Buzz
If you often feel overwhelmed with activity, you're far from alone. A recent survey, conducted across 134 countries with over 18,000 participants, revealed that 68% of people believe they aren’t getting sufficient rest.
While previous studies have examined the harmful health effects of inadequate sleep, there’s still little insight into the wider impact of not resting enough. To spark conversation about the importance of rest and encourage further research, Durham University in the UK launched an online survey known as the Rest Test.
The survey questioned participants about their resting habits, average time spent resting, and what activities they found most relaxing. It also asked them to assess their overall well-being. The findings were shared on the BBC Radio 4 show 'The Anatomy of Rest', and the full analysis will be released next year. For now, a summary of the survey results can be viewed here.
Researchers discovered that over two-thirds of participants felt they weren’t getting enough rest, with 32% believing they needed more rest than the average person. Only 10% claimed they required less rest than others. Those who felt they needed more rest tended to report lower well-being, while those who either needed less rest or had more time to rest showed higher well-being. Activities considered most restful included reading, spending time in nature, and being alone.
'These findings highlight how essential it is for our well-being that we make time for rest,' says Radio 4 host Claudia Hammond. 'We can start to determine what the ideal amount of rest is and how best to achieve it.'
