Not all rest is sleep: reflections on energy, fatigue, and 7 types of rest

Lately I’ve been thinking about the kind of rest that goes deeper than sleep. Fatigue is one of the most common symptoms in autoimmune and chronic pain conditions. It’s the type that doesn’t go away with a nap.

For years I tried to manage my own fatigue by improving my sleep — better bedtime routines, more hours in bed — believing it would eventually make me feel like myself again. It didn’t.

In Sacred Rest, Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith describes how we often confuse sleep with rest, missing other forms of restoration our bodies and nervous systems need. She outlines seven types of rest, each aimed at a different part of our wellbeing. This framework is useful for anyone living with chronic illness, fatigue, or burnout.

1. Physical rest
This includes both passive rest (sleep, naps, lying down) and active rest (gentle stretching, slow movement, bodywork). For some people with chronic illness, active rest is more replenishing than complete stillness.

2. Mental rest
When the mind feels overactive — constant problem-solving, looping worries — mental rest involves intentional pauses. This can mean journaling, breaking up cognitive tasks, or having set times away from screens.

3. Sensory rest
Chronic illness can heighten sensitivity to noise, light, and screen use. Sensory rest is reducing that input — dimming lights, closing your eyes, limiting device time — to give the senses a break.

4. Creative rest
Restoring a sense of curiosity and inspiration, often through time in nature, art, or music. Chronic illness can push creativity aside, but even small moments of visual or sensory engagement can lift mental fatigue.

5. Emotional rest
Making space to be honest about how you feel. This can be telling someone you’re struggling, writing for yourself, or having a conversation where you don’t have to filter your words.

6. Social rest
Spending more time with people who energise you, and less with those who drain you. This doesn’t always mean fewer social interactions, but choosing ones that feel supportive.

7. Spiritual rest
Feeling connected to something beyond yourself — through nature, meditation, prayer, or community. It’s about having a sense of belonging and perspective.

Since learning this framework, I’ve started asking: What kind of tired am I? It’s helped me look beyond sleep and notice where I’m missing other forms of rest, especially sensory and emotional.

For people with chronic illness, managing fatigue often means more than sleeping well. Understanding these different types of rest can help target the areas that need it most.