Effectiveness of Relaxation Techniques on Sleep Quality and Quality of Life in Menopausal Women: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Background: Menopause is a physiological transition associated with hormonal changes that may cause sleep disturbances and reduced quality of life. Relaxation techniques have emerged as safe non-pharmacological interventions.
Objective: To systematically evaluate the effectiveness of relaxation techniques on sleep quality and quality of life in menopausal women.
Methods: This systematic review followed PRISMA 2020 guidelines. PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar were searched for studies published from January 2020 to March 2026 using relevant keywords. Eligible studies included randomized controlled trials, quasi-experimental, and observational studies involving menopausal women receiving relaxation-based interventions. Two reviewers independently conducted study selection and data extraction. Findings were synthesized narratively following SWiM principles.
Results: Ten studies involving 20 to 1002 participants were included. Interventions comprised progressive muscle relaxation, mindfulness, yoga, and health education combined with relaxation techniques. Most studies reported significant improvements in sleep quality, including reduced insomnia and PSQI scores, as well as improvements in quality of life measured by SF-36 and MENQOL. Combined interventions generally showed greater effects than single modalities. However, standardized effect sizes and confidence intervals were not reported.
Conclusion: Relaxation techniques may improve sleep quality and quality of life in menopausal women. However, the certainty of evidence remains low due to methodological heterogeneity, lack of formal risk of bias assessment, and absence of quantitative synthesis. Further high-quality randomized controlled trials with standardized reporting are needed.