This traditional Chinese medicine technique has been used for many years to treat sleeplessness. With acupuncture, fine needles are inserted into specific points on the body that lie along meridians, or energy pathways, to re-balance the flow of energy and eliminate the blockages that are allegedly causing problems. A review of studies involving acupuncture and insomnia — published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine — gave the treatment a gold star for overall effectiveness.