A Progressive Muscle Relaxation script for sleep
When your body is tired but your mind won't switch off, this full-body wind-down gives the tension somewhere to go. Read it slowly to yourself in bed, record it in your own voice, or read it aloud to someone you're helping to sleep.
Before you begin
Lie on your back somewhere comfortable, arms by your sides, legs uncrossed. Dim the lights and silence your phone. As you tense each muscle group, use only gentle effort — around 70% — and never strain a sore or injured area. Hold each tension for about 5 seconds, then release completely and rest for 10–15 seconds before moving on. The pauses matter as much as the tensing.
Settling in
Let your body sink into the bed… feel the mattress holding all of your weight.
Take a slow breath in through your nose… and let it go with a long, soft sigh. (pause)
Again… breathe in… and slowly out. And one more… in… and out — letting yourself grow a little heavier each time you exhale. (rest here for a few breaths)
Feet & legs
Now bring your attention down to your feet. Curl your toes and tighten your calves… hold it… feel the tension building. (hold for five seconds)
And release. Let your feet fall open, and notice the warmth flowing in where the tightness used to be. (pause)
Press the backs of your legs gently into the bed and squeeze your thighs… hold… and let go. Feel your legs grow heavy, sinking down, completely supported.
Middle
Draw your belly in, tightening your stomach… hold it… and soften. Let your middle rise and fall on its own now, with each easy breath. (pause)
Arms & shoulders
Make two loose fists and tense your arms, all the way from your hands up to your shoulders… hold… and release. Let your arms lie heavy at your sides, your fingers gently uncurling.
Now lift your shoulders up toward your ears… hold the tightness… and drop them down. Let the back of your neck lengthen and ease into the pillow. (pause)
Face
Scrunch your whole face — eyes, jaw, forehead, all at once… hold… and release.
Let your jaw fall slightly open. Smooth the space between your eyebrows. Let your eyes rest, heavy and still. (pause)
Letting go
Now take one slow breath, and gently tense your whole body at once — feet, legs, stomach, arms, face. Hold it… (hold)
And let everything go. Sink down completely. There is nothing left to hold. (rest)
Stay here now, heavy and warm. With each breath out, let yourself fall a little deeper… and a little deeper still.
You don't need to do anything now… just rest… and let sleep come to you. (stay here as long as you like)
Why this works for sleep
Insomnia is often a body that's still on alert long after the day is done. By tensing and releasing each muscle group, PMR gives that physical arousal an exit — heart rate and muscle tension drop, which signals to the brain that it's safe to power down. Ending with the whole-body release and a few slow breaths leaves you in exactly the heavy, settled state that precedes sleep.
If your mind wanders to tomorrow's worries — and it will — that's normal. Just bring your attention gently back to the next muscle group, or to the weight of your body in the bed.
Let Superchill read it for you
Reading with your eyes open keeps part of your brain awake. Superchill voices a script like this one aloud — personalized to how you feel tonight, at the pace and voice you choose — so you can close your eyes and just listen. Free to try on iPhone.
How long before bed should I do this?
Right in bed, as the last thing you do. Unlike exercise or screens, PMR is designed to be done lying down at the moment you want to fall asleep — drifting off partway through is the goal, not a failure.
What if I don't fall asleep by the end?
Stay lying down and simply repeat the final two steps — the whole-body release and slow breathing — or start again from your feet. There's no need to "finish." The aim is to stay relaxed until sleep arrives on its own.
Is Progressive Muscle Relaxation good for insomnia?
PMR is one of the relaxation techniques commonly recommended within cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBT-I). It won't replace medical advice for a chronic sleep disorder, but many people find it a reliable way to quiet a restless body at night.