You’re sleeping, but not resting — the 6 sleep types that fix real fatigue

Lately, eight hours hasn’t been enough.

I slept at the right time, and woke up at the right hours. I was still tired. I thought, perhaps, it’s because of the weekday. On the weekend, I slept throughout the day and the night.

I was still tired.

And wired, a word that I didn’t know that I could really be. I thought that I had been doing everything right, no scrolling and snacking.

And still no rest.

As our experts have previously explained to us, sleep is a state of rest, yes, but not all rest is created equal. And if the wrong kind is missing, your body will still feel like it’s running on empty, as Saundra Dalton-Smith’s ‘7 types of rest theory’ explains. While you may be sleeping enough, you could still be missing key types of restorative rest your brain and body desperately need.

So, what are these missing pieces? And how can you get the kind of sleep that actually leaves you refreshed?

So, here are the six different types of sleep that your body still craves, as explained by Dalton. You can read our previous stories too, on how to conquer weekend fatigue and bad sleep patterns.

Think: Muscle recovery, immune repair, actual physical stillness.

This is what most people picture when they think of ‘good sleep”— and it starts with deep, slow-wave sleep. It’s when your body slows everything down to rebuild tissue, release growth hormone, and reset. In his book Why we sleep , Matthew Walker summarizes research showing how deep NREM sleep supports tissue repair, hormonal regulation, such as growth hormone release and immune function.

Signs you're missing it: You wake up sore, heavy, or as if you ran a marathon in your dreams. Even after 8 hours, you still feel physically drained.

How to fix it:

Limit caffeine after 2PM

You need to give your brain a break from constant decision-making and information processing. During REM (Rapid Eye movement) sleep, your brain consolidates memories, solves problems, and detoxes — literally.

Signs you're missing it:

You’re forgetful, easily distracted, overwhelmed by simple tasks, or mentally tired even after rest.

Fix it:

·         Wind down with no screens 1 hour before bed

·         Journal out racing thoughts

·         Try calming breathing techniques (like box breathing)

·         Add ‘do-nothing breaks into your day.

You’ve been trying hard to keep it together for too long. Grief, or just pretending you’re fine, you’ve been in a constant ‘on’ mode. Your nervous system has been activated for a long time.  As Dalton explained as part of a Ted Talk, How to be a better human series, “Emotional rest also requires the courage to be authentic. An emotionally rested person can answer the question “How are you today?” with a truthful “I’m not okay” — and then go on to share some hard things that otherwise go unsaid.”

Signs you're missing it:

You wake up anxious, reactive, or emotionally numb. Sleep feels shallow or interrupted.

Fix it:

There’s too much noise around. Phones. Traffic. Lights. The tight clothing. And so, sensory sleep means allowing your nervous system to detox from constant input.

Signs you're missing it:

You wake up irritable, tense, or overwhelmed by lights, sounds, or textures. Even sleep feels ‘noisy.’

Fix it:

It’s about how your relationships drain or restore you. Constant people-pleasing, Zoom fatigue, or navigating conflict: That’s taxing. Just like introverts need alone time, extroverts need connection to feel alive.

Signs you're missing it:

You feel lonely, resentful, socially exhausted or fake. Even sleep doesn’t “shake it off.”

·         Fix it:

We don’t just dream at night. Creative sleep is about mental spaciousness, inspiration, wonder, things we rarely experience when stuck in back-to-back meetings or endless to-do lists.

Signs you're missing it:

You feel uninspired, stuck, or bored. You’re not dreaming much. You dread your creative projects.

Fix it:

·         Give yourself unstructured time — no goals, just play

·         Expose yourself to beauty: art, nature, music

·         Doodle, daydream, or free-write

·         Sleep near open windows. studies show natural air and light boosts dream activity

So, what kind of rest am I really missing? Once you identify your gap, whether it’s emotional, physical, creative or sensory — you can begin to gently build it back into your life. Remember, you weren’t designed to function on productivity alone. You were built for restoration, too.

So maybe what you need isn’t more sleep — it’s the right kind of rest.