Short answer: Pressure points for sleep are acupressure points from Traditional Chinese Medicine that people press gently at bedtime to help them relax. Six of the most commonly used are Shenmen and Neiguan on the wrist, Yintang and Anmian on the head, and Sanyinjiao and Yongquan on the leg and foot. Research reviews report better sleep-quality scores with acupressure, but most studies are small and varied, so it is best seen as a calming, low-cost part of a bedtime routine rather than a treatment for insomnia.
How to use pressure points for sleep
Acupressure uses steady finger pressure instead of needles. You can do it yourself in bed in a few minutes:
- Find the point using the diagrams below. It often feels slightly tender or achy when you are on the right spot.
- Press firmly but comfortably with your thumb or fingertip. It should never be painful.
- Hold or make small circles for about one to two minutes, while breathing slowly in through your nose and out through your mouth.
- Repeat on the other side for points that come in pairs.
- Stop if you feel pain, numbness or tingling that does not fade.
Wrist and hand pressure points for sleep
1. Shenmen (HT7), “Spirit Gate”
Where: on the palm side of the wrist crease, on the little-finger side, in the small hollow just inside the tendon. How: press with the thumb of your other hand for one to two minutes, then switch wrists. In TCM, Shenmen is one of the classic points for calming the mind, and it is the point most often included in sleep studies.
2. Neiguan (PC6), “Inner Gate”
Where: three finger-widths above the wrist crease, in the middle of the inner forearm between the two central tendons. How: press with your thumb for one to two minutes on each arm. Neiguan is traditionally used for a restless chest and an unsettled stomach, so some people find it useful when worry or a heavy evening meal keeps them up.
Head pressure points for sleep
3. Yintang, “Hall of Impression”
Where: midway between the inner ends of your eyebrows. How: rest your middle fingertip on the point and make slow, gentle circles for one to two minutes with your eyes closed. Many people already rub this spot without thinking when they are tense.
4. Anmian, “Peaceful Sleep”
Where: in the soft hollow just behind your earlobe, behind the bony bump below the ear. How: press lightly with your fingertips on both sides at once, in slow circles, for one to two minutes. Use gentle pressure; the side of the neck is sensitive.
Leg and foot pressure points for sleep
5. Sanyinjiao (SP6), “Three Yin Intersection”
Where: on the inner side of the lower leg, four finger-widths above the tip of the inner ankle bone, just behind the edge of the shinbone. How: press with your thumb for one to two minutes on each leg. Do not use this point if you are or might be pregnant. It is traditionally avoided in pregnancy because of its association with the uterus.
6. Yongquan (KI1), “Bubbling Spring”
Where: on the sole of the foot, in the hollow that forms when you curl your toes, about one-third of the way from the base of the second and third toes to the heel. How: sit on the edge of the bed and press with your thumb, or roll the sole slowly over a small ball, for one to two minutes per foot. In TCM it is the point traditionally used to “draw energy down” before sleep. Check your feet first if you have diabetes or reduced feeling in them.
A simple bedtime acupressure routine
You don’t need all six points. A short routine you’ll actually keep doing works better than a long one:
- Lights low, phone away. Sit or lie comfortably.
- Shenmen, one minute on each wrist, with slow breathing.
- Yintang, one minute of gentle circles with your eyes closed.
- Yongquan, one minute on each foot.
- Lie back and keep the slow breathing for a few more minutes.
Use the same routine at the same time each night. Much of its value comes from training your body to recognize the start of sleep. If you wake in the night, Shenmen is easy to reach without turning on a light. Our guide to waking up at 3 AM covers the common reasons for night waking.
Does acupressure for sleep work?
The research is encouraging but not conclusive. Systematic reviews have found improved sleep-quality scores with acupressure in several groups, including women around menopause, hospital patients, and people with sleep problems after a stroke or during cancer care. Reviews of ear acupressure report similar findings.
The limits are important. Most trials are small, use different points and schedules, rely on questionnaires rather than sleep measurements, and are hard to blind, since people know when they are being pressed. Results also vary widely between studies. Acupressure is low-risk and free, which makes it reasonable to try, but it is not an established treatment for insomnia. For long-term sleep problems, cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) has the strongest evidence. Our guide to alternatives to melatonin compares the options, and herbs for sleep covers what to know about herbal products.
The navel: a point you don’t press
Acupressure belongs to the same TCM tradition that maps hundreds of points on the body. One of them is Shenque (CV8), the navel. It is traditionally not pressed. Instead, TCM has a long practice of applying herbs to it externally. This is a traditional approach; how it might work is not established by modern research.
SleepDeep’s overnight routine follows that tradition: a sealed dry-herb pouch worn at the navel with a belt. Nothing is swallowed and it contains no melatonin. It can sit alongside a short acupressure routine. This describes the format; it does not establish treatment of insomnia, and it does not replace care from your doctor.
Use only on intact skin, check it regularly and stop for irritation. Keep the pouch intact; do not swallow or brew its contents or apply heat. Ask the clinician or pharmacist who knows your medicines about suitability, particularly with pregnancy, breastfeeding, complex illness or herbal allergies. Five Essences’ selected practice observations describe individual experiences and do not establish causation or a response rate; the evidence overview explains their limits.
When to see a doctor
See a doctor if poor sleep lasts more than a few weeks or affects your mood, work or driving, or if you snore loudly, gasp or stop breathing in your sleep. Keep taking any prescribed sleep medicine; acupressure can be added alongside it, and any change to medicine should be planned with your prescriber, since stopping suddenly can cause rebound insomnia. Seek urgent help for chest pain, sudden confusion or thoughts of self-harm.
Questions about pressure points for sleep
What is the best pressure point for sleep?
Shenmen (HT7) on the wrist is the most widely used and studied, and it is easy to find and reach in bed. Many people combine it with Yintang and Yongquan.
Can pressure points make you fall asleep instantly?
No technique works instantly for everyone. Acupressure helps some people relax, which can make falling asleep easier, but it is not a switch. Practiced nightly, it works best as part of a calm, consistent routine.
Is acupressure safe?
For most adults, gentle self-acupressure is low-risk. Avoid Sanyinjiao in pregnancy, avoid injured or swollen areas and varicose veins, press gently with blood thinners or fragile skin, and ask your doctor first if you have a serious health condition.
Can acupressure help sleep apnea?
No. Sleep apnea is a medical condition in which breathing repeatedly stops during sleep, and it needs a proper diagnosis and treatment. If you snore loudly, gasp at night or feel exhausted despite a full night in bed, see a doctor.
Independent sources
Acupuncture and acupressure for sleep quality in menopausal women: a meta-analysis · Acupressure and sleep quality in hospital inpatients: a systematic review · Ear acupressure for insomnia: a systematic review · National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute: Insomnia treatment and CBT-I
About the author
Qingcai Wang, MD, PhD, invented the external herbal pouch and has practiced it exclusively since 2015, so that more people can accept Chinese herbal medicine without drinking bitter herbal decoctions. His formulations draw on the classics Shang Han Lun, Jin Gui Yao Lue and Shennong Ben Cao Jing. He previously spent more than 20 years in biomedical and cancer research. He founded Five Essences, which sells the pouches.
General education; ask your own doctor before starting any new practice if you have a health condition.