Objective To evaluate the therapeutic effect of rolling needle therapy

a traditional non-medication treatment

on insomnia by comparison with western medicine.Methods In the multi-central randomized controlled clinical study

180 cases were randomly divided into two groups including the treatment group treated with rolling needle therapy（n=90）and the control group（n=90）treated with clonopin

4mg each night before sleeping.The treatment course was 4 weeks.Therapeutic effects were evaluated by improvement of TCM symptoms and Pittsburg’s sleep index at the end of the treatment of 4 weeks and after 3 months’ follow-up.Results After treatment

there were significant differences between the two groups in the effective rate（P<0.05）

and the total score of Pittsburg’s sleep quality index and 4 sub-items

i.e.sleep quality

sleep efficiency

soporific and daytime function（P<0.05）.After 3 months’ follow-up

no significant difference was found between the two groups in the effective rate

but there were significant differences between the two groups in sleep efficiency

soporific and daytime function of the Pittsburg’s sleep quality index（P<0.05）.Conclusion Compared with soporific of the second generation

traditional rolling needle therapy has a better clinical therapeutic effect on chronic insomnia so as to increase life quality of the patient.