Thinking Beyond Science

In today’s world, technology and globalisation keep turning up the pace of our lives. Many of us now chase productivity in every waking moment, turning to caffeine and energy drinks for a quick boost, always striving to do more, faster. “Downtime” — once a term for machinery in need of rest — has become a guilty luxury, a brief pause we rarely allow ourselves. Yet, when night comes and we finally collapse into bed, desperate for sleep, true rest proves elusive. Why can’t we just stop and be?

The Cost of Constant Motion
Modern life demands a near-constant state of alertness. The surge in digital technology means information is always streaming in, and there’s greater pressure than ever to maximise productivity. Many of us feel as if we live on a treadmill that’s only speeding up, wreaking havoc on our energy and, crucially, on sleep itself. The more we try to cram into our days, the less able we become to wind down at night. This is a struggle not just for individuals, but a societal shift that shows up in clinics, counselling sessions, and conversations all over the world.

Humans Thrive on Rhythm, Not Relentlessness
Unlike machines, humans are not built for relentless linear activity. The 19th-century physiologist Claude Bernard introduced the idea of homeostasis: organisms make small, constant adjustments to maintain internal balance in the face of external change. This ability to “oscillate” — to move between energy use and energy renewal — is vital for survival. For example, when you eat chocolate, your blood sugar rises, triggering your pancreas to release insulin and bring it back down. This rhythmic adjustment keeps the body in equilibrium. When this system fails, as in diabetes, health deteriorates.

The day’s biggest “oscillation” is our circadian rhythm — the natural 24-hour cycle that governs sleep and wakefulness. But there’s also the ultradian rhythm, a shorter cycle of energy peaks and dips throughout the day — nature’s signal that we’re designed to rest and renew, not push through uninterrupted. When we ignore these natural rhythms, fatigue piles up and sleep suffers, as the body’s systems grow out of step with what they’re designed to do.

The Vanishing Art of Stopping
In the not-so-distant past, breaks were built into the fabric of daily life. People paused for tea or coffee, for lunch, and truly “switched off” when the work day ended. Today, those pauses have nearly disappeared. There is always something else demanding attention — emails, tasks, deadlines — and the pressure to keep “doing” leaves less and less room for rest. Perhaps unsurprisingly, sleep becomes harder to find, because the body and mind never truly stand down.

When we do surrender to sleep, it’s an act of trust and release: letting go of control, worries, and plans. But for many, life’s pressures keep us tightly wound all day, so much so that even at night, the mind races, and the body remains restless. Some people “work” all night, not just mentally but physically, tossing and turning, waking up more exhausted than before.

The Four Pillars of Restful Sleep
Truly restorative sleep doesn’t start when your head hits the pillow. It begins with building moments of rest into the day, allowing your body to remember the feeling of renewal. Four key elements form the core of sleep programmes that actually work:

• Rest is essential: Genuine, restorative sleep starts with moments of rest and pause in your daily routine.
• Flexibility matters: Being able to adapt, both physically and mentally, encourages better sleep.
• Resourcefulness: There are many ways to renew energy throughout the day — sleep is just one of them.
• Safety: A sense of safety and acceptance is strongly connected to our ability to rest deeply.

When restlessness becomes the norm, it almost becomes a “muscle memory”: the more you forget how to rest, the harder it becomes to sleep. That’s why people sometimes feel “tired but wired” at bedtime — all day long the body has been in go mode, but hasn’t practiced the art of stopping.

Learning to Rest, So You Can Sleep
Many sleep programmes advise against any daytime rest, believing it will make you less likely to be tired at night. But in reality, learning to rest during the day — tuning in to your body’s needs for renewal — can teach your system to accept sleep at night. Rest is not a sign of weakness or defeat; it is essential, rhythmic, and entirely natural. Building pauses and softness back into daily life could be the key not only to better sleep, but to genuinely balanced living.

So, in a world that insists on more, faster, and always on, dare to oscillate. Allow yourself to stop, to rest, and remember: true energy is not found in constant motion, but in the dance between effort and renewal.

Source : Tired but Wired: How to Overcome Sleep Problems: The Essential Sleep Toolkit by Nerina Ramlakhan

Goodreads : https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8428851-tired-but-wired