After having slept poorly for years, I have made it my quest to figure out how to get a great night’s sleep repeatedly and without medication. I have not completely cracked the code yet, but I have made great strides. I dropped melatonin and started taking an herb. I recognized that alcohol always makes it worse. And I do my best to drink all my water before 8pm. What I didn’t know is that sleep and rest are not the same thing and physical sleep is not the only kind of rest we need.

There are apparently 7 types of rest: physical, mental, sensory, creative, emotional, social, and spiritual. If we are only getting physical rest, it’s highly likely that we are suffering from a rest-deficit and that we will remain fatigued, exhausted, and possibly burned out. And in the wake of this year-long pandemic, it’s highly likely that sleep alone can’t restore us to the point that we feel rested. Please check out this link from Ideas.Ted.Com for a deeper understaning of each type of rest. It’s a short, but worthwhile, read.

Here is what is most important for all of us to grasp if we are dismissing our repeatedly horrible night’s sleeps—that’s when our brain and our body heal. Sleep and rest are essential and restorative functions that we shouldn’t overlook. And caffeine is, by no means, righting the ship. Take a few minutes to read the article I shared and see if there are ways you can improve on all 7 types of rest. Consider it a gift to your mind and your body—it will thank you in kind.

With Gratitude,

Beth