What people come in for
At night
Women tell me about these first. They are descriptions, not diagnoses, and each one has a list of causes that a doctor can look through.
Tired, but not sleepy
Your body is ready for bed and your mind is still in the day.
Waking hot
Warm, damp, or kicking off the covers, and then lying awake.
Awake at 3 a.m.
Wide awake in the dark with tomorrow's list.
Up before the alarm
Too early to get up and too late to go back.
A busy mind at bedtime
The day replays itself the moment the light goes off.
Light, broken sleep
You sleep, but every sound or movement wakes you.
What people come in for
In the day
Once the nights settle into a pattern, women mention the days.
Waking unrested
Hours in bed and a morning that still feels borrowed.
Foggy and forgetful
Losing the word, the name, the reason you came into the room.
The afternoon wall
A heaviness that coffee only moves around.
A short fuse
Snapping at people you love, then feeling bad about it.
A stiff neck and shoulders
Carried from a day at a desk or a night in one position.
Warm waves in the day
Sudden heat at work or in the car.
What acupuncture does not do
It does not replace your doctor or what you take, it cannot tell you why you are waking, and it does not promise a result. Women notice different things, and some notice very little.
When to see a doctor instead
Snoring with pauses in your breathing, night sweats with weight loss, a low mood that is new or won't lift, chest pain or a racing heart, and heavy bleeding all need a doctor first. If you are in crisis, call or text 988 (the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline), any time. In an emergency, call 911.