JeffCo Health Board Update: 7/14/2021

This year has been one like no other. It has been exhausting. There have been long work hours filled with stressful experiences. It has been difficult to maintain healthy habits. Getting enough rest has been especially challenging. Last week I took some much-needed time away from work. I had planned to stay home, go nowhere, see no one and knock out some long overdue projects. This is how the introverted side of me rejuvenates.

Plans change and mine did. My mother wanted to visit her sister in another state. She needed a traveling companion to be able to go. My restful week at home morphed into a week of travel, family time and little sleep. However, it was restful.

We often use the terms “sleep” and “rest” in similar ways. Both are important in a person’s well-being. Many of us know how important sleep is to our overall health and well-being. What about rest. What is the difference between sleep and rest?

Better sleep has many health benefits. Our brains are dependent upon quality sleep to improve nerve cell function, remove toxins and form memories. Not only does restful sleep improve cognitive function, it improves mood and overall mental health. Sleep also influences heart health and weight regulation. Sleep is an essential function that impacts all our body systems from cognitive function to immune health. Good sleep helps us rest, recover and recharge.

Rest, too, has positive outcomes for our physical, mental, and emotional health. Rest can be more difficult to define because it may look different for each of us. It may be active, such as an enjoyable exercise or practicing mindfulness. Rest may be passive, such as deep breathing or lying down. It may be a change in your regular routine or reconnecting with people you care about. Restful activities help us to recover and recharge which is why rest is associated with better physical and mental health.

Recommendations are that adults get 7-8 hours of quality sleep each night. We can facilitate good sleep by establishing a sleep schedule and routine, exercising daily, limiting caffeine and trading screen time for a relaxing activity at least one hour before bed. Even though there is no standard amount of rest time need to promote health, we can incorporate rest into our daily routine. Unwinding and enjoying life is an important part of maintaining good health.