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Physician breaks down the 7 kinds of rest people need and no wonder everyone's so exhausted

If you're tired despite getting enough sleep, you may need a different kind of rest.

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We need other kinds of rest besides sleep.

Do you frequently find yourself feeling exhausted, maybe not physically, but mentally, emotionally, or existentially? Do you ever feel tired no matter how much sleep you get? When someone says, "You need to get some rest," what does that mean to you?

Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith has an explanation for that. The internal medicine physician explains in a TED Talk that sleep and rest are not the same thing—we have incorrectly conflated the two—and that there are actually 7 types of rest every human needs. Sleep takes care of some of our need for rest, but certainly not all, and our lack of these other kinds of rest may explain why so many of us feel so spent so much of the time.

- YouTubeyoutu.be

If you're feeling tired, wiped out, spent, or otherwise exhausted, take a look at these 7 kinds of rest and see what you might need to incorporate more of into your life.

1. Physical rest

Dr. Dalton-Smith says that physical rest can be passive or active. Passive rest is what we often think of as physical rest, like sleeping or napping. Active physical rest includes things like stretching, massage, yoga, or other things we do to restore and refresh our bodies.

2. Mental rest

If you find your mind racing at night as you try to go to sleep, you may need some mental rest. Examples of mental rest include disconnecting from the constant mental stimuli of modern life, engaging in meditation and mindfulness exercises, using a notebook to spill your overflow of thoughts. Mental rest can be done in short spurts throughout the day or incorporated into your daily routine.

mental rest, sensory overload, rest, relaxation, taking a breakWe all need to give our minds and senses a break sometimes.Photo credit: Canva

3. Sensory rest

We live in a world of fairly constant sensory bombardment, and finding ways to relieve your senses can be a challenge. Dr. Dalton-Smith suggests sensory rest by turning off electronics, dimming lights, putting on comfortable clothes, embracing the stillness and quiet for a bit. Sitting in your car with the engine off an be a great place for sensory rest, as the car often blocks more sound than our homes do. Lying in a bathtub with your ears under the water is another way to create a sensory respite.

4. Creative rest

When we are constantly dealing with problems that need to be solved, our creative energy can get drained. Creative rest means doing things that restore our creative energy and awaken the awe and wonder that lie at the heart of creativity. This kind of rest includes things like indulging in the beauty of nature, enjoying an artistic performance or creation, or even something as simple as doodling. It can also mean setting up spaces around you that inspire you.

"Turn your workspace into a place of inspiration by displaying images of places you love and works of art that speak to you," suggests Dr. Dalton-Smith. "You can’t spend 40 hours a week staring at blank or jumbled surroundings and expect to feel passionate about anything, much less come up with innovative ideas."

rest, relaxing in nature, beauty of natureA little time enjoying nature's beauty can restore your creativity.Photo credit: Canva

5. Emotional rest

Some of us face more emotional demands than others, but all of us need breaks from them once in a while. Emotional rest might look like saying no to requests that you know will be emotionally draining, talking to a trusted friend or loved one about things you're struggling with, journaling to unload some emotional weight you've been carrying, or stepping away from the urge to people please. Emotional rest might also include talking to a therapist or counselor (though sometimes that's actually hard emotional work).

6. Social rest

Much is made about people being introverts or extroverts, but we all need social rest sometimes. Taking some time to be alone with no social expectations or obligations once in a while is healthy for everyone. But social rest can also mean recognizing which relationships in our lives drain us and which ones fill us up and choosing to engage with the latter. Keeping track of your social battery and doing what you need to do to recharge it is social rest.

meditation, spiritual rest, mindfulness, nurturing your spiritMeditation is one form of spiritual rest.Photo credit: Canva

7. Spiritual rest

Existential exhaustion requires tapping into something deeper, which is where spiritual rest comes in. Dr. Dalton-Smith describes spiritual rest as "the ability to connect beyond the physical and mental and feel a deep sense of belonging, love, acceptance and purpose." Spiritual rest might look like prayer or meditation for those who connect with a higher power, but it can also look like volunteering in your community, communing with nature, spending purposeful time with loved ones, or otherwise connecting with your spiritual side.

One thing that's clear in Dr. Dalton-Smith's explanations of different kinds of rest is that rest doesn't mean not doing anything. The purpose of rest is to restore and refresh, and that can actually mean doing something active. When we don't pay heed to the kinds of rest we need, we suffer. As Dr. Dalton-Smith says, ignoring those needs results in "a culture of high-achieving, high-producing, chronically tired, burned-out individuals."

We definitely need sleep, but when sleep alone isn't restoring us, we need to examine what other kinds of rest we may be deficient in. Dr. Dalton-Smith even created a quiz to help people determine where they might want to look for better rest, which you can take here. You can also find more of Dr. Dalton-Smith's thoughts on rest in her book, "Sacred Rest: Recover Your Life, Renew Your Energy, Restore Your Sanity."

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Australian plasma donor with rare antibody praised for saving 2.4 million babies' lives

James Harrison took a needle to the arm 1,173 times with no compensation—a real-life superhero.

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Plasma donations save lives.

Some people never donate blood due to medical conditions or a fear of needles. Others consent to be jabbed on occasion in order to replenish the life-saving blood and plasma supply at hospitals. Among people who donate blood in the U.S., the average frequency is about twice a year.

So imagine someone donating blood or plasma twice a month, every month, for 64 years, without fail.

From 1954 to 2018, an Australian man named James Harrison donated his blood every two weeks, never missing an appointment, according to Australian Red Cross Lifeblood. After receiving a blood transfusion himself during a major surgery on his lungs at age 14, Harrison vowed to become a donor. He made good on that promise from age 18 to age 81, having his blood drawn 1,173 times over more than six decades.

All blood donations are valuable, of course, but Harrison's plasma was particularly valuable because it carried the rare anti-D antibody. Discovered in the 1960s, anti-D immunoglobulin is used to treat pregnant mothers with Rh-negative blood, which can cause rhesus disease in a fetus with blood incompatibility. The anti-D antibody prevents rhesus disease—also known as haemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn (HDFN)—and it literally saves lives, as more than half of babies who develop the disease die from it. It's estimated that Harrison's anti-D-rich plasma saved the lives of 2.4 million babies in Australia during his lifetime.

Harrison held the world record for the most plasma donated by an individual from 2005 to 2022, and he was dubbed "The Man with the Golden Arm" in his home country. Despite earning multiple accolades and awards for his consistent donations over the decades, including In the Medal of the Order of Australia, one of the country's highest civilian honors, Harrison always stayed humble about his contributions.

"Some people say, 'Oh, you're a hero,'" Harrison told NPR in 2015. "But I'm in a safe room, donating blood. They give me a cup of coffee and something to nibble on. And then I just go on my way. … No problem, no hardship."

In the United States, people are usually paid for plasma donations with amounts ranging from $30 to $70 per donation. But Australia doesn't pay blood or plasma donors, so Harrison's donations were pure giving. Harrison's daughter, Tracey Mellowship, said her father was "very proud to have saved so many lives, without any cost or pain," his daughter, Tracey Mellowship, told the BBC. "He always said it does not hurt, and the life you save could be your own."

Harrison had already been a consistent blood donor for about a decade when the anti-D antibody was discovered and he found out he had the rare combination of RhD-negative blood and Rh+ antibodies, which made him an ideal plasma donor. He happily switched over to donating plasma—a similar process to giving blood, but quite a bit more time consuming, as the blood runs through a special machine to remove the plasma before being injected back into the donor. He wanted this blood to do the most good.

Blood Donate GIF by US_HHSGiphy

Lifeblood told NPR that more than 3 million doses of anti-D containing Harrison's blood have been issued to Australian mothers since 1967, including Harrison's own daughter. "As an anti-D recipient myself, he has left behind a family that may not have existed without his precious donations," Mellowship said in a statement. "It made him happy to hear about the many families like ours, who existed because of his kindness."

Harrison only stopped giving plasma at age 81 because he had aged out—Australia doesn't allow blood donations past age 81. he expressed sadness upon giving his final donation in 2018. "I'd keep on going if they let me," he told theSydney Morning Herald.

He lived another seven years, passing away in March of 2025. Lifeblood is working with an Australian research institute to create a way to continue using Harrison's anti-D antibodies long after his passing in a project they call "James in a Jar."

"Using the blood of James and other donors, the team has successfully recreated and grown his antibody in the lab — with the hope it will one day help prevent [HDFN], not just for pregnant women in Australia, but also worldwide," Lifeblood told NPR.

We often think of heroes as people who risk their own lives to save another, but selflessly donating time and blood throughout an entire lifetime to save millions of babies is no less heroic than deeds that make for dramatic headlines. Perhaps we might all consider donating blood or plasma in honor of Harrison's extraordinary commitment. The need is always there, and you never know how many lives you might save.

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Health

The forgotten link between Candy Land and polio and why it still matters

The history of the classic board game holds an important lesson about disease.

Photo credits: Amazon (left), Bror Brandt (right)

Candy Land was created for kids in the hospital with polio.

Candy Land has been adored by preschoolers, tolerated by older siblings, and dreaded by adults for generations. The simplicity of its play makes it perfect for young children, and the colorful candy-themed game has endured as an activity the whole family can do together.

Even for the grown-ups who find it mind-numbing to play, there's some sweet nostalgia in traversing the Peppermint Forest and avoiding the Molasses Swamp that tugs at us from our own childhoods. There are few things as innocent and innocuous as a game of Candy Land, but many of us may not know the dark reality behind how and why the game was invented in the first place.

candy landCandy Land has been a family favorite for decades, but it was originally created for kids with polio.m.media-amazon.com

Candy Land was invented by retired schoolteacher Eleanor Abbott while she recovered from polio in 1948. She was convalescing in a San Diego hospital surrounded by children being treated for the disease and saw how isolating and lonely it was for them. The game, which could be played alone and provided a fantasy world for sick children to escape to, become so popular among the hospital's young patients that Abbott's friends encouraged her to pitch it to game manufacturer Milton Bradley. The post-World-War-II timing turned out to be fortuitous.

“There was a huge market—it was parents who had kids and money to spend on them,” Christopher Bensch, Chief Curator at the National Toy Hall of Fame, told PBS. “A number of social and economic factors were coming together for [games] that were released in the [post-war era] that has kept them as evergreen classics." Candy Land soon became Milton Bradley's best-selling game.

Since the game doesn't require any reading or writing to play, children as young as 3 years old could enjoy it when they were feeling sad or homesick in the polio ward. As the polio epidemic ramped up in the early 1950s, the game gained even more popularity as parents often kept their kids indoors during polio outbreaks in their communities.

The polio vaccine changed the game—both for the disease and for Candy Land. Jonas Salk’s inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) was licensed in the spring of 1955 and a widespread vaccine campaign was launched. By 1961, polio cases had dropped from 58,000 to only 161. The disease was considered eradicated from the Americas in 1994, and, as of 2022, the only countries in the world to have any recorded cases were Pakistan and Afghanistan.

graph of polio cases from 1988 to 2021Vaccine GIF by World Health OrganizationGiphy

In the 70 years since the polio vaccine came out, Candy Land's connection to the disease has been lost, and it's now just a classic in the family board game cabinet. The fact that polio has so successfully been controlled and nearly eliminated makes it easy to forget that it used to be a devastating public health threat that spurred the need for the game in the first place. Children are routinely vaccinated for polio, keeping the disease at bay, but anti-vaccine messaging and fear threatens to impact the vaccination rates that have led to that success. Vaccination rates took a hit during the COVID-19 pandemic, and with the appointment of one of the most popular vaccine skeptics as the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, public health specialists are concerned.

There is no cure for polio, so the vaccine is by far our best weapon against it. According to infectious disease experts, it's not impossible for polio to make a comeback. “It’s pockets of the unimmunized that can bring diseases back," Patsy Stinchfield, former president of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases, told Scientific American. "If you have a community of people geographically close to each other and they all choose not to vaccinate, that community immunity is going to drop quickly. And if a person who has polio or is shedding polio enters that community, the spread will be much more rapid.”

Without herd immunity, vulnerable people such as babies who are too young to be vaccinated and people with compromised immune systems are at risk in addition to the unvaccinated. And since up to 70% of polio cases are asymptomatic, there can be a lot more disease circulating than it appears when symptomatic disease is detected. No one wants the serious outcomes that can come with polio, such as paralysis, the inability to breathe without assistance, or death, especially when outbreaks are entirely preventable through vaccine-induced community immunity.

The fact that kids have been able to enjoy Candy Land for decades without thinking about polio at all is a testament to vaccine effectiveness, but it's also a reminder of how easy it is to take that carefreeness for granted.

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Health

Is 98.6 still the 'normal' body temperature? Woman with fever sparks viral debate

There are a few reasons why we should be aiming lower.

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Is everything we learned in elementary school wrong?!

Ask anyone what the "normal" human body temperature is, and you’ll likely get the same answer—98.6. That’s the number we were told in elementary school, and that’s the number we’ve been running with ever since. Except, many of us begin to feel icky at much lower temperatures, so should 98.6 still be the golden standard? Where did this number even come from?

These were the questions that suddenly took up real estate in a woman named Jenna’s brain while she was ill last January. As she explained in a clip posted to TikTok (from bed, clearly sick as a dog, I might add) she was feeling “horrible” with a temperature of only 99.1.

Jenna’s confusion led her to doing a bit of research where she discovered that the “average” number of 98.6 came from a study done way back in 1860. The study she referred to was conducted by German physician Carl Reinhold August Wunderlich, who measured the armpit temperatures of around 25,000 people and calculated the average to be 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit.

@jennjenbean Anyone else feel like their face is burning and they are just feeling icky when their temperature is in the 90s and below 100°?
♬ original sound - Jenna

Wunderlich’s mean body temperature has since been dubbed “not flawed,” but outdated by Julie Parsonnet, who led a newer study at Stanford Medicine that found normal body temperature actually ranged from 97.3°F and 98.2°F, suggesting that 98.6 is now too high.

As Jenna also cited in her video, Parsonnet and the other researchers at Stanford surmise that this drop could be due to a variety of factors, such as advances in medical treatments (for example, in the 1860s, many people had chronic infections that couldn’t be treated, which would have affected temperatures) better hygiene, greater availability of food, and improved living standards, etc. But the major contribution seems to be that inflammation levels are lower, which would rev up metabolism and, subsequently, body temperature.

Honestly, it’s no wonder that Jenna—and others who watched her video—had much lower thresholds. As one viewer commented, “My normal is 97.6. If I get to 99 I definitely feel sick, anything over 100 and I can’t get out of bed.”

Another echoed, “I’m usually around 96 something, so 98 is a fever for me.”

Perhaps the biggest takeaway here is that there’s barely a “standard” at all. Sex, age, weight, height, and time of day all determine what’s considered "normal." And if you’re curious what your personal normal temperature is, Parsonnet created a nifty calculator found here.

This is also a case for really knowing your own body. Sure, a fever is still a telltale sign of illness, but since you can be sick without having a high temperature, it’s important to note what symptoms you’re experiencing, and, of course, to consult a doctor if you think something isn't right.

Even the most sound prevailing wisdom might lose its efficacy over time. After all, the world constantly changes, and we change along with it. This is just one of those things where what was taught to us as kids doesn't necessarily apply anymore. And while this might not be the hottest trivia to pull out at parties, it’s still interesting to know how times have indeed changed.

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