How to do it
- Use the pad of a thumb or finger, not the tip.
- Press until you feel a firm, slightly aching sensation — pressure, not pain.
- Hold steadily for one to two minutes, breathing normally. Some people prefer slow circular pressure.
- Do both sides of the body.
- Do it in a dim room, slowly, as part of a wind-down rather than as a task to complete.
Commonly used points
Inner wrist
On the palm side of the forearm, roughly three finger-widths above the wrist crease, between the two tendons. Widely used for nausea and anxiety as well as sleep.
Behind the ear
In the depression between the mastoid process — the bone behind the ear — and the skull. Gentle circular pressure here is commonly used for headache and tension.
Sole of the foot
In the depression in the middle of the sole, roughly a third of the way down from the toes when the foot is slightly curled. A traditional point for calming.
Between the eyebrows
Light upward pressure at the point between the eyebrows, at the bridge of the nose. Often used for settling and eye strain.
Why it might help, honestly
Three mechanisms are plausible and none is exclusive to acupressure:
- Sustained pressure is itself settling, similar in kind to deep-pressure input from a weighted blanket.
- Slow, focused attention on the body works the same way a body scan does — it gives attention a neutral job.
- The ritual: two or three minutes of deliberate quiet, repeated nightly, is a genuine intervention regardless of the points.
Expectations and cautions
- Trials exist but are small and of variable quality. Treat it as a low-risk experiment.
- Avoid firm pressure over injury, inflammation, varicose veins, or areas of poor circulation.
- In pregnancy, some points are traditionally avoided — check with your midwife.
- It is not a treatment for chronic insomnia on its own. See CBT-I.
A better use of the same three minutes
If you are going to spend two or three minutes on your body before sleep, the alternatives with more behind them are a body scan, extended-exhale breathing, or ten minutes of slow movement. Acupressure is a reasonable addition to any of these rather than a replacement.