The 'Rest Renaissance': How to actually get a good night's sleep
We're amid a 'Rest Renaissance'. Social media is awash with wind-down schedules, sleep routines and advice on how to get a good night's sleep.
As an antidote to hustle culture and hyper-productivity, there's a renewed focus on slowing down, doing less, living more mindfully, and prioritising sleep, which is billed as the foundation of healthy habits.
But getting enough sleep is more than a tick box on a wellbeing trend list; it is a cornerstone of our health. Matthew Walker pioneered the critical importance of sleep and brought it back to the forefront of public consciousness with his 2017 book, Why We Sleep.
This approachable text from the Professor of Neuroscience outlines the benefits of good sleep (enhanced memory, cognitive function, and creativity) and the risks of not getting enough, which are linked to degenerative diseases such as dementia.
Since its release, we've become more health conscious. The sober movement is stronger than ever, and slow living is actively encouraged online — in 2024, #slowliving was used more than six million times on Instagram alone.
"There has been a cultural shift," Dr Chris Mosunic, Chief Clinical Officer at Calm, tells Country Living. "People are becoming more aware of the impacts of quality sleep and its connection to good mental health.
"Just a few years ago, people would wear little sleep as a badge of honour. We're moving in a more positive direction, where people evaluate their sleep habits and build routines that help them disconnect and feel more rested."
The need for rest is nothing new, but we often let its importance slide down the priority list in our fast-paced and demanding modern world. "The latest stats show 74,000 Brits turning to Google every month looking for help with insomnia," Dr Deborah Lee, of Dr Fox Online Pharmacy, tells us.
"It's one of the most frequently searched topics. This is probably fuelled by the 'Great UK Stress Epidemic', with 63% of us saying we feel stressed at least once a week. This figure has doubled in the past five years; the aftermath of COVID-19 and the cost of living crisis have taken their toll. Stress is a major cause of poor sleep."
When it comes to mitigating challenges and optimising our time for rest, there's a lot of noise online; from magnesium baths to an exhausting amount of supplements — all promising better sleep are just some of the 'miracle' cures for poor sleep.
But fads aside, there are science-backed ways to get better rest — and some of these trends give us some valuable tips on rest, even if their effects can be somewhat exaggerated. We asked experts to unpack the different forms of rest, the stages of sleep, and how to get a better night's shut-eye and wake up feeling refreshed.
What is a good night's sleep?
According to the Sleep Foundation, healthy adults need at least seven hours of sleep nightly for the body to rest and repair. Babies and children need even more sleep to enable healthy growth and development.
The quality of your sleep also matters, with factors like stress, sugar, caffeine and alcohol disrupting sleep patterns. If you're repeatedly waking up in the middle of the night, you should look into your routine and whether you could limit any of these stressors on the body.
What are the different types of rest?
"Understanding the different types of rest can be helpful in our approach to well-being, allowing us to find more energy and fulfilment in our lives," Dr Chris explains.
According to Dr Chris, the key types of rest are:
Physical rest: Quality sleep is a significant part of physical rest, but it also includes activities like lying down, relaxing your muscles, and engaging in gentle movement. These actions can help your body recover from the physical demands of daily life, reduce muscle tension, and boost energy levels.
Mental rest: Your brain constantly processes information, makes decisions and solves problems. Mental rest can give your mind a break from this relentless activity. Mindfulness practices — like meditation, taking short breaks during workdays, or engaging in hobbies that let your mind wander — can help achieve mental rest.
Emotional rest: This type of rest means allowing yourself to feel and express your emotions healthily. It's about being honest with your feelings, seeking support if needed, and stepping away from emotionally draining situations.
Sensory rest: Sensory rest involves reducing stimulation overload. This might be as simple as turning off your electronic devices, embracing quietness, dimming lights, or enjoying nature.
Social rest: This involves surrounding yourself with positive and supportive people while distancing yourself from draining or stressful relationships. This can help build stronger, more fulfilling relationships and significantly improve your mood and outlook.
However, Jeff Kahn, Co-Founder and CEO of the RISE sleep app, argues that while all rest is important, none can replace sleep. "It's only sleep that can fulfil all of the body's restorative needs, such as memory consolidation, hormonal regulation, and physical repair," he told us.
Before continuing, "Other forms of rest are supplemental — they're valuable, especially when sleep isn't possible, but ultimately, they can’t substitute the profound, wide-reaching benefits of sleep itself."
Dr. Daniella Marchetti, Ph.D., DBSM, echoed this sentiment, telling Country Living: "Sleep plays a role in preventing exhaustion and burnout, albeit in different ways. While we engage in deep sleep or slow wave [both none-rapid-eye-movement (NREM) types of sleep], our brain can release human growth hormone that aids tissue repair, muscle development, and growth.
She continued: "Sleep also helps with the consolidation of short-term memory into long-term memory, which can aid concentration, prevent cognitive decline, and improve critical thinking. Without proper sleep, basic tasks may begin to feel more effortful and put more stress on the body during waking hours."
What are the different stages of sleep, and which is most important?
Sleep has four stages:
Light sleep (stages 1 and 2)
Deep sleep (stage 3)
REM sleep (stage 4)
"Each plays a crucial role in keeping you healthy," Dr Jeff explains. "Light sleep helps transition into deeper stages and maintains overall rest, while deep sleep focuses on physical recovery, immune function, and cell repair."
The sleep expert continues: "REM sleep is essential for memory consolidation, emotional processing, and creative thinking."
We can get bogged down in — and even obsessive over — tracking our health and monitoring sleep cycles, which has become a huge trend. However, Dr Jeff advises focusing on getting a good night's sleep rather than being preoccupied with sleep stages.
"You don't need to weigh the relative importance of these stages or think about tradeoffs," he told us. "By meeting your full sleep need, your brain will naturally distribute the right amount of time across each stage based on its needs. The brain is remarkably good at balancing sleep stages, prioritising what it needs most on any given night."
However, if we're sleep-deprived, our body's ability to move through the stages of sleep can be impaired. Dr Daniella explains: "The typical person experiences more slow-wave sleep in the first half of the night and more REM sleep in the second half of the night. Each sleep cycle lasts about 90 minutes and is cycled through 4-5 times a night.
"But if you are chronically sleep deprived, you may experience REM rebound, where the body tries to compensate for sleep loss and jumps you into REM upon falling asleep."
How to rest well
We asked our sleep experts for the most effective ways to improve your sleep. Good habits take time to yield results, so patience and consistency are key.
Avoid stimulants late in the day: Avoid caffeine after noon (the exact time for you will depend on your bedtime; caffeine has a half-life of 5-7 hours) and heavy meals late in the day.
Create the right environment: Make sure your bedroom is cool, dark, quiet and you have a comfortable bed.
Be consistent: Keep a regular sleep schedule, even on weekends, to keep your circadian rhythm aligned.
Unwind before bed: Practices like journaling or relaxation exercises before bed can help you unwind.
Adjust your lighting: Keep lights dim in the evening and get bright light first thing in the morning.
Be wary of naps: Don't sleep in the daytime if you suffer from insomnia. You build a natural sleep drive during the day, and if you nap, this is interrupted.
It's also important to take note when we're not getting enough sleep.
"Understanding the indicators of poor sleep quality can help identify whether you're truly getting restorative rest," Dr Chris, explains. "Identifying these signs in your own sleep patterns can be the first step toward finding ways to improve your sleep quality."
If you are looking to improve your sleep, be wary of sleeping tablets, Dr Deborah tells us.
"Sleeping pills are not the answer," she states. "Benzodiazepines reduce the quality of sleep. They also disrupt your natural Circadian rhythms, and you wake feeling groggy the following morning.
"There are many different types of sleeping pills, most of which are anti-anxiety medications. Some, such as benzodiazepines, are addictive. All have side effects. Doctors are very unwilling to prescribe sleeping pills unless there are serious clinical or extenuating reasons."
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