Effect of progressive relaxation exercises on fatigue and sleep quality in patients with chronic obstructive lung disease (COPD)

•Progressive Muscle Relaxation decreased patients' fatigue level and improved their sleep quality.•PMRT programs will extend the scope of the rehabilitation nurses.•Progressive relaxation exercises programs represent effective therapeutic intervention.

ObjectiveThis research was conducted to investigate the effect of Progressive Muscle Relaxation Technique on fatigue and sleep quality in patients with COPD. This research was performed as a single-group pretest/post-test pretrial model.MethodsThe study was conducted with 45 patients who met the research criteria and agreed to participate in the study. A Personal Information Form was used as a data collection tool, Fatigue Severity Scale was used for measuring fatigue, and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index was used for evaluating the sleep quality.ResultsIt was determined that PMRT decreased patients' fatigue level and improved their sleep quality, patients' fatigue level increased as their sleep quality decreased.ConclusionProgressive relaxation exercises programs represent effective therapeutic intervention approaches for relieving COPD-associated fatigue and sleep quality. PMRT programs will extend the scope of the rehabilitation nurses' work, as it is an important course of COPD patients' continuity nursing.