International Journal of Clinical Research

Objective To observe the therapeutic effect of acupuncture at the hour of Si and Wu based on the theory of time medicine on patients with insomnia caused by deficiency of both heart and spleen, and its influence on serum 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in patients. Methods Sixty patients with insomnia due to deficiency of both heart and spleen in our hospital from March 2024 to April 2025 were selected and randomly divided into two groups of the same number. One group was the acupuncture group at the hour of Si and wu, and the other group was the non-Si and Wu acupuncture group, with 30 cases in each group. The changes in sleep quality, serum 5-HT and GABA levels of the patients were observed. Results The sleep quality of the experimental group after treatment was higher than that of the control group, P<0.05. After treatment, the levels of serum 5-HT and GABA in the experimental group were significantly higher than those in the control group, P<0.05. Conclusion Acupuncture treatment at the hour of Si and Wu based on the theory of chronology can effectively improve the sleep quality of patients with insomnia caused by deficiency of both heart and spleen, and upregulate the levels of serum 5-HT and GABA, providing a new idea for the clinical treatment of insomnia caused by deficiency of both heart and spleen.

Chronology Theory; Acupuncture at the hour of Si and Wu; Insomnia caused by deficiency of both heart and spleen; Serotonin; γ-aminobutyric acid