Background: Previous studies have shown auricular acupressure as effective in improving the sleep disturbance of patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome, patients with end‐stage renal disease, and nurses working three shifts. Sleep disturbance is a commonly encountered problem in cancer patients. However, related studies addressing cancer patients are scarce. Purpose: This research explores the efficacy of auricular acupressure on cancer patients with sleep disturbance. Methods: A prospective, randomized‐controlled trial was used and 89 cancer patients with untreated sleep disturbance were recruited. The experimental group (n=33) received pasted auricular magnetic beads and acupressure on the Shenmen, Xin, Shen, and Pizhixia points. The control group (n=56) received general nursing directions about insomnia only. All participants were assessed using the Chinese Athens Insomnia Scale (CAIS‐8) prior to the intervention as well as on the 14th and 28th days after the intervention. The intervention effects were analyzed using the Generalized Estimating Equation (GEE). Results: The results showed that sleep disturbance improved more significantly in the experimental group than in the control group on both the 14th and 28th days. The scores were significantly lower in the experimental group than in the control group in several aspects, including sleep induction, awakenings during the night, early morning awakenings, total sleep duration, sleepiness during the day, sleep quality, and total CAIS‐8 scores (p ＜ .05). Conclusions / Implications for Practice: Findings indicate that auricular acupressure is an effective non‐invasive and alternative method for improving sleep disturbance in cancer patients. Furthermore, this intervention may help reduce insomnia‐drug dependence and improve patient quality of life, making auricular acupressure worth promoting to community‐dwelling cancer patients.