PRESS HERE › Sleep
If you have searched for a way to fall asleep without pills, these three points are the ones most often recommended in traditional Chinese practice. Here is what each one is actually for — and an honest note on what each one can and cannot do.
They are called Shenmen, Yin Tang and Yongquan. You will also see them written as HT7, EX-HN3 and KI1 — same points, different naming systems.
Inner wrist, in the crease just below the little finger. Traditionally the main point for settling the mind before sleep.
Commonly paired with LI4 (Hegu, the web between thumb and index finger) — press them together, one on each hand.
Centre of the forehead, between the eyebrows. Pressed with a fingertip, not the thumb. Used more for quieting a busy mind than for physical tension.
Many people press this one sitting up, then move to bed. It is easier to do before you lie down than after.
Sole of the foot, in the crease between the ball and the heel — the point you can feel as a slight dip. Traditionally used to draw energy down before rest.
Often paired with a foot soak, which is why warmth at the feet comes up so often alongside it.
| Approach | What it is |
|---|---|
| Acupressure | A relaxing self-care habit. Helps some people wind down enough to fall asleep. No evidence it treats insomnia. |
| Melatonin | A supplement that shifts sleep timing. Works for some people, does nothing for others, and interacts with some medication. |
| Prescription sleep aids | Clinician-supervised, controlled dosing, and not something to self-manage. |
If you have not been able to sleep well for weeks, that is a doctor question, not a pressure point question.
The three points above are free to read and always will be. What costs money is the sequence — which point on which night, paired with which gua sha area, plus the foot soak or drink that goes with it, and the safety line that applies.