Progressive Muscle Relaxation
Tense your muscles hard, then let go completely.
The contrast is what releases the tension.
What Is It?
Progressive muscle relaxation, or PMR, means tensing a muscle and then releasing it completely. An American physician named Edmund Jacobson developed it in the 1920s.
When you tell yourself to relax, it usually does not work. But after you squeeze a muscle hard, it lets go on its own. That is what PMR uses.
You work through the body in order: hands, arms, shoulders, face, legs. The word "progressive" refers to that sequence.
How to Do It
The pattern is always the same: tense, release all at once, then notice the looseness.
- Sit well back in a chair, or lie on your back.
- Make a fist and hold it for five to ten seconds, then let go all at once. Stay with the loose feeling for fifteen to twenty seconds.
- Work through your arms, shoulders, face, stomach, and legs the same way.
How It Relates to Sleep
When you cannot sleep, tension is often still locked in your body. As long as you are holding it, shifting into rest is difficult. PMR releases that tension first, which is why it appears in cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia.
A 2026 review of 31 randomized trials (2,277 people total) found improvements in sleep quality and reductions in anxiety. The size of the effect varies considerably from person to person.
The cognitive shuffle untangles the thoughts in your head. This untangles the tension in your body. There is no reason not to use both.
Things to Watch Out For
Do not force tension into an area that is injured or painful. Skip it, or simply let it relax without tensing first.
If you cramp easily, or have severe shoulder or back pain, use less force.
If you have a chronic condition or are pregnant, check with a doctor before starting. Stop immediately if you feel unwell partway through.
This is self-care, not medical treatment. If you have been unable to sleep for days, please see a doctor.