If in your daily life you face moments of intense stress that affect the quality of your decisions and result in endless hours of tossing and turning in bed, then we have a suggestion that can help you.

This is Progressive Muscle Relaxation, a relaxation technique that first appeared in the early 20th century and is used by the medical community to relieve those experiencing anxiety and insomnia problems.

According to its creator, Edward Jacobson, Progressive Muscle Relaxation helps people "free themselves" on a physical as well as a spiritual level.

If you don't already know it, in this article we will introduce you to this relaxation therapy in the hope that it will help you feel good and sleep better.

Let's start with the basics:

What is Progressive Muscle Relaxation?

Progressive Muscle Relaxation is a technique that has been around since 1929 when American physician Edward Jacobson published a book called "Progressive Relaxation".

The principle behind this relaxation technique is clear. It identifies muscle tension as a result of anxious thoughts, and therefore, if one can find a way to reduce muscle tension, they can then reduce the impact of these anxious thoughts on their daily lives.

Progressive Muscle Relaxation has been used by doctors over the years to treat anxiety and, more recently, as a tool to treat insomnia.

By stretching and relaxing our muscles, we can reduce stress and tension in the body and shift the focus of the mind away from thoughts that distract us and prevent us from sleeping at night.

Let's look more specifically at the benefits of Progressive Muscle Relaxation.

The benefits of progressive muscle relaxation

People who regularly practice the Progressive Muscle Relaxation technique tend to have:

• Developed sense of well-being
• Low blood pressure
• Less muscle tension
• Less stress
• Lower levels of fatigue

In addition to these benefits, however, researchers are discovering that this relaxation therapy can help people who suffer from insomnia. In fact, a recent study found that Progressive Muscle Relaxation improved sleep quality and reduced fatigue in women undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer.

Progressive Muscle Relaxation: What does research say about treating insomnia?

A study in the Journal of Abnormal Psychology, first published in 1973, showed that people who underwent Progressive Muscle Relaxation after 3 sessions of therapy fell asleep faster than a group of people who did not receive relaxation therapy. This study was conducted on 37 American college students with insomnia symptoms.

The following year, 1974, another study compared the effects of Progressive Muscle Relaxation and Autogenic Training with no treatment in a group of people suffering from chronic insomnia.

This study found that people who used the Progressive Muscle Relaxation technique reported better sleep than the group that received no treatment. Furthermore, after a 6-month follow-up, the benefits of the treatment were added to the ability of participants to fall asleep more quickly than before.

How to apply Progressive Muscle Relaxation?

A Progressive Muscle Relaxation session is simple, you can do it on your own and it takes about 10 to 15 minutes. In general, you can apply this technique at any time of the day to relieve stress, but if you want to deal with insomnia, it is recommended to do it just before going to bed or after lying down in your bed.

During Progressive Muscle Relaxation you will focus on each muscle group in your body, first tensing selected muscles for a few seconds and then slowly relaxing them over a period of 20 to 30 seconds.

To practice Progressive Muscle Relaxation at home, lie down in a quiet space, free from distractions, and breathe steadily as you follow the relaxation instructions below:

• Face: Raise your eyebrows as low as you can and hold them for as long as you can. Then slowly relax and let the tension go from your forehead. Then close your eyes and then relax and open them slowly. Tense your lips, cheeks and jaw muscles by making faces and then feel the sense of peace take over your face as you relax all the muscles of your face at the same time.
• Shoulders and arms: Clench your shoulders and lift them up toward your ears as if you want to touch them, then slowly let them relax. Starting with your arms, clench your biceps by pulling your forearms toward your shoulders, making a “mouse” with both hands. Hold as long as you can, then relax. Clench your fists and hold for 7 to 10 seconds, then relax.
• Chest and stomach: Take a deep breath and tighten your chest muscles. Hold for 10 seconds, then let the air out. Tighten your stomach muscles by sucking it in. Hold, then relax. Imagine a wave of relaxation spreading through your abs.
• Back: Tighten your waist by arching it upwards as if you have lordosis (it would be a good idea to skip this exercise if you have back problems). Hold for as long as you can and then relax, letting the tension go from your back muscles.
• Hips and buttocks: Tighten the muscles in your hips and buttocks and then slowly release the tension and feel the stress leaving this area of ​​your body.
• Feet and toes: Tighten your calf muscles by lifting your toes up (watch out for cramps!). Hold for a few seconds and then relax. Tighten your feet by stretching your toes down and hold for as long as you can.

So after you have systematically tensed and relaxed all the muscle groups in your body, mentally examine your body for any remaining muscle tension. If an area remains tight, repeat one or two tightening-relaxation cycles for that muscle group.

Then imagine a wave of relaxation spreading throughout your body slowly, starting from your head and gradually penetrating each muscle group all the way to your toes. At this point, you should feel deeply relaxed and ready to sleep.

As with any new technique, Progressive Muscle Relaxation takes some time to master. Experts say you may need to practice it once or twice a day for about a week to start getting really good at it.

For a better understanding of the techniques, you can watch this video .

Tackle stress and insomnia with a gravity blanket

Gravity blankets are the most effective way to deal with insomnia and stress without medication, as they have been used for many decades to help people suffering from anxiety disorders, autism, and other sensory disorders.

How do they work?

They are designed to apply gentle, steady pressure to the entire body, which occupational therapists call “ Deep Tactile Pressure .” This steady pressure relaxes the nervous system and helps the body naturally increase levels of serotonin and melatonin (the hormones of happiness and sleep) while reducing levels of cortisol, which is responsible for stress.

As a result, the mind stops "racing", the heart rate drops, the mood improves and the body enters a state of complete relaxation.

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