Home LivingWellnessSleepI tried the PMR sleep trick and now I’m falling asleep in secondsHow to fall asleep in seconds with the PMR sleep techniqueWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
Home LivingWellnessSleepI tried the PMR sleep trick and now I’m falling asleep in secondsHow to fall asleep in seconds with the PMR sleep techniqueWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
How to fall asleep in seconds with the PMR sleep technique
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Andrea Piacquadio / Pexels)
(Image credit: Andrea Piacquadio / Pexels)
It can be tricky to fall asleep at night, whether you suffer from insomnia or the weather is keeping you awake. From4-7-8 breathingto themilitary method, I’ve tried many sleep tricks to see how quickly I can get to sleep, and now I’m falling asleep in seconds with the PMR sleep trick.
Progressive Muscle Relaxation or PMR is a relaxation technique that releases tension, stress and anxiety, and can help you fall asleep quicker. As a deep sleeper, I don’t have too many problems with sleeping, but getting to sleep can be hard and I often find I’m still awake up to an hour after I’ve turned off the lights.
While searchinghow to fall asleep quickly, I came across PMR many times. To understand how it works, I asked Dr Robin Clark, Medical Director atBupaUK Insurance and Global about PMR before trying it myself. And here’s what I found…
What is Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR)?
Progressive Muscle Relaxation or PMR is a relaxation and sleep technique that relaxes the muscles and releases tension throughout the body. When talking to Dr Clark, he said “PMR works through a sequence of tensing and relaxing your muscles, helping you to become more aware of what the two sensations feel like to help make it easier to let go of any tension that your body is holding.”
According toHealthline, if you practice PMR regularly, you can find yourself falling asleep in 60 seconds - 2 minutes. PMR is also a recommended trick to help with insomnia, as the sequence movements promote peace and tranquility throughout the body.
This is something that Dr Clark says is very important as “we can hold a lot of tension in our body without realising it, especially if we’re feeling stressed. Stress and anxiety can have a big influence on our sleep, so knowing how to relax your mind and turn off your body’s response to stress can benefit your ability to fall asleep, stay asleep and wake up feeling refreshed.”
(Image credit: Alexander Grey / Unsplash)
(Image credit: Alexander Grey / Unsplash)
How to do the PMR sleep sequence
If you’re finding it hard to fall asleep, follow the PMR sequence below to relax your muscles and unwind from a tough day.
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Once you’ve worked through these muscles, you should feel incredibly relaxed and your body should feel almost cloud-like. As you relax and fall asleep, you might not make it through the whole body or sequence, but that’s totally fine.
My first time trying the PMR sleep technique, I made it through my entire body and then took a couple of minutes to notice how relaxed I was before drifting off to sleep. Dr Clark says noticing how in tune you are with your body can really make a difference with this technique. As I started to practice the PMR technique more regularly, I noticed that I fell asleep a lot quicker and didn’t always make it through the whole sequence because I was already nodding off. If I’m ever having trouble falling asleep, PMR has become a go-to for me to relax.
If you’re starting to wake up with aches and pains, or you don’t feel very supported throughout the night, it could be time to get a new mattress. For buying advice, check out our guide to thebest mattress.
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