SynthesisFrontiers in public health2026
The effects of progressive muscle relaxation on sleep quality in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
Synthesis in Frontiers in public health, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Background: With the increasing number of people suffering from insomnia, sleep has evolved into a global public health issue. Compared to the side effects and instability of drug treatments, people are constantly seeking non-pharmacological treatments to improve sleep quality. Progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) has gradually come into focus. Because existing evidence remains inconsistent, this study conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis. Methods: As of May 2026, studies related to progressive muscle relaxation and sleep quality were identified through searches of five databases, including CINAHL, Embase, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science. Sleep quality outcomes were synthesized using a random-effects meta-analysis. analyses were conducted according to participant type (cancer patients and non-cancer patients) and age group (Age < 55 years and Age ≥55 years). Meta-regression was used to examine whether the number of progressive muscle relaxation sessions was associated with sleep quality. Sensitivity analysis and publication bias assessment were performed. Results: Fourteen studies involving 957 participants were included in the final analysis. The pooled findings indicated that progressive muscle relaxation improved sleep quality (Hedges Conclusions: The available evidence suggests that progressive muscle relaxation improves subjective sleep quality in adults. Beneficial effects were observed in both cancer and non-cancer populations, whereas the effects among older adults remain uncertain. Sleep quality improvements also do not appear to be related to the number of progressive muscle relaxation sessions. Systematic review registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/view/CRD420251267826, Identifier: CRD420251267826.
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