Progressive Muscle Relaxation: a technique for deeper sleep

Progressive muscle relaxation is a technique you can use at any time of day or night to help relieve stress and lift your mood. It involves tensing and then relaxing all the major muscle groups.

Here is a 10 minute audio recording to help guide you through this process step by step...

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/052738_46ac86d178da44bb813afd483c1ab84e/1080p/mp4/file.mp4

When we’re stressed, we can carry a lot of tension in our muscles without even realising it. In this exercise you learn to recognise tension, and then deliberately let it go, which can make you more adaptable at switching off the stress response. When we relax our muscles, we also relax our minds.

Research suggests that regularly practicing progressive muscle relaxation can help with stress, anxiety, high blood pressure, back pain, migraines and poor sleep (Donato et al. 2026).

So, let’s give it a quick go..

(Tune into the audio above if you prefer!)

During the exercise, we’re going to gradually tense and relax all the muscles in your body. When you tense your muscles, put in significant effort, but it shouldn’t be painful. If you feel any pain during the exercise, simply pause, return to your breath, and re-start with the next part of your body.

When you try this technique, please don’t try and fall asleep. Trying too hard to sleep never works! Simply tell yourself that you’re learning a new skill - the more times you do it, the easier it will become. Better sleep will just become a gradual side effect.

As you go through this exercise you will get distracted, and that’s OK. Just tell yourself to gently bring your attention back to your body.

• Start by focusing on the breath. Take a long slow breath, all the way in, hold for a few seconds, and breathe out slowly.

• Curl your toes tightly, hold for five seconds, and then slowly release the tension.

• Pull your toes up toward your head to tense the muscles on the top of your feet and lower legs, hold for a few seconds, and then relax.

• Press your knees together to create tension in your thighs, hold for five seconds, and then let go.

• Squeeze your buttocks tightly, hold the tension, and then slowly relax your hips and legs.

• Clasp your hands together and squeeze firmly, then tense your arms before gently releasing the tension.

• Lift your shoulders up toward your ears, hold for five seconds, and then allow them to drop and relax.

• Scrunch the muscles in your face and squeeze your eyes shut, then slowly let your face soften and relax.

• Scan your body for any remaining tension, tense that area briefly, and then fully relax it.

• With each slow exhale, allow your whole body to feel heavier, calmer, and more relaxed.