Real‑Life Examples of Progressive Muscle Relaxation for Insomnia

Everyday examples of progressive muscle relaxation for insomnia

Let’s skip theory and go straight into what this actually looks like in real life. Here are several examples of progressive muscle relaxation for insomnia that you can plug into your routine tonight.

Bedtime example of progressive muscle relaxation when you can’t fall asleep

Picture this: you’re in bed, lights off, phone away, and your brain is still writing emails or replaying awkward conversations from five years ago. Here’s how a simple PMR session might go:

You start by lying on your back, legs uncrossed, arms by your sides. You take a slow breath in through your nose for a count of four, and as you inhale, you gently tense your feet—curling your toes and tightening the arches. You hold that tension for about five seconds, noticing the tightness. Then you exhale through your mouth and let your feet go completely limp.

Next, you move to your calves. Inhale, tighten your calves as if you’re trying to point your toes away from you. Hold. Exhale, release. You continue up your body—thighs, hips, belly, chest, hands, arms, shoulders, neck, and face—always pairing a slow inhale with tensing, and a longer exhale with relaxing.

By the time you reach your forehead and jaw, you’re not wrestling with thoughts anymore; you’re paying attention to physical sensations. This is one of the simplest examples of progressive muscle relaxation for insomnia because you don’t need any equipment, apps, or perfect quiet. Just your body and your breath.

A short, 5‑minute example of PMR for busy nights

Some nights you’re exhausted and impatient. You want something fast. In that case, you can use a “clustered” version of PMR. Instead of going muscle by muscle, you work in bigger sections.

You might start with your legs: inhale and tense your feet, calves, and thighs all together. Hold for five seconds, then exhale and release. Next, move to your core: inhale and gently tighten your glutes, belly, and lower back. Exhale and soften. Then your upper body: inhale and tense your hands, arms, shoulders, and chest. Exhale and let them sink into the mattress.

Finally, you focus on your face: wrinkle your forehead, squeeze your eyes shut, clench your jaw gently as you inhale. Then exhale and let your face go slack, like it’s melting into the pillow.

This shorter sequence is a great example of progressive muscle relaxation for insomnia on nights when you’re too tired to do a full 15‑minute practice but still need help turning off the tension.

Middle‑of‑the‑night example: PMR for 3 a.m. wake‑ups

For many people, insomnia isn’t about falling asleep—it’s about waking up at 2 or 3 a.m. and not being able to drift back down. Here’s how PMR can help in that specific situation.

You wake up, check the time (regret it immediately), and feel that familiar spike of anxiety: “If I don’t sleep now, tomorrow’s ruined.” Instead of scrolling or getting up, you stay in bed and shrink the PMR routine to just a few key areas.

You start with your shoulders, because they’re usually up around your ears at this hour. Inhale and shrug your shoulders up as if you’re trying to touch your ears. Hold. Exhale and drop them down, imagining they’re sinking into the mattress.

Next, you move to your hands and forearms—areas that hold a lot of work stress. Inhale and make fists, tensing your forearms. Hold. Exhale and release, letting your fingers uncurl.

Finally, you work with your face and jaw. Inhale and gently clench your jaw, squeeze your eyes, and raise your eyebrows all at once. Exhale and let your whole face go slack.

You can repeat this short loop two or three times. This is one of the best examples of progressive muscle relaxation for insomnia when you wake in the middle of the night and don’t want to fully “wake up” your brain with a long routine.

Gentle example of PMR for insomnia when you have pain or injuries

Not every body can or should tense every muscle. If you have arthritis, back pain, or a recent injury, you can still use PMR—you just modify the intensity.

Let’s say you have chronic lower back pain. Instead of forcefully tightening your back muscles, you focus on nearby areas that feel safer, like your feet, calves, hands, and shoulders. You might only tense those muscles at 20–30% effort, just enough to notice a difference between tight and loose.

For example, you lie in bed and start with your hands. Inhale and gently curl your fingers into soft fists, nothing extreme. Hold for three seconds, then exhale and completely release. You repeat with your shoulders, maybe just pressing them slightly into the mattress on the inhale and letting them fall on the exhale.

This is a very realistic example of progressive muscle relaxation for insomnia for people with chronic pain: you keep the concept (notice tension, then release it) but adapt the details so your body feels safe instead of strained.

If you’re unsure what’s safe for you, especially with medical conditions, talking to a healthcare provider or physical therapist is a good idea. The National Institutes of Health notes that relaxation techniques can be part of non-drug approaches to sleep problems and pain management, but they should be tailored to the individual.¹

Seated example of progressive muscle relaxation before bed

Maybe your partner falls asleep instantly, but you’re the one lying there tossing and turning. One option: do a seated PMR session in another room before you even get into bed.

You sit in a chair with your feet flat on the floor, back supported. You start with your feet: press them gently into the floor as you inhale, feeling your calf muscles engage. Exhale and let them relax. Then your thighs—press them lightly into the chair seat as you breathe in, then soften as you breathe out.

You might rest your hands on your thighs, palms down. Inhale and gently press your hands into your legs, feeling your forearms tighten. Exhale and release. Then you roll your shoulders forward and up on the inhale, hold briefly, and drop them back and down on the exhale.

This seated practice is a useful example of progressive muscle relaxation for insomnia for people who share a bed or bedroom and don’t want to disturb anyone. You “pre‑relax” in the living room, then head to bed already calmer.

Discreet PMR example for stressful evenings (before insomnia starts)

One underrated way to handle insomnia is to work earlier in the evening, before you even hit the mattress. Think of PMR as preventive maintenance.

Imagine you’re watching TV after a long day, and you notice your jaw is tight and your shoulders are hunched. You can do a subtle PMR session right there on the couch.

You might start by pressing your toes gently into the floor for a few seconds while inhaling, then letting them relax as you exhale. Then you lightly squeeze your thighs together on an inhale, release on the exhale. You can rest your hands together in your lap, interlace your fingers, and gently squeeze as you inhale, then soften your grip as you exhale.

No one around you has to know what you’re doing, but you’re quietly walking your body out of stress mode. This is a more informal example of progressive muscle relaxation for insomnia prevention—using the same technique, just earlier in the night, to reduce the overall tension you carry into bed.

PMR as part of a full insomnia routine: a nightly example

Progressive muscle relaxation works even better when it’s part of a predictable routine your body recognizes as “sleep time.” Here’s how that might look in practice.

You decide that 10:30 p.m. is your wind‑down start time. You dim the lights, put your phone on Do Not Disturb, and maybe read something low‑stakes for 10–15 minutes. Around 10:45, you get into bed and start a 10‑minute PMR session.

You move slowly from your feet to your face, tensing each muscle group for 5–7 seconds, then relaxing for 10–15 seconds. You keep your breathing slow and steady. If your mind wanders (it will), you simply bring your attention back to the feeling of tension and release in your body.

Over a few weeks, your brain starts to connect this specific pattern—dim lights, quiet, PMR—with sleep. Research on behavioral treatments for insomnia, including relaxation techniques like PMR, supports this kind of structured routine as part of cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT‑I), which is considered a first‑line treatment.²

This kind of routine is one of the best examples of progressive muscle relaxation for insomnia being used consistently, not just as a last‑minute fix when you’re desperate.

Why progressive muscle relaxation helps insomnia

All of these examples of progressive muscle relaxation for insomnia share the same basic logic: your body and brain are in constant conversation. When your muscles are tight, your brain assumes there’s a problem and stays on high alert. When you systematically release that tension, you send the opposite message.

PMR works on a few levels:

• It shifts your nervous system. By pairing slow breathing with tension and release, you encourage your body to move from the fight‑or‑flight response into the rest‑and‑digest state, which supports sleep.
• It gives your mind a job. Instead of worrying or planning, you focus on a simple, repetitive task: tighten, hold, release. This gentle focus functions like a moving meditation.
• It increases body awareness. Many people don’t realize how tense they are until they start practicing PMR. Once you notice, you can catch tension earlier in the evening instead of waiting until bedtime.

Organizations like the Mayo Clinic and Cleveland Clinic list progressive muscle relaxation as a helpful strategy for managing stress, anxiety, and sleep problems.³⁴ It’s not magic, but it’s practical, low‑risk, and something you can do on your own.

Tips to get more out of these examples of PMR for insomnia

If you’ve tried relaxation techniques before and felt like “nothing happened,” you’re not alone. A few small tweaks can make these examples of progressive muscle relaxation for insomnia much more effective.

Go softer than you think. You’re not trying to crush your muscles. Aim for a firm but comfortable level of tension—enough to feel, not enough to strain.

Lengthen the exhale. Sleep loves long, slow exhales. If you inhale for a count of four, try exhaling for a count of six or eight. This helps activate the body’s calming systems.

Repeat your favorite sequence. If you find that focusing on your shoulders, hands, and face works best, you can loop that trio a few times instead of forcing yourself through a full‑body routine every night.

Practice before you’re desperate. The more you practice PMR when you’re only mildly stressed, the easier it is to use when you’re wide awake at 3 a.m. Think of it like building a muscle—you want some reps in before the big game.

Pair PMR with other good sleep habits. Keeping regular sleep and wake times, limiting caffeine late in the day, and reducing bright light before bed can all support the effect of PMR. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has straightforward guidance on healthy sleep habits that pairs well with this technique.⁵

FAQ: Examples of progressive muscle relaxation for insomnia

What are some quick examples of progressive muscle relaxation for insomnia I can do in under five minutes?
A short routine might focus only on your legs, shoulders, and face. You could lie in bed, tense and release your legs once or twice, then your shoulders, then your face. Each muscle group only takes 20–30 seconds, and you can repeat the cycle a couple of times. This is a realistic example of PMR for nights when you’re exhausted or pressed for time.

Can you give an example of progressive muscle relaxation I can do at my desk to prevent insomnia later?
Yes. Sit with your feet flat on the floor. Press your toes into the ground as you inhale, then relax as you exhale. Gently squeeze your thighs together on the next inhale, then release. Rest your hands on your thighs, press down slightly as you breathe in, and soften as you breathe out. This kind of daytime practice lowers your overall tension load, which can reduce nighttime insomnia.

Are there examples of progressive muscle relaxation for insomnia that don’t require lying down?
Absolutely. Many people use seated PMR on the couch or in a chair before bed. You can work through your feet, legs, hands, shoulders, and face while sitting upright. This is helpful if you tend to doze off in awkward positions or share a bed and don’t want to wiggle around too much.

How long should I follow these examples of PMR for insomnia before expecting results?
Some people feel calmer after the first session, especially if they were very tense to begin with. For more lasting changes in your sleep pattern, give it at least a couple of weeks of regular practice—most nights, even if it’s just a short version. Consistency matters more than doing a perfect, long routine.

Is progressive muscle relaxation safe for everyone with insomnia?
For most people, yes, especially when done gently. If you have significant pain, recent injuries, or conditions that affect your muscles or joints, you’ll want to adapt the intensity or skip certain areas. In those cases, it’s wise to check in with a healthcare provider to get personalized guidance.

If you try two or three of these examples of progressive muscle relaxation for insomnia, you’ll start to notice which version fits your body and your schedule best. The goal isn’t to perform a perfect script; it’s to teach your body what “letting go” actually feels like—so when your head hits the pillow, sleep doesn’t feel quite so far away.