The NHS page on insomnia does not list acupuncture. NCCIH reports that a 2021 review suggested acupuncture may help improve insomnia, but judged the studies to be small and low quality, and that a 2019 US clinical practice guideline said there was not enough evidence to recommend for or against it (apart from a weak recommendation for ear acupuncture) [2].
What insomnia is
The NHS says insomnia means you regularly have problems sleeping, and that it usually gets better by changing your sleeping habits. Insomnia for less than 3 months is called short-term insomnia, and insomnia that lasts 3 months or longer is called long-term insomnia. The NHS lists stress, anxiety or depression, noise, a room that is too hot or cold, alcohol, caffeine or nicotine, jet lag and shift work among the most common causes [1].
What the guidance and research say about acupuncture
The NHS. The NHS says a GP will try to find out what is causing insomnia, and that sometimes a person is offered cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). It says GPs now rarely prescribe sleeping pills for insomnia. The page does not list acupuncture [1].
NCCIH. NCCIH, part of the US National Institutes of Health, reports [2]:
- a 2021 review of 11 studies and 775 participants suggested that acupuncture may help improve insomnia, but the studies were small, differed from each other in many ways (for example treatment dosage and acupoint selection), and were judged to be low quality
- a 2019 clinical practice guideline from the US Department of Veterans Affairs and US Department of Defense said there was not enough evidence to recommend for or against using acupuncture for insomnia, except for a weak recommendation for auricular acupuncture, which involves specific points on the outer ear
- a 2020 evaluation of 7 systematic reviews (10,001 participants) on auricular acupuncture for insomnia found that the reviews suggested it may be beneficial, but the quality of most of the reviews was low or critically low and the quality of the studies within the reviews was poor
Acupuncture in Malaysia
What acupuncture is. NCCIH, part of the US National Institutes of Health, describes acupuncture as a technique in which practitioners insert fine needles into the skin. The needles may be manipulated by hand or stimulated with small electrical currents (electroacupuncture). Acupuncture originated from traditional Chinese medicine [3].
Registration. Malaysia's Traditional and Complementary Medicine Act 2016 (Act 775) defines traditional and complementary medicine to include traditional Chinese medicine [4]. Under section 25 of the Act, in force since 1 March 2021, a person who is not a registered practitioner shall not practise traditional and complementary medicine services [4][5]. A registered practitioner must hold a valid practising certificate, which is valid for not more than twelve months and must be displayed at the place of practice (section 26) [4].
Referral. Section 30 of the Act requires a registered practitioner to refer a patient to a medical or dental practitioner if the patient has an acute medical emergency, or if the condition is beyond the practitioner's skill, competency or expertise [4]. Under section 30(3) the practitioner must explain this duty to the patient, or the patient's guardian or representative, so that they can make an informed decision about whether to refuse being referred. Section 30(4) says that if the patient, guardian or representative gives written notice consenting not to be referred, the practitioner is not obliged to refer [4].
NCCIH's guidance is not to use acupuncture to postpone seeing a health care provider about a health problem [3].
Safety. According to NCCIH, relatively few complications from acupuncture have been reported, but complications have resulted from nonsterile needles and improper delivery. When not delivered properly, acupuncture can cause serious adverse effects, including infections, punctured organs and injury to the central nervous system [3]. The NHS lists two situations in which acupuncture may not be safe: taking blood-thinning medicine or being at increased risk of bleeding, and having a skin condition or skin infection [6].
When the sources say to get medical help
Each source below sets its own level of urgency. Malaysia's emergency line is 999 [7]. The regulator's numbering plan also lists 112 as the code for mobile phones routed to emergency services [8].
See a GP (NHS, UK) [1], for someone whose:
- insomnia has not been helped by changing sleeping habits
- trouble sleeping has gone on for months
- insomnia is affecting daily life in a way that makes it hard to cope
In Malaysia (Ministry of Health portals). Klinik Kesihatan Kuala Lumpur, a government health clinic, lists outpatient (Pesakit Luar) services. It lists its service hours as 8.00am to 5.00pm Monday to Friday, with extended hours on weekday evenings and on weekends and public holidays, and says it is closed on some festival days [9]. Hospital Kuala Lumpur's emergency department says it provides 24-hour emergency medical services to people in Kuala Lumpur [10].
Find a clinic
The NHS's suggested next step for insomnia that changing sleeping habits has not helped is to see a GP [1]. The clinic directory lists acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine clinics across Malaysia by state and town.
Sources
- NHS. Insomnia. Page last reviewed 19 March 2024 (review due 19 March 2027).
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), US National Institutes of Health. Sleep Disorders and Complementary Health Approaches: Usefulness and Safety. Last updated May 2024.
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), US National Institutes of Health. Acupuncture: Effectiveness and Safety. Last updated October 2022.
- Laws of Malaysia. Traditional and Complementary Medicine Act 2016 (Act 775), English text published by the Ministry of Health Malaysia. Sections 3, 25, 26 and 30.
- Federal Government Gazette P.U. (B) 118, 23 February 2021. Appointment of date of coming into operation, Traditional and Complementary Medicine Act 2016.
- NHS. Herbal medicines and complementary therapies. Page last reviewed 1 May 2026.
- Malaysia.gov.my (MyGovernment portal). Malaysia Emergency Response Services (MERS) 999. Page updated 25 September 2025.
- Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission. Numbering and Electronic Addressing Plan, issued 26 January 2006. Schedule D.
- Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya State Health Department, Ministry of Health Malaysia. Klinik Kesihatan Kuala Lumpur.
- Hospital Kuala Lumpur, Ministry of Health Malaysia. Kecemasan & Trauma.