Are you always exhausted? Like, no matter how much sleep you get on a given day, if you don't have the equivalent of a caffeine IV, are you practically falling asleep standing up?   Welp, you may not need more sleep, you may need more REST.

You may be asking now,

"But aren't sleep and rest the same thing?"

According to Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith, author of the book Sacred Rest: Recover Your Life, Renew Your Energy, Restore Your Sanity: 

No. While sleep can be a form rest, sleep is only one form of rest. read that again. There are 7 different types of rest and "Each type of rest has its own characteristics that will present if you have a deficit."  Let's explore.

"Sleep and rest are not the same thing, although many of us incorrectly confuse the two. We go through life thinking we’ve rested because we have gotten enough sleep — but in reality we are missing out on the other types of rest we desperately need. The result is a culture of high-achieving, high-producing, chronically tired and chronically burned-out individuals. We’re suffering from a rest deficit because we don’t understand the true power of rest."

Rest should equal restoration

According to the article "7 types of rest (because you need more rest in your life)" By Allaya Cooks-Campbell for BetterUp:

Your brain isn’t designed to be endlessly productive. In fact, the brain is most efficient when it’s allowed to move between periods of focus and unfocus. That’s because, during periods of rest, play, and relaxation, the brain is able to consolidate memories, crystallize learning, and work on problem-solving. Focused attention uses about 5% of the body’s energy, whereas rest — formally known as the default mode network (DMN) — utilizes about 20% of the body’s energy.

According to Alex Soojung-Kim Pang, a researcher who wrote the book, Rest: Why You Get More Done When You Work Less. He says:

“Rest is not this optional leftover activity. Work and rest are actually partners. They are like different parts of a wave. You can’t have the high without the low. The better you are at resting, the better you will be at working.”

Up Next...

The 7 different types of Rest.