This article reports 1 case of insomnia of liver

qi

stag

nation syndrome treated with tongue acupuncture. The patient was in a sitting position

with the mouth opened and tongue extended naturally to fully expose the positions of tongue points. Lying position is applicable to release the fear of patient. The physician fixed the patient's head with the left hand

held the handle of sterile filiform needle (0.30 mm×40 mm) for single use with the thumb

index finger and middle finger of the right hand. The needle was pricked at Xin

Naoling

Naozhong

Fudi and Dan points rapidly

one pricking at each tongue point

2 mm to 3 mm in depth

without bleeding required and needle retained. The treatment was given once daily

5 times a week followed by a 2-day interval

and 3 weeks constituted one course of treatment. After one course of treatment

the patient could fall asleep normally without depending on sleeping pills

and the symptoms such as easily awakened

dream-disturbed sleep

irritability and anxiety were markedly attenuated. The score of the Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI) decreased from 18 points to 4 points. The tongue condition turned to be normal from dark tongue with varicose veins under the tongue observed before treatment. The telephone follow-ups in half a month and 1 month after treatment showed that the patient had never taken sleeping pills since the end of treatment. The sleep start time was from 30 min to 60 min

sleep duration was 7 h to 8 h

without dream-disturbed sleep

easily awakened

tinnitus and dizziness.