How can I relax my body before bed?

Work from the outside in. Loosen the places that hold tension, like your jaw, shoulders and hands. Tense each muscle group for a few seconds and let go, which is the core of progressive muscle relaxation. Then breathe out a little longer than you breathe in and let your body get heavy on the mattress.

How do I relax before bed when I'm stressed?

Separate the stress from the bed. Write down what's on your mind and one next step for each item before you start winding down, then do something physical and slow: a warm shower, gentle stretching, a few minutes of slow breathing. In bed, give your attention something simple to hold, like the out-breath or the weight of your body.

How do I relax my jaw before sleeping?

Let your teeth part slightly and your tongue rest on the floor of your mouth. Place your fingertips on your cheeks in front of your ears and move them in slow circles for a few breaths. If you clench or grind your teeth at night and wake with jaw pain or headaches, see a dentist or doctor.

Do relaxation techniques actually help you sleep?

They can help you wind down, but the evidence for sleep itself is modest. IQWiG says relaxation exercises can be worth a try for sleep problems, and that research hasn't clearly shown which approaches work best. NCCIH says there's a small amount of low-quality evidence that relaxation techniques alone help chronic insomnia; they're often part of cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I).

How to Relax Before Bed: 6 Simple Techniques

To relax before bed, give your body and mind a slower last hour: put screens away, get worries onto paper, then use one or two simple techniques, like a longer out-breath, tensing and releasing your muscles, or loosening your jaw and shoulders. The NHS suggests relaxing at least 1 hour before bed. IQWiG describes the aim of relaxation techniques as reducing physical tension and interrupting the thoughts that are affecting sleep.

Below you'll find a 10-minute wind-down script, six techniques to choose from, what to do when you're stressed, and what the research actually says.

A 10-minute wind-down to relax before bed (script)

We wrote this sequence for the last ten minutes before lights out. You can do it sitting on the edge of the bed or lying down. Each (pause) is about two breaths.

Minutes 1 to 3: Slow the out-breath

Sit or lie comfortably. Let your eyes close or rest on one spot. (pause) Breathe in through your nose, normally. Breathe out through your mouth, slowly, as if through a straw. (pause) Let each out-breath be a little longer than the in-breath. Don't force it. (pause) Five more breaths like that. Then let the breath go back to its own rhythm. (pause)

Minutes 4 to 7: Tense and let go

Make fists with both hands. Squeeze for a slow count of five. Now let go. Feel the difference. (pause) Pull your shoulders up to your ears. Hold for five. Drop them. (pause) Press your lips together and scrunch your face. Hold for five. Let go. Let your teeth part a little. (pause) Tighten your stomach. Hold for five. Let go. (pause) Point your toes and tense your legs. Hold for five. Let go. (pause) Tense gently, not to the point of pain. It's the letting go you're practicing.

Minutes 8 to 10: Let it get heavy

Now just notice your body without doing anything. (pause) Your hands, heavy. Your shoulders, heavy. Your face, soft. Your legs, heavy. (pause) If a thought comes, let it wait. You'll pick it up tomorrow. (pause) When you're ready, lie down, turn off the light, and let the bed carry you. (long pause)

6 ways to relax before bed

Technique	Good when	How long
Longer out-breath	You feel wound up or your chest feels tight	2 to 3 minutes
Progressive muscle relaxation	Your body feels tense or restless	5 to 15 minutes
Jaw and shoulder release	You clench, or carry the day in your neck	1 to 2 minutes
Body scan	Your body is tired but your attention is scattered	5 to 10 minutes
A calm picture	You'd rather imagine than follow steps	5 to 10 minutes
Warmth and quiet music	You want something that needs no technique	15 to 30 minutes

IQWiG lists progressive muscle relaxation, autogenic training, imagery, breathing exercises and meditation, gentle exercise like walking or simple yoga, and listening to music among the common relaxation techniques for sleep.

1. Breathe out longer than you breathe in

This is the simplest technique and works anywhere. Breathe in normally and let the out-breath be slower, like a quiet sigh. Our breathing techniques guide explains this and seven other methods, and the breathing exercise on this site paces an even breath for you.

2. Progressive muscle relaxation

IQWiG describes it as tensing groups of muscles all over the body one by one and then consciously relaxing them again. The short version is in the script above; our progressive muscle relaxation guide has the full 14-group script, and releasing tension in your body has a 5-minute routine.

3. Relax your jaw and shoulders

Many people carry the day in their jaw and shoulders. Let your teeth part slightly and rest your tongue on the floor of your mouth. Put your fingertips in front of your ears and make slow circles for a few breaths. Then lift your shoulders on an in-breath and let them drop on the out-breath, three times.

4. A body scan

Instead of tensing, you move your attention slowly from your feet to your head and notice each part without changing anything. It suits nights when your body is tired but your mind keeps jumping. Our body scan meditation guide has scripts from 5 to 20 minutes.

5. A calm picture

IQWiG describes imagery as visualizing peaceful, pleasant scenes. Pick one place and fill in details one at a time: what you see, hear and feel. Our guided visualization for sleep has a full script.

6. Warmth and quiet music

A warm shower or bath and quiet music need no technique at all. The NHS names a bath and calming music as ways to relax before bed. IQWiG lists warm baths and showers among home remedies that people find comforting, and says it's not clear whether they actually improve sleep. Enjoy them as a signal that the day is over.

How to relax before bed when stressed

When stress is what keeps you up, a technique alone often isn't enough, because the thoughts come back the moment you stop. Two steps before the technique help:

Park it on paper. The NHS suggests writing down your worries, and making a list of what you need to do tomorrow before you go to sleep.
Change rooms and pace. Leave your desk, put your phone away, dim the lights. The NHS recommends no phones, tablets or computers for an hour before bed.

Then do the 10-minute wind-down. For a full evening plan when stress is the problem, see how to sleep when you're stressed; if thoughts keep racing in bed, our guide to racing thoughts at night has a plan specifically for that.

How to relax before bed with anxiety

If you feel anxious in the evening, keep techniques simple and physical: a slow out-breath, feet on the floor, hands warm around a cup of caffeine-free tea. Skip exercises that ask you to empty your mind if they feel like pressure. Occasionally, relaxation exercises make people more anxious rather than less (see below). If that happens, open your eyes, look around the room and switch to something outward, like music or a book.

NCCIH notes that relaxation techniques are generally considered safe for healthy people, but that people occasionally report negative experiences such as increased anxiety or intrusive thoughts. If anxiety is with you most evenings, talk to a doctor. The NHS lists stress, anxiety and depression among the most common causes of insomnia.

How to relax your nervous system before bed

You may see "calm your nervous system" in many sleep tips. There's no switch for it, and we'd be careful with any page that promises one. What you can do is what this page already describes: slow your breath, loosen your muscles and give your mind something calm to hold. Those are the relaxation techniques IQWiG and NCCIH describe, with the modest evidence below.

Does relaxing before bed help you sleep better?

It can help you wind down. The evidence that it improves sleep is modest:

IQWiG says relaxation exercises can be worth a try for sleep problems, and that research hasn't clearly shown which approaches work best.
NCCIH says there is a small amount of low-quality evidence that relaxation techniques by themselves help with chronic insomnia, and that they're often part of cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I), the most strongly recommended treatment.
In menopause, NCCIH describes two small randomized trials (108 and 161 women) in which progressive relaxation, alone or with sleep habit training, helped with insomnia.

So: relaxing before bed is pleasant, low-risk and worth building into your evening. It isn't a treatment for insomnia. For a routine that puts these techniques in order, see our bedtime routine.

Relax before bed with the app

If you'd rather be guided, AI Meditation: Sleep & Calm has sessions for each technique:

Falling Asleep Gently: Settling In, Letting Go combines a longer exhale, a calming body scan, optional muscle relaxation and friendly thought practices, all in bed.
Dream Journey with Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR) has you briefly tense muscle groups and let go, then glide into a calm scene by the sea.
Body Scan for Deep Relaxation is a gentle body scan for any time of day.
After-Work Reset: Downshifting After a Full Day helps you close the day earlier in the evening, and Winter Evening by the Fireplace: Warmth and Calm is a cozy visualization for the sofa.

You can make a session shorter or longer within its range, and the voices are AI voices. See how the app works, try it for free, no account needed.

When relaxing isn't enough

If you relax well in the evening and still sleep badly for weeks, that's worth taking to a doctor. The NHS suggests seeing a GP if:

"changing your sleeping habits has not helped your insomnia"
"you've had trouble sleeping for months"
"your insomnia is affecting your daily life in a way that makes it hard for you to cope"

IQWiG also lists teeth grinding (bruxism) among things that can disturb sleep. If you wake with jaw pain or headaches, mention it to a dentist or doctor.

Your health

This app is a wellness app and does not replace medical advice. If sleep problems last for weeks or affect your day, talk to a doctor. The NHS insomnia page explains when to see a GP and what treatment can look like.

Sources

All pages accessed on September 25, 2026.

NHS: Insomnia (page last reviewed March 19, 2024). Relaxing at least 1 hour before bed, causes, when to see a GP.
NHS Every Mind Matters: How to fall asleep faster and sleep better. Ways to relax, screens, writing worries down.
InformedHealth.org (IQWiG): What can you do if you have trouble sleeping? (updated July 31, 2024). Relaxation techniques and their aim, home remedies, what research shows.
InformedHealth.org (IQWiG): Sleep disorders and problems (insomnia) (updated July 31, 2024). Teeth grinding among causes.
NCCIH: Sleep Disorders: In Depth (last updated May 2024). Evidence for relaxation techniques, CBT-I, menopause trials, safety.