Sleep gurus now say we need SEVEN different types of rest every week – how much do you get?

By William On Jan 5, 2024

The rules for a healthy sleeping pattern are simple, we have been told for a long time.

Get at least seven hours every night, don't scroll right before bed, and keep the same bedtime most nights.

But now doctors have warned there's more to rest than just getting enough sleep.

According to an Alamaba specialist, getting many different types of rest every day is essential for a calm body and mind.

There are not one, two or three different types, but seven.

And if you don't get enough of each type, it may explain why you still feel dizzy at the end of the week, despite your long night's sleep.

From taking a break from loud noises (sensory rest) to avoiding intense conversations (emotional rest), here are all the types experts say you should prioritize.

PHYSICAL REST

This seems like the obvious one. However, physical rest goes further than sleep.

Dr. Saundra-Dalton Smith, an internist in Alabama, prescribed Gosh Those components include recovery exercises such as yoga, stretching, using a foam roller and getting a massage.

'Signs that you are lacking physical rest may include body aches and pains. It could be swelling in your legs and feet after sitting at your desk for a long time; it could be spasms in your back,” Dr. Dalton-Smith said.

MENTAL PEACE

Giving your mind a break can also prevent burnout.

Signs that you're lacking mental peace include lying awake at night with your mind racing and forgetting basic tasks or items on your shopping list.

“They struggle with concentration and memory, and they are not yet 80, so we don't think they have dementia,” Dr Dalton-Smith said.

'We see people in their thirties who, due to this busy brain, cannot remember three items for more than a few minutes. They can't retain information.'

Mental rest can mean anything from just mindlessly watching TV to reading a fiction book – anything that helps you escape for a while.

SOCIAL PEACE

We've all said that we need time to recharge our social batteries.

“Social tranquility is the tranquility we experience around people,” Dr Dalton-Smith said.

“Most of us spend most of our time with people who draw on our social energy. Not that they are negative people, but they pull on our energy in a negative way, whether it is your partner, your children, your colleagues, your customers, they need things from you.'

'They draw on that social energy.'

While spending a night at home after a night out can help recharge this battery, it's not a long-term solution, Dr. Dalton-Smith said.

She suggested looking at your relationships. If you feel like your friends only reach out when they need you, or don't listen to your problems, it may be worth leaving that relationship.

“That's what we want in our lives: some people we enjoy spending time with,” Dr. Dalton-Smith said.

'Your children and your partner can be part of your social peace, but you need to be aware of the dynamics of the relationship so that you don't spend all your time on them. Let them flow into you again.'

MENTAL PEACE

Meditation is a way to gain more mental peace

Spiritual peace is not just for the religious. It's about feeling like your life has meaning. Dr. Dalton-Smith said if you feel like you don't belong or that your life is meaningless, you're probably lacking mental peace.

Common signs of this include feeling that your work or activities are not making a meaningful difference in the world.

“If you feel like your work has no meaning, you will experience burnout,” said Dr. Dalton Smith.

“Find a way to connect with the desire for meaning, whether that's through community, a work culture where you feel like what you do matters, or a faith-based culture.”

'We all have a need to feel like we belong and that we are making a contribution.'

SENSORY PEACE

Signs of sensory overload syndrome include the inability to ignore the environment around you, discomfort, anxiety, extreme sensitivity to clothing or textures, irritability, loss of focus, restlessness, and insomnia.

We've all felt sensory overload at some point.

Your notifications are ringing, the kids are playing while you try to work, the neighbors are screaming. Even staring at your computer screen all day can overwhelm your senses.

'Whether or not you are consciously aware of the sensory input around you, your body and your subconscious self will respond,' said Dr Dalton-Smith.

This can lead to sensory overload syndrome, where at least one of the body's five senses becomes too overwhelmed.

'People with a sensory rest deficit may find that you are fine at the start of the day, but at the end of the day you don't understand why,' said Dr Dalton-Smith.

Spending just 10 minutes a day alone in a quiet place with neutral colors and few sounds can help restore balance.

EMOTIONAL PEACE

It's easy to bottle up our emotions until they become too much to handle. When this happens, you are likely to have little emotional peace.

'Many of us carry a lot of emotional labor in our private lives because we don't share what we feel with people. We may be dealing with emotional labor because we don't want to share with our children how bad the pandemic is and how it has affected our finances,” Dr Dalton-Smith said.

“You may be dealing with emotional labor if you're in management and had to fire your employees, but you couldn't show your feelings because you wanted your team to feel like everything was great.”

“There are many times when we carry emotional labor with us, and we hide our feelings without giving them a chance to express themselves, to heal, to expose.”

Signs of emotional burnout include feeling like you have to keep your emotions in check and not being able to show how you really feel.

Relying on a trusted friend or trained therapist can provide some of this much-needed peace.

CREATIVE PEACE

When you're focused on getting the kids to school or working on a big project, it can be hard to stop and take in the art around you.

Stopping to listen to the lyrics of the song in your headphones or admiring a mural on the street can be forms of creative rest.

'Creative calm is the peace we experience when we allow ourselves to appreciate beauty in any form,' said Dr Dalton-Smith. “Whether that's natural beauty, like the oceans and the mountains and the trees, or created beauty, like art, music and dance.”

“The way you can tell if you're deficient in this particular area is when you find it difficult to be innovative.”

'If you have trouble brainstorming, if solving problems is difficult for you. Creativity is more than just art; it is any form of innovation.”