Insomnia affects many people differently, with some struggling with a racing mind while others experience physical tension that keeps them awake. A technique that can help quiet an active mind and relax a tense body is progressive muscle relaxation.
To practice this approach, start by lying on your back in bed in a comfortable position, with a pillow under your head or knees to ease back tension. Rest your arms with palms facing up, slightly apart from your body. Take several slow, deep breaths through your nose, exhaling through pursed lips to release any remaining tension.
Focus on the muscles in your toes and feet first, curling your toes and arching your feet for a brief moment before relaxing them completely. Slowly move your attention up the rest of your body, tensing and then relaxing each area including calves, thighs, buttocks, lower back, abdomen, upper back, shoulders, arms, hands