XH16 Anmian (Peaceful Sleep)

Location

Behind the ear, midway between fengchi gb-20 & yifeng sj-17, close but slightly posterior & inferior to the wangu gb-12.

Indications

Conditions for which XH16 is listed as indicated. An indication list is a reference index, not a prescription – see the protocols below for sourced treatments.

TCM actions

What classical sources say XH16 does in the terms of Chinese medicine theory. These describe the point, not a condition.

Protocols using XH16

The 50 best-sourced of 51, ranked by strength of evidence. The count above is the full figure.

• Tinnitus, Hearing Loss, Hearing Loss Sensorineural, Sudden Hearing Loss – SI19, KD03, TB03, TB05, TB17, GB02, LV03, XH16 (doi:10.2196/69163 ↗)
• Insomnia – SP06, GV20, XH01A, XH01B, XH01C, XH01D, XH16 (doi:10.1016/j.smrv.2026.102292 ↗)
• Fatigue, Fatigue Cancer-related, Fatigue Cancer Related – SP06, LV03, XH03, XH16 (doi:10.1007/s00520-026-10756-1 ↗)
• Insomnia, Insomnia Chronic – LI04, SP06, HT07, BL62, KD06, PC06, LV03, GV20, GV24, XH01A, XH01B, XH01C, XH01D, XH03, XH16 (doi:10.3389/fneur.2026.1835295 ↗)
• Insomnia, Insomnia Chronic – SP06, HT07, BL62, KD06, XH01A, XH01B, XH01C, XH01D, XH16 (doi:10.3389/fneur.2026.1855633 ↗)
• Insomnia, Insomnia Primary – XH16 (doi:10.1177/19336586251414801 ↗)
• Insomnia, Insomnia Chronic – HT07, PC06, GV20, XH16 (doi:10.13703/j.0255-2930.20220815-0003 ↗)
• Insomnia, Insomnia Perimenopausal – BL23, KD03, GV20, XH16 (doi:10.13703/j.0255-2930.20220909-k0001 ↗)
• Depression, Insomnia – LU07, LI04, BL15, BL19, BL23, KD06, LV03, GV20, XH03, XH16 (doi:10.13703/j.0255-2930.20230822-k0001 ↗)
• Anxiety, Depression, Allergic Rhinitis, Rhinitis Allergic Persistent – LI20, HT07, PC07, GV20, GV24, XH01A, XH01B, XH01C, XH01D, XH03, XH09, XH16 (doi:10.13702/j.1000-0607.20230959 ↗)
• Fatigue, Insomnia Chronic, Depression Mild – SP06, HT07, KD06, GV20, XH01A, XH01B, XH01C, XH01D, XH16 (doi:10.13703/j.0255-2930.20240407-k0002 ↗)
• Fatigue, Insomnia Chronic, Depression Mild – ST25, SP06, HT07, KD06, CV04, CV08, CV12, GV02, GV14, GV20, XH01A, XH01B, XH01C, XH01D, XH16 (doi:10.13703/j.0255-2930.20240407-k0002 ↗)
• Insomnia, Insomnia Chronic – SP06, HT07, BL62, KD06, GV20, XH16 (doi:10.13703/j.0255-2930.2019.11.005 ↗)
• Fatigue, Depression, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome – LU09, LI04, SP06, HT07, PC06, GB20, GV20, XH03, XH16 (doi:10.1016/j.explore.2025.103231 ↗)
• Withdrawal Insomnia, Addiction Methamphetamine, Withdrawal Depression, Withdrawal Anxiety – ST36, SP06, HT07, PC06, GV20, XH03, XH16 (doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000043508 ↗)
• Insomnia Chronic – BL62, KD06, GV20, XH16 (doi:10.2147/NSS.S521578 ↗)
• Insomnia – CV06, CV10, CV12, GV20, XH03, XH16 (doi:10.13703/j.0255-2930.20250816-k0002 ↗)
• Dysgeusia, Fatigue Cancer-related – LI02, LI04, SP06, LV03, XH03, XH12, XH13, XH16 (doi:10.1007/s00520-026-10756-1 ↗)
• Breast Cancer, Insomnia Chemotherapy-related – BL15, BL18, BL23, GB25, LV14, CV14, GV20, XH03, XH16 (doi:10.2147/NSS.S604964 ↗)
• Menopause, Insomnia Menopausal – SP06, HT07, BL15, BL23, BL62, KD06, XH01A, XH01B, XH01C, XH01D, XH16 (doi:10.13702/j.1000-0607.180390 ↗)
• Menopause, Insomnia Menopausal – SP06, HT07, BL15, BL23, BL62, KD06, XH01A, XH01B, XH01C, XH01D, XH16, CYC11, IAC03, IN01, TF10 (doi:10.13702/j.1000-0607.180390 ↗)
• Sleep Disorder – SP06, HT07, GV20, XH01A, XH01B, XH01C, XH01D, XH03, XH16 (doi:10.4103/nah.nah_118_25 ↗)
• Insomnia Chronic – SP06, HT07, BL62, KD06, PC06, GV20, XH01A, XH01B, XH01C, XH01D, XH16 (doi:10.1155/2020/5630130 ↗)
• Anxiety, Depression, Insomnia – LI04, ST36, HT07, BL62, KD06, PC06, LV03, XH16 (doi:10.3389/fneur.2022.1053642 ↗)
• Insomnia Primary – SP06, HT07, BL62, KD06, XH01A, XH01B, XH01C, XH01D, XH16 (doi:10.13703/j.0255-2930.2017.01.004 ↗)
• Insomnia – ST36, SP06, SP09, BL15, BL20, BL21, CV12, XH16, AT12, CVC01, CVC06, CYC01, TF10 (doi:10.13703/j.0255-2930.2017.09.009 ↗)
• Insomnia – BL15, BL18, BL20, BL23, XH16, AT07, AT12, CVC01, TF10 (doi:10.1016/j.wjam.2020.03.004 ↗)
• Insomnia – SP06, HT07, BL62, KD06, XH01A, XH01B, XH01C, XH01D, XH16 (doi:10.1016/j.wjam.2020.03.004 ↗)
• Sleep Disorder, Addiction Mobile Phone – LI04, SP06, HT07, PC06, GV20, GV24, XH03, XH16 (doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1106100 ↗)
• Internet Addiction Disorder, Sleep Disorder – LI04, SP06, HT07, PC06, GV20, GV24, XH03, XH16 (doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1335554 ↗)
• Insomnia Chronic – SP06, HT07, PC06, GV20, XH01A, XH01B, XH01C, XH01D, XH16 (doi:10.1186/s13020-025-01236-5 ↗)
• Insomnia, Long Covid – HT07, BL62, KD06, XH03, XH16 (europepmc.org ↗)
• Insomnia Chronic – SP06, HT07, KD03, PC06, LV03, XH16 (doi:10.1155/2019/8136967 ↗)
• Anxiety – SP06, HT07, KD03, PC06, LV03, GV20, XH16 (doi:10.1155/2019/8136967 ↗)
• Bell's Palsy – LI11, LI20, ST02, ST03, ST04, ST06, ST07, ST36, ST40, SP06, SP10, HT08, SI03, SI18, BL02, BL67, PC08, TB05, TB17, TB23, GB14, LV03, CV24, GV26, XH05, XH16 (doi:10.1089/acm.2007.0780 ↗)
• Vertigo Cervical – LI04, ST36, GB20, GV20, XH01A, XH01B, XH01C, XH01D, XH03, XH05, XH16 (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗)
• Dementia, Sleep Disturbance – ST36, SP06, HT07, GV20, XH03, XH16 (doi:10.2147/CIA.S45611 ↗)
• Insomnia – XH16 (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗)
• Insomnia – SP06, HT07, GV20, XH01A, XH01B, XH01C, XH01D, XH16 (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗)
• Insomnia Primary – LV02, LV03, XH03, XH16, XH33, AT12, CVC01, CYC08, IAC03, TF10 (doi:10.13702/j.1000-0607.170614 ↗)
• Depression, Insomnia – SP06, HT07, PC06, GV20, GV24, XH03, XH16 (doi:10.2147/NSS.S253320 ↗)
• Insomnia Perimenopausal – SP06, HT07, CV04, CV06, GV20, GV24, XH03, XH16 (doi:10.2147/NSS.S282315 ↗)
• Insomnia – GB20, GV14, GV16, GV18, GV20, XH01A, XH01B, XH01C, XH01D, XH14, XH16 (doi:10.13703/j.0255-2930.20200325-0006 ↗)
• Insomnia – SP06, HT07, XH03, XH16 (doi:10.62354/healthcare.v4i1.188 ↗)
• Insomnia – SP06, HT07, KD06, GB13, GB20, GB21, XH16 (Deadman, Al-Khafaji & Baker, A Manual of Acupuncture – point group actions)
• Insomnia, Neurasthenia, Insomnia Chronic – HT07, BL14, BL15, BL23, KD03, XH16 (Chen Jirui, Nissi Wang (eds). Acupuncture Case Histories from China. Seattle: Eastland Press, 1988)
• Schizophrenia – LI04, ST36, SP06, HT07, PC05, PC06, LV03, GV15, XH16 (Henry C. Lu. Clinical Cases of Acupuncture)
• Insomnia, Not Communicating Heart, Not Communicating Kidney, Not Communicating Heart, Not Communicating Kidney – SP06, HT07, BL15, BL23, KD03, XH16 (sacredlotus.com ↗)
• Spleen Qi Deficiency, Insomnia, Heart Qi Deficiency, Spleen Qi Deficiency, Heart Qi Deficiency – SP01, SP06, HT07, BL15, BL20, XH16 (sacredlotus.com ↗)
• Fire Liver, Insomnia, Fire Liver – SP06, HT07, BL18, BL19, GB12, XH16 (sacredlotus.com ↗)

Most often selected alongside XH16

How many sourced protocols in the index pair each point with XH16. Corpus frequency, not a combination to use.

• HT07Spirit Gate34 protocols
• SP06Three Yin Intersection34 protocols
• GV20100 Convergences26 protocols
• XH03Hall Of Impression Or Seal Hall19 protocols
• XH01AFour Spirit Brightness16 protocols
• XH01BFour Spirit Brightness16 protocols
• XH01CFour Spirit Brightness16 protocols
• XH01DFour Spirit Brightness16 protocols
• KD06Shining Sea15 protocols
• PC06Inner Gate13 protocols
• BL62Extending Vessel11 protocols
• LV03Great Surge11 protocols

Other points on the Extra Points: Head