New technique to help bust stress, improve sleep

Tension Tamer, a simple and brief technique to reduce stress, can help improve sleep quality and decrease fatigue, say researchers.

Researchers from Walter Reed National Military Medical Centre, Bethesda, Maryland, attempted to determine the effect of stress reduction technique, the 10-minute Tension Tamer, on improvement of stress levels and sleep parameters in 334 patients in a heart health programme.

After a 30-minute introductory workshop, subjects were given instruction and guided opportunities to practice 10-minute Tension Tamers over the course of four 30-minute visits with a stress management specialist, according to a Walter Reed statement.

This brief technique, encouraged at bedtime, involves deep breathing and imagery using the subject’s personal preference. Of the patients, 65 percent improved their perceived stress by 6.6 points; while those not improving showed worsened stress levels by 4.6 points.

Improvers also reported better sleep quality, decreased sleep latency, and decreased fatigue. These findings were presented during CHEST 2012, the annual meeting of the American College of Chest Physicians, held Oct 20-25, in Atlanta, Georgia.