure to see if it can help improve sleep quality for women going through perimenopause who have trouble sleeping, known as insomnia. Perimenopause is a stage in a woman’s life that usually happens between the ages of 45 and 55, where they may experience various symptoms due to hormonal changes. To participate, women need to meet certain criteria, such as having insomnia symptoms for at least four weeks and not currently using sleep medications.

During the trial, participants will receive acupressure on specific points of the ear twice a week for four weeks, totaling eight sessions. Researchers will check in at different points throughout the study to see how participants are feeling and if their sleep improves. It’s important to know that this trial is not yet recruiting participants, and those interested should not have any serious health conditions or recent treatments that could interfere with the results. Overall, this study aims to find out if auricular acupressure is a safe and effective way to help manage insomnia in perimenopausal women.

Gender

FEMALE

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • Age between 45 and 55 years;
• • Meetingperimenopause defined by the Staging of Reproductive Aging Workshop (STRAW);
• • Patients must satisfy at least one diagnostic criterion for insomnia in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5); ④ Nighttime sleep disturbances and associated perimenopausal symptoms persisting for at least 4 weeks; ⑤ No use, or stable long-term use (\>2 months) of medications for treating insomnia;
• • No prior auricular acupuncture therapy, good compliance, understanding of the study protocol, and signed informed consent.
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • Does not meet inclusion criteria;
• • Non-natural menopausal transition due to premature ovarian failure, drug intake, or surgeries (e.g., oophorectomy);
• • Currently pregnant or breastfeeding;
• • Insomnia caused by systemic diseases (e.g., stroke, Parkinson's disease, surgery, etc.);
• • Presence of insomnia symptoms before the perimenopausal period;
• • Infection in the areas near selected acupoints; ⑦ History of alcohol or substance abuse/addiction；
• • Co-existing mental or psychological disorders (e.g., depression, generalized anxiety disorder, bipolar disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, etc.) or suicidal tendencies, in addition to insomnia; ⑨ Receipt of auricular acupuncture therapy within the past 3 months; ⑩ Participation in other clinical trials in the past 3 months;
• • Any known chronic pain disorders that could affect sleep.