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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.

Do you ever feel like you're on a different schedule to everyone around you? Do you find yourself yawning at the dinner table while everyone around you is buzzing with energy? Or maybe you're feeling drained during the mid morning no matter how many hours of sleep you get? It simply doesn't feel like you’re getting enough sleep? This might be down to not understanding your chronotype or otherwise known as your biological body clock, and how it affects your productivity. What is a chronotype and where does it come from? Your chronotype controls your body's natural tendencies to fall asleep and wake up during the day. It can be used to explain why some people find it difficult to sleep at night or even reach a state of tiredness at all. Your chronotype is usually closely related to your circadian rhythm, which is responsible for your sleep-wake cycle and the release of melatonin in response to a list of factors such as temperature and light. The major difference between this and your chronotype however is that your circadian rhythm can be trained through is referred to as zeitgebers such as light and your sleep routine. Your chronotype can not be altered but may change naturally over your lifetime as our bodies and brains age. Your chronotype comes from the length of your PER3 gene amongst others. Chronotypes can vary from person to person due to a list of factors including age, genetics and possibly even geographical location due to the change in daylight hours. But there seems to be a general rule that when we are born; we start with an earlier chronotype and typically this gets pushed back as we reach adolescence, this may be why people say teenagers are lazy when really, they're just adapting to a shift in their chronotype! It then tends to get earlier as we approach our mid 20s. The amount your chronotype adjusts differs from person to person some people may see a couple hours shift in the time they want to go to bed other may see little difference. Although as we said you cannot change your chronotype, you can use your knowledge of it to better understand your body clock. Not only can it improve your productivity and the quality of your sleep, but finding a sleep schedule that best suits you will have a positive effect on your mental health! It's found that it can make us less tired throughout the day, more cheerful, achieve a healthier lifestyle and help us to be more tolerant of your moral judgment of others. Understanding your internal clock will also allow you to come up with a day to day schedule that best suits you and help you to become more organised. Figuring out your own chronotype Scientists usually describe two chronotypes: eveningness and morningness, otherwise known as night owls and early birds (sometimes known as morning larks) Many say chronotypes fall on a spectrum, and with most people lying somewhere in between eveningness and morningness, researchers devised the term “hummingbirds” to explain their chronotype. There are two main questionnaires that scientists have developed. These are the Morningness versus Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ) and the Munich ChronoType Questionnaire (MCTQ). The MEQ test focuses on your wake and sleep times while the MCTQ tries to understand your chronotype by asking a list of questions about your range of activities, for example meal and exercise times. So, I bet the question you're wondering now is how to find and understand which chronotype best explains you, right? To figure out your chronotype, think about what time you would prefer to wake up on a day off, completely free of any responsibilities. You probably already know off the top of your head whether you prefer to wake up early or late, if not you could use one of the questionnaires i mentioned above. Whichever way you decide to find out your chronotype, there is no doubt that there are only positives to finding it. Not only will it benefit your overall health and productivity - it might just be the missing key to unlocking the best sleep of your life! If you’re interested in investing in a Rest Space for your workplace. Get in touch to find out more!

Do you have trouble sleeping? Angering your partner with your persistent snoring? Or are you the one on the receiving end of it? Sleep is one of the most necessary human functions and yet we can struggle to have a good night’s rest. Sometimes, we can be our own worst enemies: late nights, caffeine, or tapping away on our mobiles before bed - we know it's bad and yet we do it anyway! Tut tut... But even when we do eventually build up the inner resistance to rid ourselves of these unhelpful and arbitrary habits, we still can struggle with sleep and it's FRUSTRATING. We all want better sleep but sometimes the answers aren't there. Or so you think. Let's go back. WAYYY back. Our ancestors used to be superhuman. No seriously! The great poet Homer around the 8th century B.C. describes sponge fishermen tying themselves to rocks and diving down over 100 meters to cut sponges from the seafloor. This underwater supernatural feat is trailed throughout history and can still be found to this day. James Nestor, the incredible journalist, and author wrote in his book ‘DEEP’ of the Ama; a group of freediving women who go to incredible depths in the ocean daily. So what does this have to do with sleep? Well, I'm not telling you to jump in the water for a good night's kip! But as humans, we don’t know how to optimize our breathing anymore. We got lazy. We’ve forgotten the long-lost art of breathing. Something our ancestors unlocked many years ago and used to hold their breaths to free dive to the ocean's seabed. Let me ask a question: Do you breathe through your nose or your mouth? Your nose is designed to help you breathe safely and optimally. During nasal breathing, your nose warms, filters, and moisturizes the air inhaled making it easier for your lungs to use. Ben Greenfield estimates in his book ‘Boundless’ that our nose hairs protect us from ingesting over 20 billion particles of foreign matter each day. It also improves oxygen circulation levels by producing Nitric Oxide which helps expand blood vessels. This can improve athletic performance, reduce stress/ anxiety, and the holy grail... Improve our beloved sleep. Here are some other benefits that have been connected to nasal breathing: Reduces risk of bad breath Reduces risk of tooth decay Supports mouth and tooth formation Improve lung volume Slows breathing rate down Lowers risk of high blood pressure Lowers risk of allergies Aids the immune system Engages and strengthens the diaphragm Lowers the risk of snoring Lowers the risk of sleep apnea “Nasal respiration provides the most efficient mechanism for introducing oxygen into the lungs and body for overall health” - Dr Jefferson of the General Dentistry Advisory Board There's no denying the positive effects of nasal breathing however it's always important to pay attention to what your body is telling you. In some situations, you may be prevented from nasal breathing by congestion, blockages, small nostrils, or a deviated septum. We recommend consulting a medical professional for help if you’re suffering from structural issues such as a deviated septum. The best way to breathe Breathing experts recommend people practice nasal diaphragmatic breathing (Belly breathing). This involves breathing in through the nose gently, fully engaging the diaphragm causing it to contract which raises the ribcage and allows the lungs to expand fully. This is the fundamental method that allowed our ancestors to dive deep into the world’s ocean and what you’ll use to finally train yourself to better Zzzzzz. How to improve your breathing Now breathing most of the time is unconscious, an involuntary function that doesn’t get much thought. We just do it. The respiratory centre and our muscle memory take care of everything for us. So how are you expected to control your breathing when unconscious in dreamland? Well, you can’t, not exactly at least... It's more about regularly changing your breathing daily while awake to reprogram the body's natural breathing pattern to nasal diaphragmatic breathing. So the key to all of this is... AWARENESS. Bring attention to your breathing throughout your day, take part in meditation, yoga, Tai Chi, even singing regularly improves breathing habits. Get familiar with your breath as much as possible and add breathing exercises into your daily routine. This daily practice will improve the sensation of breathing and strengthen the respiratory muscles. Below I've linked some of the most useful techniques to improve your breathing, along with a useful video. 1. ALTERNATE NOSTRIL BREATHING This is a common technique used in yoga. It requires you to close one nostril with your finger and then inhale, hold and exhale through the opposite nostril where the air is free to flow through. This is then alternated with the opposite nostril. To try alternate nostril breathing follow the link below! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Vgl9__Y0tY 2. BREATH OF FIRE This technique is used in kundalini yoga. It involves strong, quick bursts of breath consecutively, finding a nice consistent rhythm throughout. Think of it like a dog panting, however, it's breathing through the nose instead of the mouth. The technique may take some practice at first but is known to be extremely helpful with improving concentration once mastered. To try breath of fire follow the link below! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OR8akmRraFk Additional tips for better sleep Consider these tips to further improve your breathing while asleep: Adjusting sleeping position Side sleeping- Use a pillow to elevate your head and place a pillow in between your legs to keep your spine aligned which keeps your airways open, allowing you to breathe without any obstructions. Back sleeping- Use a pillow to elevate your head and bend your knees, placing a pillow under your knees. This again keeps the spine aligned, however, sleeping on your back can result in your tongue blocking the breathing tube. For this reason, we recommend sleeping on the side more than back sleeping, for a less disruptive sleep. Mouth taping Using mouth tape gently promotes breathing through the nose by comfortably keeping your mouth closed during sleep. There are specific products designed for this however most sports and surgical tapes use non-toxic, easy-to-remove materials also. To start it is recommended to apply a small amount of tape to the centre of your closed lips during the day for 10 minutes to get used to the sensation. Once you’re comfortable with the tape applied and you don’t feel any difficulties breathing. Apply the tape just before bed to induce nasal breathing all through the night. Before attempting this method, consult a medical professional or your dentist first, to see if they recommend trying it. People who struggle with nasal breathing due to obstruction or structural damage won’t benefit from this method and it may be a hindrance to the quality of sleep. So now you know, with a few natural fixes and lifestyle changes, you can improve your sleep permanently. Which is what we at Rest Space are all about. It’s no secret we’re strong advocates of sleeping and its staggering advantages on work productivity. This is why we want you and your employees to improve your sleeping habits tenfold. And what better way to practice everything you’ve learnt than in our state of art product ‘The Everest’. Your own private ventilated space, with installed Bluetooth speakers and noise reduction from the outside world. Allowing you to fully immerse yourself in your well-being and sleep. We've created the best space to rest. If you’re interested in investing in a Rest Space for your workplace. Get in touch to find out more!

Insomnia is the collective term for problems affecting your sleep on 3 or more nights in a week for an ongoing period of time. These three types includes: Transient - sleep issues caused by recent stresses and lasts for less than 1 week Acute - sleep issues caused by a stressful change or life event e.g. the death of a loved one, a serious medical diagnosis, new prescription etc and can lasts up to 3 months Chronic - sleep issues for more than 3 months and can be caused by irregular sleeping patterns, relationships, stress, neurological or physical disorders, medications etc. But it’s not always what you think it is. It can affect every aspect of your life, from social wellbeing to physical and mental health; it’s not a disease that causes a lack of sleep. Instead it’s regarded as a symptom of other issues. Therefore the treatments of insomnia usually targets the root cause, which is very commonly stress. In a survey of 1590 adults in the UK, CIPHR found that the most common cause of stress (39%) was lack of sleep and the second was financial worries. Essentially, sleep itself becomes stressful, which can spiral into insomnia. It’s relatively normal to feel overwhelming stress around sleep and work; it’s not surprising that 1 in 3 people have dealt with insomnia, but it is definitely something that needs addressing. It can be impossible to juggle work, family, health and sleep and it can be debilitating. Unfortunately, many people suffer in silence because of its commonality (essentially: “everyone’s stressed, I should just deal with it”) but as with any symptom, insomnia is a big red warning light that something is going wrong, and needs your attention. Sleep is one of our basic needs therefore if you have any issues with your sleep you should go visit your doctor, just as you would with any issues with eating or moving. According NHS guidelines on insomnia, you should see a your doctor for sleep if: changing your sleeping habits has not worked you have had trouble sleeping for months your insomnia is affecting your daily life in a way that makes it hard for you to cope Employees who cannot get adequate sleep at home for whatever reason, often dread coming into work in (reasonable) fear of the harm that it does to their physical and mental health. Not to mention that napping can also just be part of the healthy sleep cycle of some people. It is possible to prevent some of the stress by having a place to rest during the day. A safe place to rest in the workplace can be a necessary arrangement for some people, and could be a step towards reducing the overwhelming numbers of preventable insomnia in the UK. It prevents declining health when getting enough sleep at home is not possible, and also reduces stress surrounding the issue which can result in better sleep. It's important to note that not all insomniacs use napping to reduce fatigue but for those that do, it gives them freedom to rest when they need it most. https://www.ciphr.com/workplace-stress-statistics/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15301996/ https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/insomnia/

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.

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.

Everyone wants the best talent in their company, and for them to want to stay as the business grows. Whether that is finding a new approach into retaining employees especially post-pandemic, or introducing new strategies into attracting the most skilled individuals. These present the biggest challenges in today’s ever-changing world. Crafting the best offices, putting on a good first impression, and offering flexible working that would allow people to work beyond their best abilities has become more crucial than ever, as well as ensuring the top talent remains productive and happy to continue being loyal to their company. Both potential candidates’ and present employees' expectations of a good working space is a huge topic these days and it is important to be able to adjust to the working atmosphere and conditions that would be ideal today, compared to what people would have imagined suitable 10, 20, or 30 years ago. Offering Flexible Working With the pandemic, working from home became the norm, and it soon became recognisable that a large percentage of the employed population enjoyed the flexibility it offered, with people being able to have more control of their routines, including better sleeping patterns and being able to rest more - which is, of course, important to be able to do their best at work. A lot of people were also found considering career changes or starting their own businesses, becoming self-employed. Cece Philips, a 24-year-old history graduate from London, quit her job at one of the world’s biggest advertising companies to follow her artistic dreams. “I’ve gone from working a large office in Soho to being at home painting in my bedroom,” she told the BBC. More flexible working options may enable employees to get the benefits they seek in being self-employed while still working for your company. And for those with more passions, an opportunity to pursue their passions while still contributing to your company. The Great Resignation is a phenomenon that describes record numbers of people leaving their jobs after the COVID-19 pandemic ends. Companies now have to navigate the ripple effects of the pandemic and re-evaluate how to retain talent. (source: What is 'The Great Resignation'? An expert explains) The employee desire for flexibility and employer concern is driving the future of work. With a survey conducted by The Harris Poll, they found two main reasons pushing people to make career changes so suddenly: one being that employers felt they weren’t being understood enough or “providing empathy”, and the second being that people have begun “leaning into flexibility” and how they work. With this in mind, given the last two years, it is important for employers to see what changes they may need to make within their companies. This could be making it part of company culture to talk openly with employees about future career goals and facilitating these goals. Another goal would be to understand your individual employee needs and create the work environment to support them. Creating the Right Workplace Notable branding within a modern working area, offering rest spaces, providing a positive work-life balance, with the option of flexible working, are all key points to take into consideration when revisiting how comfortable one could be in a business to help it thrive as a whole. Be creative and bold with the design of the area that is made available for your employees to succeed! It contributes to improving company culture and is sure to lift up the performance of the staff, as having a resting area would too. Many reports have shown that naps as short as 10 minutes can give people a boost to carry on for the rest of their working day. “Not only does it help your immunity, but there is very clear evidence that it increases your cognitive processing, your cognitive thinking and your creative thinking,” as said by sleep expert James Maas. With an area for employees to be able to rest midday they are more likely to feel less stressed or tired, and more appreciative of their job. A bit of sleep between tasks can create healthier mindsets, and it may also make them feel more seen by their employers. It's also a great way to encourage current talent to come into office, and to captivate potential talent! Know Your Company's Values When searching for new talent, it’s vital to have a clear view of your company’s goals and values. This would give future candidates a better idea of how good of a match they would be for your company and avoid any issues that may arise, such as the candidate wanting to leave after a short while due to having different expectations. It’s critical to have the right target audience in mind when searching for these candidates. Employees are more likely to become more engaged within the company and have better chances of developing their work if their values align with the business values. It would also be a good attracting point if the business is aware of what their purpose is, defining what they do and why. It is always important to make your staff feel respected and satisfied with what they have as well as what they are doing in their role. All employees should be seen as equal and listened to. Being able to acknowledge and discuss what is being done and what could be done for the workplace well-being of the team and future prospects to keep them for the long run of growing a company is the right way forward. It may be difficult adjusting to the changing trends in the workplace nowadays, but starting with being able to recognise that something needs to be done is always a good move. Letting employees flourish will evolve the company in itself, and the first step is to outlining how to be able to do that. A few simple choices such as giving the option of flexible-working, making the workplace more enjoyable, and having an open view of the company’s missions can make a big change to the way an organisation works. The outcome will bring happier, more loyal employees that produce excellent performances, leading to faster and better growth of the company. For any more information, or questions about how to follow through with some of our tips and ideas, feel free to get in contact with our team at Rest Space who are more than happy to help!

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.

Introduction At the risk of sounding over dramatic, creativity is dying. Now if experts are to be believed this is a major issue, ideas are profitable things: “CEOs say creativity is the #1 factor for future success.” – IBM “Creativity is or is related to 9 of the top 10 skills that global executives say is essential for 2020 and beyond.”– World Economic Forum “According to the survey 54% of the hindrance to company growth can be associated with a lack of generation of new usable ideas” – BCG Global Innovation Survey In “The Creativity Crisis ” analysts stated that “ fluid original thinking in the workplace has been on a decline since the 20th century. Employees are generating not only fewer ideas or solutions to open-ended questions or challenges, but also fewer unusual or unique ideas than those in preceding decades”. There are fears in all fields that workers are finding it increasingly difficult to gain inspiration and develop innovative ideas. Now it all sounds doom and gloom but it seems there's a solution that’s surprisingly simple and effective. What if I told you the fix to the workplace creativity crisis should be taking a nap? Not convinced? Well, there’s science to back it up I promise, in the meantime have a look at these famous examples of people napping on the job. Microscopic Dreams Watson Until Dr James Watson saw a winding flight of stairs in a fantasy in 1953, nobody had fostered the possibility of a twofold helix twisting design for our DNA. The game changed that evening, when Watson took a nap and saw it, proceeding to win the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1962. Kekule Kekule, the German scientific expert who found the ring design of benzene is viewed as one of the chief authors of present day natural science. Kekule says he had finished work and drifted off to sleep at his desk. He saw molecules spinning and moving before his eyes. The molecules then, at that point, started to reassemble themselves into long lines that appeared to move about in a snake like movement. As he watched the snake dance, the vision advanced until the snake ate up its own tail. Bogey Tales Stevenson Robert Louis Stevensons dream-prompted noises woke his significant other, Fanny, who then woke him up accordingly. Surprised, he told her, "Why’d you wake me? I was dreaming a fine bogey tale." The circumstance took a horrendous turn when Fanny thought the primary draft of the story was garbage and threw it out. Stevenson quickly rewrote the 30,000 word story of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde in three-days. It wound up selling so well that the book lifted the Stevenson's into the clear financially. Cameron In a meeting on "The Terminator" Blu-Ray, Cameron states he came up with the early idea for the movie franchise while he was bed ridden in Rome. "I was wiped out at that point. I had a high fever." Cameron said. "I was simply lying on the bed thinking and thought of this odd idea….” Thus, a great deal of these fantasy and bad dream characteristics enter the film. Truth be told, the fever dream incredibly motivated the way the T-800 is shown in the movies. Taking Lectures In Your Sleep Einstein A field of cows caused Albert Einstein's ideas of relativity. In his dream, Einstein was talking to a rancher concerning cows being in an electric barrier. However the rancher saw something other than what's expected. Einstein stirred with this, realising that different points of view would cause different perceptions of the same and the theory of relativity started to take shape. Ramanujan The self-educated number related wonder from India Ramanujan, is viewed as one of the best numerical virtuosos to at any point living. The man the movie "the man who knew infinity" was based on. He made considerable commitments to hypothesis of numbers, curved capacities, endless series and demonstrated in excess of 3,000 mathematical theories during his life. Ramanujan said that the understanding for his work came to him in his dreams on many occasions. Ramanujan described that, often as he slept, he would dream of conversations with the Hindu goddess Namakkal. She gave him complex numerical recipes again and again, which he could then test and check after waking. To Be Conscious Or Not To Be So what's happening? Where were these people getting their creative breaks from? And how can this be used to improve workplace creativity? First off we have to be aware of 2 things, the conscious and the unconscious. The conscious is what you're currently giving your attention to, the unconscious is everything else in the background that doesn’t have your attention. Its estimated around 95 percent of your creativity, comes from this unconscious side and these two parts are in constant convocation. For example, say you're trying to come up with a new company logo. While you're there rubbing your chin the conscious mind asks the unconscious mind for some inspiration. The unconscious mind looks through the archives of your memories and brings a few things back, say a memory of a childhood cartoon you watched or a pattern you saw on the way to work but didn’t pay much attention to. These unconscious memories all get knitted together in a package brought back to your conscious surface awareness as the new idea you're waiting for. Now while both the conscious and unconscious are always active one tends to have more influence than the other at different times. The unconscious runs most of the show while your attention is more restful, the conscious while you're more focused and alert. Bridging The Gap Now here’s the interesting bit, short sessions of napping seem to train the mind to “walk” between the conscious and unconscious more often, therefore more easily. This easier communication between the conscious and unconscious mind has been shown to improve creativity, problem solving and innovative thinking greatly. Now the important factor here isn’t just increasing the time of the rest session but increasing the number of rest sessions that day. Over time the two start to “blend” closer together promoting stronger communication between them and therefore greater creativity and problem solving. So what do you think, is creativity on the decline? If you answer yes and you are noticing such problems in your own business perhaps you're in need of one of our resting pods. Take time to contact us to see if we can help your business get back to creativity.

At Rest Space we are proud to offer the best place to rest, our product is designed to provide the most comfortable yet private space to rest. We have researched and built our product with high-quality reusable and sustainable wood, giving it a premium feel while also ensuring it feels homely and cosy. The Rest Space includes colour-changing lights and a Bluetooth speaker to play soothing music to help you fall asleep. All the features included in our pods have been crafted to ensure you can make the most out of your sleep so that you can feel energised, enhance your productivity and improve your overall health. The Stackable Rest Space We are ecstatic with our current version of the Rest Space; but as we expand to different types of workspaces, we also understand the need to save space for our customers who may not have enough room or floor space for several Rest Spaces. As a result, we sat down and brainstormed ways to allow numerous people to use the pod at the same time while maintaining personal space. As of January 2022, we are happy to introduce the stackable pods, a far more space-efficient and transformable Rest Space! We don't believe you should have to choose between space and comfort when you can have both. We recognise that a variety of factors in the workplace might influence an employee's attitude, one of which is the layout of furniture and other necessary materials. Moreover, small and crowded spaces can make us feel uneasy and overwhelmed, which was a key consideration for us during the design and development process. Some examples of workplaces where space can be restricted include hospitals and dentists, train and bus stations, as well as the offices of small businesses. We want our RestSpace to fit into any type of workplace, no matter how big or small while making the most of the available space. Hence, we developed stackable pods to save space while also providing comfort and privacy. For the person using the upper pod, our stackable Rest Space now incorporates a sturdy yet stylish ladder. All of the additional features found in the single pod are also found in this stackable version, meaning that soundproofing and ventilation are as effective as they are in the standalone pods, ensuring a safe and comfortable resting environment. We'd love to hear from you and we appreciate any feedback on our Rest Spaces. We want to be as accommodating as possible to everyone’s sleep and rest needs in different workplaces. If you have any questions or want to learn more about What makes our Rest Space the best place to rest?, or Are nap pods in hospitals here to stay?, do Get in Touch with us to find out more about our RestSpace.

With the new year in place, it's also the perfect time to set new goals. That's what January is for, right? Testing those resolutions and trying to stick to them! Whether it's at home or in the workplace, it's important to look after yourself in both aspects, and what better way to start 2022 than with planning new ways of taking care of your body both mentally and physically. As the world learned back in 2020, things can turn around pretty quickly and we don't know where our lives will lead us. That could be a new change to permanently working at home, or going back to the workplace after a long time with new rules in place, or possibly even a complete career change. Especially with lockdowns, stricter safety measures, and many all over the world spending more time at home over the last two years, taking care of oneself and one's wellness has become a bigger topic. Guardian Australia recently asked its readers to share how the pandemic has made them rethink their lives, in which one reader mentioned that "the pandemic has made me consider working differently" after beginning their working life with long hours, and another stated that "physical health has become more of a priority" in which they were able to focus on their weight management and hair loss with a change of pace in their work. With that being said, one suggestion we at Rest Space strongly recommend for a new year goal is focusing on our sleep and how we manage our routine. It may sound so simple, but it's something that still needs a lot of research and exploring. Rest is vital for a human to be able to function well and that isn't just the 7, 8, 9 hours our bodies should be getting per night, but also a power nap throughout the day. This is for anyone working in any kind of role or industry, in case you may be thinking this is targeted at those only working extremely long shifts. A quick break for your brain and body can help you regain your energy to continue with what the rest of your day brings at similar levels pre-nap, no matter if it is a workday or a day off! Whatever it is we may be doing, as little as 10-15 minutes of your eyes closed can leave us feeling more refreshed, more productive, and more motivated. Sleep is important for a human to be able to navigate through their day-to-day life with complete focus and concentration. A UK survey has found that one in four doctors in the NHS are so tired that their ability to treat patients has become impaired. One consultant mentioned that their "sleep deprivation was affecting my daily work and I didn’t realise it until a near miss happened". Though important to note a nap shouldn't be substituted for missed hours in one's sleeping schedule, it can reduce the risk of any kinds of accidents and harm, as well as reduce the chances of illnesses such as heart disease. The immune system is strengthened by receiving the rest we need and it is essential we maintain a schedule that aligns with our body's preferences. A short quiet time per day can increase your alertness, clear your mind and reduce stress. Being able to implement such a booster into your day brings you more benefits and positives for yourself and your body than one may think or know. And of course, if you are returning to work in the office, in person, maybe at the hospital - wouldn't it be great to have an actual rest area? Or even just some time to nap? You may have heard stories of people napping at work (and even while working from home). In a study done by Plushbeds, 68% of respondents admitted to having napped at work before. With an aim for napping to become more common, napping areas and nap pods come into question. It'd be great to bring up the idea for your workplace if it isn't already being discussed - more employees and employers should be encouraged to take these resting factors into account. And this is what we strive for at Rest Space - to bring more awareness of the importance of sleep, and normalising napping! Make it an area to focus on if you haven't yet got many ideas and are still looking at ways to make this a better year. We are happy to provide a source of materials throughout our website, blogs, and other social networks, as well as become a point of contact for more information!

Despite thousands of years of caffeine consumption, it is only in the last 60 years that we have started to understand how it works to give us these glorious effects. In the UK, we now drink approximately 98 million cups of coffee per day! But how much do we know about the coffee we are drinking? I am not just talking about its origins, production or impact on the environment. I am talking about why it works and how it keeps us alert. How much do we know about caffeine, the most popular psychoactive drug in the world? Is there an optimal time to drink coffee? How much is too much? How is it impacting your body? How does coffee work As the brain uses up energy throughout the day the by-product is adenosine. As we go through the day, adenosine rises. Adenosine is responsible for the sleepy feeling, hence the longer we are awake the sleepier we feel. High adenosine levels in the brain indicate the brain has been very active and needs to rest. Caffeine works by blocking our adenosine receptors, in turn stopping the adenosine making us sleepy. This is how caffeine makes us feel more alert, but how does it lift our mood? Some adenosine receptors are linked to dopamine receptors, dopamine is the chemical that makes us feel ‘happy’. When the adenosine uses the receptors it makes it harder for the dopamine to use them, so we get less of this ‘happiness’ hormone. Caffeine enables the paired dopamine/adenosine receptors to focus on the dopamine by blocking the adenosine from using the receptors. Adenosine receptors are also found in the heart and kidneys. When adenosine activates these receptors it decreases their activity slowing down the heart and urine production. This is a way to give these organs a rest, as with the brain. When these receptors are blocked by caffeine the opposite occurs, heart rate increases and more urine is produced. How does this affect us?- The good, the bad and the unknown The caffeine love Caffeine makes us feel more alert by blocking the adenosine receptors in turn telling us it’s time to rest by slowing us down. It lifts our mood by enabling more dopamine. This positive effect of caffeine makes us love it and become dependant on it. On the other hand, over alertness leads to headaches and dizziness, increased heart rate to jitteriness and increased urine production to dehydration. In short, it makes you feel more alert, happier and energised but it also increases your blood pressure, heart rate, stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline and causes increased urination or diarrhoea. The caffeine crash The effect of caffeine only lasts for two to four hours depending on your sensitivity. While you are under the glorious effects of caffeine, your adenosine levels are still rising. When the caffeine starts to wear out, your receptors are ‘unblocked’ and the adenosine floods in. Resulting in an energy ‘crash’ like effect. Increased caffeine tolerance As your adenosine receptors are not able to be used by adenosine, your body can create more adenosine receptors. Over time you need to consume more and more caffeine to stay alert, as you need more caffeine to block the extra receptors your body created. The caffeine withdrawal Our bodies become physically and psychologically dependent on caffeine. When we cut it out we may experience; headaches, anxiety, irritability, low mood, tremors, difficulty concentrating. The increased adenosine receptors help us understand some of what is going on when we experience caffeine withdrawal. It is encouraging to note it only takes a few days without caffeine for the body to adjust and reduce the number of receptors although the withdrawal symptoms may last longer. Often without us noticing withdrawal symptoms cause us to drink more caffeine to counteract them leading to a mild dependence on caffeine How much caffeine? After 200mg (2 cups) of coffee, you do not get any extra benefits from coffee. If 200mg was not enough for you to wake up, focus or feel better then you need a nap. After 200mg of coffee, you start to experience more of the negative effects of caffeine. Over the long term, this leads to increased burnout, depression and anxiety. When to have your coffee? One of the challenges we have with caffeine impacting our sleep is that it has a half-life of 6-7 hours. Six to seven hours after you consume caffeine half of it is still in your system even though the bulk of its positive effects have worn out. This makes caffeine's quarter-life 12 hours. If you have a cup of caffeine at noon, it is equal 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 and increase the amount of caffeine you drink. Needing to drink coffee soon after you wake up maybe an indicator you are not sleeping well at night. Having caffeine after midday will certainly impact your nighttime sleep. My current aim is to keep my caffeine consumption before midday and try to drink decaf. Unfortunately, that means watching the red bulls, coke, energy drinks and coffee when we need it the most or on nights out. Don’t despair because a 20min nap can give you the same benefits as your caffeine hit with none of the side effects. Caffeine is a sleep disruptor - but it doesn't affect me Many people claim they can drink caffeine before bed and it doesn’t impact their sleep. More studies are finding out how it impacts our sleep and how oblivious we are to this impact. Caffeine impacts our sleep quality, how long it takes for us to fall asleep and increases the amount we wake up at night. One study shows, on average when people had a cup of coffee at 7 am it took 20 minutes longer to fall asleep at night and they woke twice as much compared to when they didn’t drink coffee. As a result, they woke up less refreshed the next day. ‘One dose of caffeine in the evening decreases the amount of deep sleep by about 20%, that's equivalent to aging 15 years to have that type of impact on your sleep. ‘ Matthew Walker Those that say that coffee doesn't affect them may be oblivious to the impact. As the study mentioned suggests as well as this ad hoc antidote from Dr Amy Benders research. In a study looking at quitting smoking, the sleep architecture of one individual who drank a cup of coffee before bed and claimed it didn’t impact them showed they woke up 22 times per hour without realising. This was double the amount than when they didn't drink caffeine. Try it, cut out your caffeine and see if after the withdrawal period your sleep improves. But I Love my coffee As the saying goes, ‘everything in moderation'. I love my coffee too and there is a better way we can enjoy our coffee that has less of an impact on our sleep. There are a lot of other health benefits linked to coffee, so maybe cutting it completely out isn't the purpose. Here are some ideas you can consider incorporating into your life. For most of us, cutting down caffeine can potentially make our productivity go up. ‘Drink caffeine strategically, not automatically.’ Dr Amy Bender Drink caffeine only a few hours into your day, having your coffee after midday will certainly have some impact on your sleep Caffeine detox -Introduce days where you have no caffeine to minimize your caffeine dependency. Drink decaf - although decaf is not actually uncaffeinated it has significantly less caffeine. Caffeine should NOT be used to avoid sleep - Don’t drink caffeine to keep yourself up for longer, (unless you are working a night shift of course). In a few hours time when you are ready to hit the hay, the caffeine will be playing against you. Adequate sleep is required for the brain, heart, kidneys and body to rest and recuperate, adenosine is our indicator the brain and body needs to rest. Weaning yourself off caffeine gradually is a good way to avoid heavy withdrawal symptoms. Be Careful not to replace it with sugars and other stimulants. The unknown Children shouldn't drink caffeine as the effects of caffeine on a developing brain are currently unknown. There are some benefits and side effects of coffee that are still apparent even when someone consumes decaf coffee. This indicates there is more going on here with coffee that we are yet to understand. Decaf coffee is processed and a lot of nutritionists as a rule of thumb recommend we avoid processed foods. There are no harmful effects of decaf coffee known to us currently, subsequently there is not much research into it. Some methods of decaffeinating coffee require chemicals and others are more ‘natural’ using purified water techniques. Decaffeination methods have been around since 1905 but the jury is still out on whether it is ‘healthy’. A common stance is everything in moderation, copious amounts of a good thing can make it bad for you. Enjoy your coffee strategically, replace your need for it with good sleep and great naps! More on this topic TED Ed How does caffeine keep us awake? - Hanan Qasim How Caffeine destroys Your Sleep & Productivity! | Matthew Walker & Dr Chattergee Managing fatigue whilst working Taking naps at a conference: improving the attendee's experience Can Workplace Napping Transform Employee Wellbeing?