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In your early stages of life, you loved to sleep. You may not remember much of it, but you slept at least 14 hours daily. Wouldn't that be nice as an adult? As we grow older, napping becomes less of a necessity and more seen as an unproductive way to spend the precious daytime. Sadly, our responsibilities pick up, stress levels increase, and we cannot lose too much time to sleep. Naps allow children's bodies and minds to rest and recharge as they grow and develop. Similarly, for adults, naps boost memory, reduce stress levels, and increase alertness; additionally lifting your mood. Working a napping routine into your daily work life can significantly improve performance. Why Children Nap As stated above, naps benefit children greatly. The main reason children nap is to develop growth hormones created by the body while sleeping; this is crucial for a child's quickly growing body. But as adults, that isn't entirely important to us. What else do children gain from waking up after their daily nap? A study on preschool children showed that napping increased performance in a memory game. There was an increased showing in preschoolers who nap daily over those who do not. Napping also puts kids in a better mood. Research claims that toddlers who miss even one nap become less interested, less excited, and anxious, and even the slightest stress aggravates them. Napping's effects are similar between children and adults when it comes to the mental aspects. Why Adults Should Nap When working, no matter what type of job, fatigue will kick in; we found that this affects 88% of people. The more tired you are, the less inclined you are to do your work. Is there a solution to this? The short answer is naps. Two MIT economists researched employees at a data entry job napping during the workday. Pedro Bessone and Frank Schilbach, the two economists, found that after three weeks of daily 30-minute naps, the employees had increased their productivity by 2.3%. Overall, napping has a positive impact on working adults. It offers various health benefits for adults, including relaxation, increased alertness, improved mood, and performance. We get it, though; napping isn't for everyone, and some people have trouble sleeping in places other than their own beds or during the day. But if you are experiencing sudden fatigue throughout the day, sleep loss, or just want to make napping a part of your routine, RestSpaceLDN can provide you with the necessary education and resources to get into a healthy, productive napping routine. If you have any questions about Rest Space and our company, feel free to contact us here.

It’s not surprising that the most restful and the most energetic parts of the day go hand in hand Have you noticed that the amount of work you put into the gym is not getting the results you want? Perhaps you have been skipping rest days and overworking to build as much muscle as possible. What you may not know is that the reason you aren’t getting strong in the appropriate time frame is because you aren’t getting enough sleep for your muscles to heal! Using time wisely Several people with active lifestyles feel that they don’t have enough time to receive the proper balance of working out and rest. Additionally, many people sacrifice sleep for exercise as they perceive sleep as a waste of time. This in turn causes overworking and less muscle growth. How muscles become stronger During workouts, muscle fibers become damaged. This causes muscles to be repaired stronger and thicker. However, the only time for muscles to recover is through sleep and active recovery, which many people refuse to take. The power of power naps Naps can also be used as a source of quick energy for athletes before performance. For example, athletes like Usain Bolt and LeBron James believe in napping before their competitions and have outstanding outcomes. Working out makes higher quality sleep Exercise releases a hormone called adenosine which can make someone feel slumberous by adjusting the circadian rhythm and making sleep more enjoyable. This also allows for improved sleep in active individuals when this hormone is not blocked by caffeinated supplements. Utilizing Rest Space It is important to have enough sleep to fuel workouts and daily activities.Sleep is essential for physical and mental recovery, and while this has regularly been misunderstood, sport is beginning to wake up to the importance of sleep. Rest Space provides an opportunity for people to catch extra sleep throughout the day with sleeping pods to fuel their bodies and recover from draining activities. Including fitness into your lifestyle may benefit your rest at night and make you stronger. If you have any questions about Rest Space and our company, feel free to contact us here.

Your environment is essential for napping and is something often easy to overlook. I used to think as long as my eyes are shut for 20+ min it means I got enough rest. Time spent resting is NOT an indication of a good rest, the quality of rest is everything. Your environment can affect the speed at which you reach the optimal sleep recovery states (REM and non-REM). Your environment can also impact the time you spend in these states. Quite simply if you get disturbed you exit your sleep cycle and it will take you time to start it again. I found it was worth spending 5 minutes setting up my environment to improve the quality of my naps. When thinking of your nap environment think of your 5 senses; smell, sight, touch, sound and taste. Smell This is something I concentrate on a bit more for a nighttime routine, for napping a pillow spray might be something I’d use. Sight In this context it's simple, you need an environment that's dark enough it allows you to fall asleep and stay asleep. When I am napping I like to let a crack of light in from the curtain as it makes it easier for me to wake up. # Touch Think comfort and temperature, if I have the luxury to change out of my jeans I do. Our body cools down to sleep so having somewhere a bit cooler generally is good. But depending on the length of your nap you may not need to take all this into account Sound The main aim of sound is to make sure it's not going to disturb your sleep, the TV, radio or road can disturb your sleep, when you are taken out of the deeper stages of your sleep cycles from disturbances you don’t get the full benefits and it takes you time to get back into these stages. Some sounds such as white noise (or brown noise), forest sounds or rain help some people get better sleep and help block out the noises that you can't control such as traffic. Taste I try not to have stronger foods such as chewing gum, dark chocolate, and high sugar foods before the nap. If I have a long nap I would these foods for after to help me get out of the groggy feeling. There are a few teas that are known to help you relax and sleep such as chamomile tea that you can drink before your nap. Or you can use more energising food and drinks to get you going after your nap. I would avoid caffeine as it is likely to affect your night's sleep if you are having it in the afternoon. I have found from the many napping conversations I have had that most people have certain senses that impact them more, some are light sleepers and sound makes a big difference. Other people, I have spoken to respond really well to aromatherapy and pillow sprays. Find what works for you and experiment with it. When you're not working, or napping, from home - we've created the best place to have a nap. Informed by these factors and the latest sleep science, our rest spaces really create the best nap environment. Get in touch if you want these spaces at your workplace.

Too much of anything isn't good for you and rest isn't an exception to that rule. Then why are we bombarded with messages to tell us to rest more? As a population, we are generally not resting enough. Many of us are not getting ample rest at night or throughout the day. Many of us are misinterpreting what is rest. We need more rest and we need better quality rest. Around 80% of people are not getting enough sleep with 30% suffering from insomnia. It's safe to say that, for the majority, getting too much rest is the last thing they should be concerned about. But there are times when we need to be more conscious of our drive to rest. Understanding the drivers of your habits can help you make healthier choices. Rest is a crucial part of a healthy lifestyle that also includes activity. Balancing your activity and rest is important. There may be times we delay treatment for underlying health issues by resting more. What does good rest look like? Feeling well-rested after a good night's sleep A short nap during the day, or occasionally a longer one when needed Getting sensory and cognitive breaks during the day What does too much rest look like? Regularly sleeping long hours (10+hrs) Regularly having long naps (1+ hours a day) Regularly napping multiple times a day Resting too much may be a symptom of underlying health challenges. We recommend you talk to your doctor. There are some health challenges that make us want to rest more but it potentially isn’t the best course of action. This isn't medical advice but rather a prompt to consider your context and speak to a medical practitioner if necessary. Musculoskeletal conditions (MSK) Excess rest to manage symptoms may not be the best. A key way to improve MSK in the long term is regular movement and activity. You should talk to your doctor and physio to understand how much you should be resting during the day. If you find yourself resting to manage symptoms you should bring this up with your doctor and find more effective ways to manage those symptoms. Long COVID Pacing your recovery is important with long COVID. Jumping straight back into your old routine may cause a flare-up of symptoms or burnout. But it is important to ensure your symptoms such as lack of stamina are not deteriorating due to too much rest. Steadily increasing your activity levels is important for recovery. If you find yourself increasing your rest periods instead you should talk to your doctor about this. At work, your occupational health team would be able to provide more support. Insomnia When it comes to insomnia it is often recommended to limit napping during the day to make it that little bit easier to try and sleep at night time. Improving your nighttime sleep long term is the priority. If you feel you are suffering from insomnia it is important to talk to your doctor who will be able to help you through treatments and coping methods. Your occupational health team at work may also have more resources to help you improve your sleep. Chronic fatigue The causes and treatments for chronic fatigue are extensive. It is important you seek medical help if you are experiencing chronic fatigue. Naps can help you manage the symptoms however excessive napping should be discussed with your medical practitioner. Be conscious of using napping as a bandaid for underlying health issues. Napping is a powerful habit that can make us feel better, and improve our health and performance but only if it is used correctly. If you suspect you have an underlying health issue that you think is causing you to nap more it is important to talk to a medical professional about how to manage this. Life is all about balance, there may be days when you have underlying health issues but need to be on the top of your game. Understanding when you are resting too much and how this rest can impact your recovery is important. What does a good rest look like? Feeling well-rested after a good night's sleep of between 7-10 hours, uninterrupted A short nap during the day, or a longer one if you are an athlete in training or not feeling well Getting sensory and cognitive breaks during the day What to find out about the best environment to rest at work? Check out our Rest Space.

We keep hearing about how our devices can affect our sleep. At Rest Space, we've dug into the research to paint a picture of why they are affecting our sleep and what we can do to manage it. Imagine if we didn’t have artificial light in our modern society; how would we stay out later when it gets dark? How could we get those extra hours of work in or have that feeling of safety and comfort? As with most good things, there is a catch; artificial light has an impact on our sleep. If you find that when you’re lying in bed scrolling on your devices and struggling to sleep, the issue may be closer than you think. The light emitted from our laptops and tablets can disrupt our sleep and the quantity of sleep by up to a few hours. This can lead to your sleeping patterns changing or feeling a little more groggy in the morning from reduced hours of sleep. In recent years, with the rise of personal devices, there have also been discussions around whether it can affect your body clock and in turn your sleeping patterns. Blue light isn’t all bad for you; it is very beneficial for us during the day. It gives us that energised feeling in the morning when we wake up and it has been seen to boost our attention, reaction times, and mood. We will look at what the research says and suggestions to minimise the impact of blue light on our sleep. The Science behind blue light To start off, the light that we can see and process with our eyes is called Visible Light (380nm to 700nm). A part of this visible light is blue light (450nm to 485nm, which has been seen to have the most powerful effect on your sleep-wake internal body clock or in another word, your circadian rhythm. The light from your devices often appears white. But they can give off wavelengths in the range of 400nm to 490nm, which is blue light. When you look at lights of these wavelengths, it suppresses your melatonin (the hormone which can help you fall asleep). Although certain wavelengths of light can do this, Brainard et al. (2001) found that melatonin suppression was best seen in the blue light spectrum between 446nm to 477nm. It is helpful to note that Cajochen et al. (2006) found that green light at 550nm did not suppress melatonin. So how long do you have to be exposed to blue light to affect your sleep then? Thapan et al. (2001) found that after 30 minutes of light exposure, melatonin production was fully suppressed. Though it was not found to cause a long-term impact on your melatonin, they did find that it took approximately an hour for the melatonin to return to its normal level. In addition, as we get older, we produce less melatonin and light is less effective at suppressing melatonin. But research has seen that light-induced phase advance of melatonin circadian rhythm is not impaired with age. The circadian rhythm was found to respond to both morning and evening light exposure (blue-enriched or blue-depleted) without significant differences between morning-types and evening-types of persons. What does this mean for you? The light from your devices often appears white. But they can give off wavelengths in the range of 400nm to 490nm, which is blue light. In combination with things on our devices that could be perceived as more important than sleep or FOMO, this could delay our sleep by up to a few hours. The simplest way of managing this is by putting your devices away one hour before you plan to sleep. Nagai et al. (2019) has seen that suppression of blue light at night effectively maintains circadian rhythms and metabolism. Some other ways that you could try out are: Cutting back on devices a few hours before bed Use a dim red light bulb as a nightlight Exposing yourself to more bright natural lights in the day Research is pretty definitive that a dark room is the best room to sleep in and the effects of blue light on sleep. Combine this with a cool room and roughly the same sleep and wake time to get the best quality rest! Get in touch with RestSpaceLDN, if you would like to learn more about this topic.

There is little to consider when picking what time of day you are napping. The key thing I have learned is to pay attention to why I am napping and not to nap after 5 pm. Depending on the reason for napping I find these are the key times I would possibly nap. 1- The late morning / pre-lunch nap This nap would usually be a result of a poor night's sleep as mentioned above or as a result of a very early morning for me as a night owl. People who are naturally early birds would probably find this is their prefered napping time on a given day. 2- The post-lunch nap This is the nap most of us are best friends with. It's a natural nap time because digesting food takes energy. The energy diverted to our digestive system just naturally makes us lull. I usually found on a normal day this would be a lighter shorter nap. Depending on the meal I have just eaten or the intensity of the mornings work this could be longer. Around two to three in the afternoon your temperature temporarily drops, suggesting that we were designed to have an afternoon nap. 3- The late afternoon nap These naps would follow an intense day of meetings and tight deadlines. This nap is not always obvious that I needed it. My brain would be running at 100mph and the late afternoon nap would usually be a result of mental fatigue influenced by a post-lunch lull. My trigger to nap would usually be the cravings for coffee or sugar at this time to keep me going. These were the best naps for me. I would come back with so much more clarity and pace. The days I failed to recognise I needed this break I would end up working late and look back trying to figure out why I am still working. 4- Early evening meditation Sometimes I would be reaching the end of my workday and it's 6 pm or 7 pm. The urge to nap would kick in with force. These are the hardest because I knew better than to nap. If I don’t nap I would feel as if I can’t carry on with my evening plans. This is nap time you need to be aware of. If I napped now it would affect my ability to fall asleep later and it would also affect the quality of sleep. Looking back I now understand why it affects my night sleep. The sleep hormone adenosine builds up over the course of the day and creates the urge to sleep. It gets depleted when we nap, and napping this close to bedtime would mean there is not enough time to replenish this vital sleep hormone. Have you ever had that feeling where you are exhausted but cannot actually fall asleep and shut off? This can be a feeling you would get if you used up this hormone. So what I discovered in these instances is meditation, yoga or a breathing exercise would be enough to keep me going. It would give an opportunity for my overworked brain to rest. I also learned not to go for caffeine. I will go deeper into caffeine on another post, but in short, caffeine stays in your system for at least 6 hours and affects the quality of your nighttime sleep. Even if you are able to fall asleep after having caffeine it doesn’t mean you had a good sleep. Get in touch with RestSpaceLDN if you would like to learn more the three times of the day you should nap.

Whether it’s the Monday morning fatigue or post-lunch slump, the continuous workday can leave you feeling tired and unproductive. Ongoing workplace fatigue can have many different causes, such as physical health issues, excessive stress, or mental health issues. However, it’s commonly a result of sleep deprivation. When you’re tired at work, it can feel impossible to concentrate, let alone stay productive. The Sleep Council 2017 report found that, when asked what aspect of life is most affected by lack of sleep, 53% said energy levels, 52% mood, 36% health, 23% work performance and 21% personal relationships. Sleep has a massive affect on our health and wellbeing, within workplaces and otherwise. Lack of sleep is the predominant issue that triggers people to feel tired at work. With around 75% of people in the UK reportedly sleeping less than the recommended hours of sleep per day, it’s time to address our sleep deprived culture and genuinely address how to manage fatigue. What To Do When Tired At Work? If you’ve ever questioned what to do when you get tired at work, or how to get through the work day if you’re feeling fatigued, or even strategies to have more energy at work, then workplace napping may be the solution you’re looking for. Although it seems like a somewhat obvious solution to feeling fatigued, taking a short nap break addresses the most likely factor for your feeling tired at work. Even a short 20 minute nap has been shown to improve job performance as well as additional health benefits, such as managing fatigue and improved mental wellbeing. The importance and effectiveness of napping can’t be understated and we at Rest Space recognise that. By introducing nap pods into workplaces, we recognise that sleeping at work can increase workplace productivity and employee wellbeing. In fact, a recent survey on sleep pods found that 94% of employees using the pods felt an improvement on their wellbeing, concentration and overall working morale. Our unique napping pods offer an innovative solution and target why you may be tired at work. Get in touch if you would like to learn more about our nap pods and managing workplace fatigue.

We all feel it sometimes, when your eyes get tired, you start to lose the motivation to work and you’re just counting down the minutes until you can leave. Some of the factors you may feel this is from is not getting a good night sleep, stressful life events or just been working a long shift. Fatigue at work can be a major issue for you and many other workers, it can leave you feeling stressed and have a huge impact on how you perform at work. It can increase the risk of accidents, mistakes and hazards happening at work. But what if we tell you that there are ways you can manage workplace fatigue and minimise its effect for the future? Addressing the Problem: When you are working a long shift, you may want to feel alert and productive with a lot of energy. You don’t want to feel exhausted from the workload or bogged down by personal life admin and issues. We’re going to highlight the three types of fatigue here and the ways you can work around them. SKYbrary website describes the 3 types of fatigue: Transient fatigue is acute fatigue brought on by extreme sleep restriction or extended hours awake within 1 or 2 days. E.g. a poor night sleep or barely getting any sleep Cumulative fatigue is fatigue that is brought on by repeated mild sleep restriction or extended hours awake across a series of days. E.g. a few cumulative days of poor rest Circadian fatigue refers to the reduced performance during nighttime hours, particularly during an individual’s “window of circadian low” (typically between 2:00 a.m. and 05:59 a.m.). Research shows that the accumulation of "sleep debt", e.g. by having an hour less of sleep for several consecutive days, needs a series of days with more-than-usual sleep for a person to fully recover from cumulative fatigue. In the UK, The Health and Safety Executive have estimated that fatigue costs £115-£240 million each year in work-related incidents and is implicated in around 20% of accidents on our major roads. Long hours shift' has also been listed as the 7th most common cause of work-related stress compared to being 1st in 2018 according to a 2020 survey conducted by Perkbox. Some of the significant workplace accidents that occurred is the Clapham Junction rail disaster, the Exxon Valdez oil spill and the loss of the Challenger space shuttle. How do people usually manage fatigue at work? The common ways people may choose to manage feeling fatigue at work could be them drinking caffeine, going for a short stroll or even having a cigarette. The common ways Rest Space have found people manage fatigue at work is drinking caffeine, going for a short stroll, diving into sugary snacks or even having a cigarette. These coping mechanisms are not always the best solutions providing only short term relief, if any. With too much caffeine often compounding the problem by affecting night time sleep. For those who recognise the benefits of napping they often struggle to find a space at work. We have found the toilet is the top spot most people try to get some rest. Strategies for Workplace Fatigue: Napping Napping at work is the most consistently recommended solution to fatigue at work. The benefits are that it increases your alertness and improves your work performance. The chances of incidents occurring at work and hazards happening is unlikely due to the fact that you are alert. A sleep neurologist, Aarthi Ram, MD says “Napping for just 20 minutes may provide ample benefits, including improved alertness, mood, and vigilance”. The challenge for many workers is having suitable spaces in their work environments to nap. Often naps they would have on sofas or in toilets may not leave them as revitalised as they should. A Rest Space or dedicated resting environment will allow them to get the full benefits of a nap. Improving your night time sleep We know you may find it difficult sometimes to get a good night's sleep on a daily basis but getting 7 to 9 hours sleep per night for yourself can be beneficial for health, it can allow you to stay productive and alert throughout your work shift, this will be great and reduce the rate of you causing accidents which can then lead to injury. Things you can do to improve night time sleep: Limiting using devices before bed - https://www.restspaceldn.com/post/phones-devices-and-sleep Eating heavy meals close to bedtime Protecting the time you have to sleep: often when we are busy we use it as a justification for getting less sleep Educating employees Educating all employees on the signs of fatigue at work could be a good strategy for employers to consider. Understand what needs to be done to help reduce the employee’s fatigue, this is so that they pose less of a risk to themselves and to their co-workers. Create a culture where it is safe to discuss fatigue issues and employees feel comfortable to take naps. https://www.restspaceldn.com/post/why-should-you-get-paid-to-sleep-on-the-job Training employees on the correct techniques to help them reduce their fatigue at work and manage it in situations such as shift work changes or dealing with sleep deprivation, and making the most of their naps https://www.restspaceldn.com/post/one-tip-to-excel-in-2021-schedule-in-your-naps Why is it important to manage fatigue at work? Focusing on managing workplace fatigue can have a positive impact for all workers by reducing the rate of mistakes being caused, it can also lower the rate of accidents occurring. The rate of productivity can increase among the workers e.g. Workers can feel happier and less exhausted when working or less unmotivated. Get in touch with RestSpaceLDN if you would like to learn more about the topic on managing workplace fatigue.

With most of us working from home during the pandemic, we’ve learned to appreciate the many advantages that flexibility has to offer. The ability to take regular breaks without feeling guilty as well as the ability to take a nap straight after lunch. As a result, we have regained control over our time, allowing us to be more calm and relaxed, which is why we believe one should be allowed to rest while at work. In some workplaces, sleeping is considered a gross misconduct and can lead to disciplinary action, or even termination of employment. This begs the question: why is sleep considered a sin, unprofessional or lazy? We feel that as a society we should eliminate the shame and stigma associated with napping at work, and normalise it! Now that some of us are returning to the office, we would like to keep our afternoon naps. They allow us to be back to work full of energy and ready to be productive! Napping during the day has been demonstrated in multiple studies to boost not only productivity but also employee mood and wellbeing. We don't want employees to go back to the rigid ways that slay the joy of work and leave little room for freedom. Trust your employees to do their work, for as long as they are healthy and well-rested, they will be more productive, happier and produce better quality results, trust your people! Inclusion and diversity are two important reasons as to why we should also normalise sleeping at work. Companies should be mindful of employees who might suffer from chronic fatigue due to hidden disabilities or health concerns that require regular rest breaks, or those who are pregnant and need to rest throughout the day. Some employees have long commutes, while others may simply be exhausted following a restless night's sleep, thus it makes sense for them to take a 10-20 minute power nap to feel much more energised. Additionally, sleep loss can lead to decreased office productivity, increased absenteeism, workplace accidents and injuries, as well as motor vehicle accidents during commutes, especially in the presence of underlying sleep disorders. As a result, it may be more expensive for employers in the long run to deny their employees the opportunity to rest and enhance total daily sleep time with a brief power nap during working hours, rather than to prevent napping when necessary [1]. Sleeping at work is not something that will only benefit those working standard 9-5 office jobs. It also has the potential to have a significant impact on those working non-traditional hours or shift jobs. For example, Shift Work Sleep Disorder (SWSD), affects employees who work different shifts, including night shifts. These people are our healthcare practitioners and drivers. Those suffering from SWSD experience symptoms such as sleeplessness and excessive tiredness, thus having rest areas to use during their breaks could be very beneficial to their safety and improve their performance. Power naps are proven to promote not only productivity and creativity but also problem-solving and logical reasoning, according to research. Even those who are well-rested can benefit from frequent naps that improve alertness, performance, and stress relief. Our current objective is to keep spreading the word about the benefits of napping in order to combat the many physical, mental, and financial effects of exhaustion. We intend to normalise and implement planned napping during work hours in the long run. As a result, we are getting closer to a society that appreciates napping and seeks to eliminate the stigma associated with taking a midday snooze. It should be noted that daytime naps and resting spaces such as beds and sleeping pods in the workplace are not a new phenomenon; they have already been incorporated into the workplace culture of global companies like Google, Uber, Nike, Cisco, Zappos, Huffington Post, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Procter & Gamble, and Ben & Jerry’s [1] The pandemic has made us even more aware of how important it is to take care of our bodies, not just physically but also mentally. We have discovered the benefits of flexibility that come with having more time for ourselves and our loved ones. We have been able to adapt our schedule to allow for more time for ourselves and our wellbeing, so why should we change that now that we are back in the office? If anything, we should all continue to strive for that sweet work-life balance that allows us to take frequent breaks without feeling guilty or judged. By creating and introducing resting spaces, we ensure everyone will be happy and feel more included, engaged and strengthen humane connections at work. As such, HR and wellbeing managers should strongly consider providing resting areas, whether that is sofas for quick breaks, or sleeping pods, where employees can take a little nap and recharge before continuing their workday. By introducing such initiatives and solutions, sleeping at work will become less stigmatised and eventually normalised for everyone. If you are interested in learning more about sleeping pods we believe our product, the RestSpace, would be very beneficial for your company and employees. If you’d like to find out more about How Can Employers Support The Transition Back To The Office?, or What makes our Rest Space the best place to rest?, do Get in Touch with us to find out more about our RestSpace product. References: [1] Sara E Alger, Allison J Brager, Vincent F Capaldi, Challenging the stigma of workplace napping, Sleep, Volume 42, Issue 8, August 2019, zsz097

Waking up tired can be a frustrating thing. Perhaps you haven't actually got as much sleep as you really need - but that might not be the only factor. Sleep is an important factor in rest but that feeling of fatigue can arise from a variety of reasons. If you find yourself wondering ‘why am I tired all the time?’, in spite of how much sleep you get (or coffee you consume) then perhaps it’s time to look at other facts of fatigue. Especially for people who feel burnout - it’s important to pay attention to all the rest needs that you have. Proper relaxation and restorative rest requires an understanding of all the 7 types of rest we really need. This analytical approach to fatigue is prompted by researcher Dr Saundra Dalton-Smith who authored ‘Sacred Rest: Recover Your Life, Renew Your Energy, Restore Your Sanity’. In this, she wanted to take a more diagnostic approach to fatigue. Dr Dalton-Smith takes the approach that every activity you do requires energy, and not all of that is physical energy. The first step to achieving true rest involves the different types of rest there are, after that you must identify what you need to restore your energy. So what are the 7 types of rest? We all know what it feels like when your needs aren’t being met but sometimes it can be difficult to specify what it truly is that you need. Go through this list and identify what you’re missing and need more of. Physical Rest When you’re struggling to keep your eyes open and you feel as though you could drift off on the spot - you are in need of physical rest. This is the most obvious solution to fatigue that comes to mind - physical rest happens during sleep. Getting physical rest during the day can include taking a short nap. Getting adequate sleep during the night and napping when you need it is key to physical rest. For those who have physically demanding jobs or hobbies, you can incorporate ‘body fluidity’ into your day through stretches or choosing to be still for some moments while lying down. If you’re working from home, maybe lie down during a break and take a physical rest. Mental Rest If you’ve ever been at work and are just unable to concentrate, feel extremely irritable or easily distracted. It makes it hard to come up with new ideas and even when it’s time to sleep - it’s extremely hard to turn off. You wake up feeling as though you never slept. This is what requires mental rest - what’s needed is some downtime to quiet the mind. Actually, mental rest can be implemented in your day-to-day life just by implementing short breaks throughout the day every couple of hours. Turn off your screen and just take a few moments throughout the day for yourself. Sensory Rest The bright lights of the computer screens, phones going off, the constant hum of office conversion, a distant alarm, engine or fan - sometimes it all gets too much and you have a sensory overload. Sometimes I find myself listening to music as I’m doing work and suddenly I just become sensitive to the noise and find myself unable to do work. For some, this sensory overload can lead to feeling stressed, depleted, distracted and irritable. At those moments, it’s clear that a sensory rest is in need. You can get sensory rest by putting aside technology and stepping out of that space for a break. Turn off the lights, phone and excess noise. Intentionally unplug from technology and take a moment in silence to get sensory rest. Creative Rest Ever feel like you are utterly unable to have a creative thought or brainstorm original and interesting solutions? Those moments require creative thinking/energy, but perhaps you need a creative rest because you’re all depleted. Take a break, go for a walk in nature, read a book - just taking a break by surrounding yourself with restful energy ripe with inspiration is the creative rest you may need. That doesn’t need to be an extended creative retreat/holiday - it can just be doing something you choose outside of your daily work. Or as the popular saying goes ‘just sleep on it’. Emotional Rest If you’ve ever felt emotionally drained, you might need emotional rest. Dr Dalton-Smith suggests identifying the people who ‘drain’ you, risk vulnerability and cease comparison. There are lots of ways to get emotional rest, this can involve journaling and writing down how you feel or having an honest conversation with someone. Offloading your feelings to someone who is willing to listen is a great way of emotional rest, and it can even prevent emotional overload if you continue to do this. Social Rest Socialising can be exhausting, especially when it predominantly involves socialising with people who require more social energy. Social rest can be taking time for yourself, through the day or week just making sure to have moments all for yourself that require no or little social energy. Sometimes you may have social rest through identifying people in your life who don’t socially drain you and seeing them. Make time to catch up with an old friend or catch up with yourself. Spiritual Rest The final type of rest is spiritual rest. To engage with this form of rest, you can engage in something meaningful to you - for some that may involve prayer or meditation but it also refers to community involvement or volunteering. Doing something that you feel matters and is rewarding is spiritual rest. Now that you know what the seven types of rest involve, you can identify which rest you need and how to get more of each of them. How Rest Spaces Help Whilst the most obvious use for a rest space, our product, is a short nap during work in order to get some physical rest, there are other types of rest which can take place in a rest space. You can get mental rest by turning off your screen and taking a break from work in the rest space. For those in need of sensory rest, you can escape the noisy, overstimulating workplace environment in the rest space. Just lying down in a private, enclosed space can be the solution to sensory overload. Read a book or listen to music alone in the rest space for a creative rest. Even, take a break from socialising in your workplace for a social rest in the rest space. For those seeking spiritual rest, you can meditate in the rest space. If you’re interested in having a rest space in your workplace - and fulfilling all your rest needs - then get in touch today.

It’s World Sleep Day today! Today is your opportunity to take some time to think about your sleep health and whether you’re meeting your sleep needs. Sleep is so important but it’s easy to normalise the constant fatigue in everyday life. Challenge that today. What is World Sleep Day? Well, World Sleep Day is an annual day to spread awareness about the importance of sleep within health and wellbeing. It’s a global call to action on important issues related to sleep. Organised by World Sleep Society, this year the focus is on Quality Sleep, Sound Mind, Happy World. This raises questions like: how can quality sleep support your mental health? Does better sleep help you focus during the day? What is the effect of fatigue? That can feel like a lot to think about but it’s important to broach these questions now, especially in the context of COVID-19. The pandemic has affected sleep health adversely; statistics say that adults are sleep deprived and sleep disorders are on the rise. Sleep is one of the most important factors in personal health and wellbeing, in fact, insufficient sleep is a leading cause of major health problems. But it’s not all doom and gloom - by giving your sleep health proper importance in your life, you can notice a real change in physical, mental and emotional health. What can you do to improve your sleep health? Stick to a sleep schedule It can be a natural instinct to sleep well past your usual wake-up time on the days when you don’t actually have to be up that early. However, it’s best to stick to a sleep schedule - try not to shift your sleeping times so drastically. You might find that you’re actually much less tired as a result. That consistency helps our body clock and functions be more aligned. Don’t consume caffeine late in the day Caffeine does impact sleep - one of the issues is that caffeine has a half-life of 6 to 7 hours. This means that six to seven hours after you consume caffeine half of it is still in your system. If you have a cup of caffeine at midday - it’s equivalent to drinking a quarter cup of coffee at midnight, or the equivalent of an English breakfast tea (black tea), before you go to bed. As a result, you wake up feeling less refreshed. It’s best to not drink coffee after midday. Even if you’re someone who can drink coffee right before bed, it still impacts your sleep quality even if you’re not aware of it. Take a nap during the day Although it may seem somewhat obvious, taking a nap during the day when you’re tired has so many benefits. There can be a stigma around napping, especially when it comes to during the working day but actually, a recent study by the Sleep Foundation found that adults feel sleepy throughout the day 3 times a week, which adversely impacts activities, mood and concentration. A short nap can offset the side effects of being tired during the day. Some tips for a good daytime nap include: set a timer so that you don’t oversleep and don’t nap too close to your nighttime sleep. Create a pre-sleep routine to unwind The pre-sleep habits that you incorporate into your night routine can lead to a higher quality of sleep. Having a sleep-informed night routine can be very beneficial. For example, melatonin is a sleep hormone that increases during darkness and as your core temperature drops so it’s a good idea to limit exposure to artificial light in the evening and create a cool (but not cold) environment. Take time to de-stress before sleep to have lower levels of cortisol (the “stress hormone”) to improve sleep quality as well. These are just a few tips to improve your sleep. If you’re thinking of ways to celebrate World Sleep Day: implement these tips to your sleep routine, start thinking about your sleep needs and most importantly have a nap - actually go to sleep! If you’re interested in improving sleep health, fatigue management and wellbeing in your workplace - get in touch with Rest Space today. We offer a fully enclosed, private, clean and stackable place to recharge, rest or nap.

NAPS. The culture of napping has grown rapidly over the past few years and it's becoming a threat to us all. I’ve tried to resist the urge. I’ve been running around my bed for hours trying to catch up on sleep. Nothing is working. As I type this my concentration is going and I’m losing focus on the words… I can’t remember the last time i had a good night sleep but tis skeems to be a good palace to get my head downw yuh77uyjyzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz The workplace is being overrun by these napping high-energy, imaginative, passionate employees nowadays. How can napping and energy be in the same sentence? Makes zero sense! Last month an employee of Google, Mrs Constance Noring was caught napping midday to quote, ‘boost her work performance’. And the boss gave her a raise! Since then she has taken naps each day and says that it's her dream job. Now, more people have been caught in compromising nap debates. Elon Musk was caught by journalists taking a nap, testing his new self-driving car. The car apparently short-circuited and went round in circles, however, employees said it would be dangerous to wake him up as he was Sleep Driving. Oprah fell asleep live on air! Robert Pattinson was found napping upside down from the ceiling. Adele napped under a bridge. The Weeknd napped during the week. Dwayne Johnson was photographed napping on rocks. Britney Spears has been caught doing pre-performance naps, waking up saying “Oops!... I Did It Again” And that's not all! Ariane Grande was found sleeping in the air vents before a concert. No one could find her and all she left behind was a copy of her new single ‘Just look up’. People have discovered the power of naps in a major way and the workforce will never be the same. Emma Watson now says she needs a nap to get her BEAUTY sleep before going on set. Justin Bieber also commented on the nap phenomenon saying never say never to naps. Naps are unproductive and time-wasting. In fact, research has shown that.. ermmm never mind. Well, the countless pages of research done on napping improving cognitive performance in work environments are wrong. If naps can boost work productivity then this article is a big joke to show YOU the reader that the outdated, negative stigma around napping is nothing more than a farce. Oh, wait… It is! Hahaha! Did we get you? All joking aside, we all want to be the most productive versions of ourselves throughout the day. And here at Rest Space we truly believe that napping is the secret to this. No one can deny the fact that napping has had some bad press in the past but this needs to change. Napping during the day has proven health benefits; lowers blood pressure, reduces stress, reduces fatigue, and promotes memory consolidation (the process where the brain turns information into long-term memories). If you’d like to learn more about the power of naps or Rest Space as a company, then I implore you to check out our website where we have countless blogs along with our nap pod product The Everest.