How Acupuncture May Help Prevent Insomnia in Lung Cancer Patients

New evidence shows acupuncture could lower the risk of insomnia symptoms in people undergoing cancer care.

Insomnia — difficulty falling or staying asleep — is a frequent and distressing symptom experienced by people with lung cancer. Up to 30-50 % of patients report sleep problems, which can worsen fatigue, pain, emotional distress, and overall quality of life. Conventional treatments for insomnia (e.g., medications or behavioral therapy) may not always be effective or well-tolerated in cancer populations, leading researchers to explore complementary approaches like acupuncture.

What the New Study Investigated

A retrospective cohort study published in Supportive Care in Cancer examined whether acupuncture performed as part of cancer symptom management was associated with a lower incidence of insomnia symptoms among patients with newly diagnosed lung cancer.

The researchers analyzed data from lung cancer patients treated at Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine from 2012 to 2021. Patients who received acupuncture were matched with similar patients who did not receive acupuncture using propensity score matching to reduce bias.

Key Findings

Lower rates of insomnia
Among 918 matched patients (459 in each group), the incidence of insomnia symptoms was significantly lower in the acupuncture group: 20.9 % vs. 42.2 % in the non-acupuncture group during follow-up.

Greater exposure led to greater effect
Patients who received more frequent sessions and a higher total number of acupuncture treatments had an even lower risk of developing insomnia symptoms.

Significant risk reduction
After adjusting for other factors, acupuncture was linked with a 69 % reduced risk of developing insomnia symptoms compared with no acupuncture (adjusted hazard ratio 0.31, 95 % CI 0.23–0.39).

What This Means for Patients and Providers

Why sleep matters in cancer care

Good sleep is crucial for physical recovery, emotional resilience, immune function, and overall quality of life — especially for people living with cancer. Insomnia can worsen fatigue, reduce treatment tolerance, and amplify psychological distress, making effective management a priority.

Acupuncture as a supportive therapy

While this was an observational (retrospective) study — not a randomized clinical trial — the results are clinically promising. They suggest that acupuncture may play a preventive role in insomnia among lung cancer patients, beyond its traditional use for pain, nausea, or stress.

Acupuncture might support sleep through multiple mechanisms widely discussed in integrative medicine and pain research, including:

• Modulation of the autonomic nervous system (reducing stress responses)
• Release of endogenous opioids and neurotransmitters (promoting relaxation)
• Reduction of pain and discomfort that interferes with sleep
  Although the precise pathways in cancer-related insomnia remain under study, these neurophysiological effects provide a plausible basis for sleep improvement.

Limitations and Cautions

It’s important to interpret these findings with some caution:

• The study was retrospective, not randomized — so it shows association, not definitive causation.
• Factors like patient expectations, lifestyle, and concurrent therapies could influence both acupuncture use and insomnia risk.
• The mechanisms by which acupuncture might reduce insomnia in cancer populations need further investigation through high-quality prospective trials.

Bottom Line

This study adds to a growing body of evidence suggesting that acupuncture can benefit cancer patients beyond pain and nausea control — potentially including insomnia prevention. For people with lung cancer struggling with sleep difficulties, acupuncture may be a valuable supportive care option to discuss with their oncology and integrative medicine teams.

Reference:

Yu R, Guo X, Zhu Y, Chen Y, Zhang C, Chai X, Wang Y. Acupuncture reduced incidence of insomnia symptoms in patients with lung cancer: a retrospective cohort study. Support Care Cancer. 2025;34(1):45.