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Tired even after a good night's sleep? You might need a different kind of rest.
Maybe you slept for eight hours but still feel drained. Maybe a quiet weekend at home left you more restless than refreshed. Or perhaps you come home from a busy shopping centre or a long day of meetings and need to lie in a dark room before you can do anything else.
Sleep is only one kind of rest. Physician Dr Saundra Dalton-Smith describes seven types of rest, and each one addresses a different kind of tiredness. For neurodivergent people, some of these can matter a lot. Sensory overload, masking in social situations and a brain that won't switch off at night all wear us down in ways that sleep alone doesn't fix.
Join Neurospicy in Bayside for a relaxed, practical session where we'll go through the seven types of rest and talk about which ones might be missing from your week.
The seven types of rest

  • Physical rest: sleep, naps, stretching and gentle movement
  • Mental rest: giving your brain a break from racing thoughts, for example by writing a to-do list before bed so you don't have to hold it in your head
  • Sensory rest: reducing input such as noise, bright lights and screens, for example by using noise-cancelling headphones on public transport
  • Emotional rest: having places where you can say how you really feel without filtering it
  • Social rest: time with people who don't require you to mask, or time alone if you need it
  • Creative rest: doing something that refills your ideas, like walking at the beach or working on a hobby with no deadline
  • Spiritual rest: feeling connected to something bigger than yourself, such as a community, a cause or nature

What we'll do

  • Go through each type of rest and what it can look like for neurodivergent people
  • Work out which types of tiredness you notice most often
  • Share practical ideas with others in the group
  • Leave with one or two small things to try in the coming week

What to expect
A relaxed, neurodivergent-friendly environment with no pressure to share. You can participate, observe, take breaks and engage at your own pace. Group discussion is encouraged but never compulsory.
Your host
Jeremy Nagel is the founder of Focus Bear and Neurospicy in Bayside. He creates tools, events and communities to help neurodivergent people work with their brains rather than against them.
Disclaimer
The seven types of rest is a popular framework from Dr Dalton-Smith's book. It is a useful way to think about tiredness, but it has not been tested as a clinical model. This session is for educational and peer support purposes. It is not medical or psychological advice.
Places are limited, so please book early.

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