OBJECTIVETo observe the impact of acupuncture on the subjective symptom, sleep quality and sleep efficiency in the patients of insomnia differentiated as spleen deficiency or non-spleen deficiency in terms of the spleen and stomach theory.

METHODSSixty patients with insomnia were divided into a spleen deficiency group and a non-spleen deficiency group, 30 cases in each one. In the two groups, acupuncture was applied at Sishencong (EX-HN1), Shenmen (HT 7), Sanyinjiao (SP 6), Zusanli (ST 36) and Tianshu (ST 25). The treatment was given once every other day, five times as one course, and two courses were required. The Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS) was used to observe the changes in the patients' subjective symptoms. The Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI) was adopted to observe the changes of patients' sleep quality. The sleep efficiency was applied to observe the changes in sleep time. The clinical efficacy was determined.

RESULTSThe total effective rate was both 80. 0% (24/30) after 5 and 10 treatments in the spleen deficiency group and was 76. 7% (23/30) and 80. 0% (24/30) respectively in the non-spleen deficiency group. The differences were not significant between the two groups (both P >0. 05). The AIS total scores and PSQI total scores were reduced apparently after 5 and 10 treatments as compared with those before treatment (all P<0. 01). The difference at each time point was not significant between the two groups (all P>0. 05). The sleep efficiency after 5 and 10 treatments was all improved as compared with that before the treatment in the two groups (all P<0. 01).

CONCLUSIONAcupuncture based on the spleen and stomach theory achieves possibly the same clinical efficacy in the patients of insomnia differentiated as those with spleen deficiency and non-spleen deficiency. It relieves the subjective symptoms and improves the sleep quality and sleep efficiency in the patients.