To observe and evaluate the clinical efficacy of acupuncture combined with estazolam on chronic insomnia, so as to provide an effective intervention protocol for patients with chronic insomnia.

Sixty-four patients with chronic insomnia were randomized into a treatment group and a control group, with 32 cases in each group. Patients in the control group received estazolam orally at bedtime every day and for consecutive 4 weeks according to the dosage recommended by experts. In the treatment group, on the basis of the treatment as the control group, acupuncture was delivered once every 2 days, 3 times a week and for consecutive 4 weeks. Before and after treatment, the scores of Pittsburgh sleep quality index inventory (PSQI) and self-anxiety scale (SAS), the objective sleep indicators (total sleep duration, sleep latency, and sleep efficiency), and the scores of Wechsler memory scale (WMS-RC) and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) symptoms were evaluated in two groups. The clinical efficacy was assessed in each group.

The total effective rate of the treatment group was 87.10%, higher than that of the control group (67.74%, P<0.05). In the intra-group comparison, compared with before treatment, the score of each item and the total score of PSQI, sleep latency, SAS score and TCM symptom score decreased (P<0.05); the total sleep duration, sleep efficiency, scores of long-term memory, transient memory, short-term memory, and memory quotient increased (P<0.05) after treatment in both groups. When compared with the control group after treatment, in the treatment group, sleep onset time score, the total score of PSQI, sleep latency, SAS score and TCM symptom score decreased (P<0.05) and the total sleep duration, sleep efficiency, scores of long-term memory and transient memory were elevated (P<0.05).

Acupuncture combined with estazolam can remarkably improve the overall sleep quality, anxiety status, memory level, and TCM symptoms in patients with chronic insomnia. The combined treatment protocol is more superior to estazolam alone for chronic insomnia.