Acupressure can help teenagers with insomnia.
Q: You had a story in which a mother said her son had sleeping problems. Someone suggested Sea-Bands for motion sickness, nausea and other problems. The son put on the Sea-Band, and his sleeping problems disappeared.
I read your column and immediately purchased Sea-Bands. Much to my surprise, this worked the first night and for the next 16 days up to today. I know it will not work for everyone. I told my doctor about this and got no response.
A: Sea-Bands are designed to stimulate acupressure points. Most physicians have not been trained in this approach. There are, however, some studies to support this low-tech treatment.
A group of investigators tried Sea-Bands in distressed teens and concluded that “Acupressure is a noninvasive, safe, and effective method for the management of insomnia in adolescents, with good compliance and no adverse effects.” (Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment, Jan. 24, 2013).
Another study found that pregnant women given wristbands and shown where to place them had significantly better sleep quality (Journal of Acupuncture and Meridian Studies, February 2016). Acupressure on the wrist also helped elderly people with Alzheimer’s disease sleep more easily (Aging Clinical and Experimental Research, February 2015).
You can learn the details about this and many other nondrug approaches to insomnia from our “Guide to Getting a Good Night’s Sleep” at PeoplesPharmacy.com.