Can extra acupuncture points help you sleep better?

NCT ID NCT07544082

What the study statuses mean

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Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now This study
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
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Status unknown
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First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This study tests whether adding Five Shu point acupuncture to standard acupuncture can improve sleep in people with insomnia linked to a Heart-Spleen deficiency pattern. 46 adults will receive either standard acupuncture or standard plus Five Shu points over 20 sessions in 28 days. Researchers will measure sleep quality and symptom severity.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
acupuncture
What this could lead to
If it works, this could offer a drug-free option to improve sleep quality for people with insomnia related to Heart-Spleen deficiency.
What could go wrong
This is a small, early-stage trial with only 46 participants. Results may not apply to everyone, and the benefit over standard acupuncture alone may be small or none.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Not a phased trial

Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.

Participants

About 46 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Started

Mar 2026

Expected to finish

Sep 2026

An estimate. End dates often move.

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

18 years and older

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * Patients aged 18 years or older who voluntarily consent to participate in the study. * Patients who have never used or have discontinued insomnia medication within 2 weeks prior to study enrollment. * Patients meeting the diagnostic criteria for insomnia according to the DSM-V of the American Psychiatric Association, specifically as follows: A. The patient complains about sleep quantity or quality, including one or more of the following symptoms: difficulty initiating sleep; difficulty maintaining sleep, characterized by frequent awakenings or trouble returning to sleep after awakening; early morning awakening with inability to return to sleep. B. Sleep difficulty occurs for at least 3 months. C. Sleep disturbance causes significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, educational, academic, behavioral, or other important areas of functioning. D. Sleep difficulty occurs at least 3 nights per week. E. Sleep difficulty occurs despite adequate opportunity for sleep. F. Insomnia is not better explained by another sleep disorder (e.g., narcolepsy, breathing-related sleep disorder, circadian rhythm sleep disorder). G. Co-existing mental disorders or medical conditions do not adequately explain the predominant complaint of insomnia. H. Insomnia is not attributable to the physiological effects of a substance. * Patients who are able to understand Vietnamese. * Patients meeting the diagnostic criteria for Heart-Spleen dual deficiency syndrome according to Jing Lv, requiring the presence of mandatory symptoms + 2 primary symptoms + 2 secondary symptoms + tongue and pulse findings, specifically: Mandatory symptoms * Sleeplessness throughout the night, or light sleep with frequent awakening; fragmented sleep. * Frequent nightmares. * Early morning awakening with inability to fall back asleep. Primary symptoms Palpitations, forgetfulness. Mental fatigue, poor appetite. Pale, unhealthy complexion. Secondary symptoms Dizziness, blurred vision. Weakness of limbs. Abdominal distension, loose stools. Tongue and pulse findings Pale tongue with thin white coating. Thin, weak, forceless pulse. Exclusion Criteria: * Patients diagnosed with other sleep disorders such as sleep apnea syndrome or narcolepsy. * Patients previously diagnosed with neurological or psychiatric disorders (e.g., anxiety disorder, autism spectrum disorder, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder) prior to study enrollment. * Patients currently using antidepressants or psychiatric medications. * Patients participating in other clinical trials involving behavioral, psychological, or complementary medical interventions during the study period. * The patient no longer agrees to continue participation. * Occurrence of uncomfortable symptoms during the study, such as needle syncope, nausea, headache, dizziness, sweating, etc. * Significant worsening of the condition or development of new complications. * Non-adherence to the treatment protocol, making continuation impossible.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

How to take part

Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.

  1. The places running it

    3 sites. The list below names each one and where it is.

  2. The official record

    ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.

    Open the record ↗

  3. A doctor treating you

    A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Ho Chi Minh City Hospital of Traditional Medicine (179-187 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia Street, Xuan Hoa Ward, Ho Chi Minh City)

    RECRUITING

    Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

  • Hospital 1A (1A Ly Thuong Kiet Street, Tan Son Nhat Ward, Ho Chi Minh City)

    RECRUITING

    Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

  • University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City

    RECRUITING

    Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

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