Ruthie Ayzenberg

Therapist

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Ruthie Ayzenberg

Conversation Starter 15 Jun 2026

Sleep vs rest

I've been thinking a lot lately about the ingredients that can help create a restful night. Whether it's trouble falling asleep, waking up in the middle of the night, or lying there worrying and watching the clock tick by for hours-- it's a situation all too relatable to so many. One thing I've noticed is how much the days affect the nights. When we move through the day from one thing to the next without pauses to clear the mind, all the accumulated thoughts and feelings show up at night right when you lay down to rest; it's the first opportunity they have for your attention, when it is finally quiet and there is nothing else to do. Small intentional mind clearning practices during the day, like journaling, meditation, yoga, reflective time in nature, etc., can make a big difference in arriving to the night with more mental and physiological freedom to welcome the state of sleep.

What do you find helpful in creating the conditions for a restful night?

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Hannah-Valeria 16 Jun 2026 at 23:26

Thank you raising such an important topic. I really appreciate this distinction between rest and sleep! I really agree with what you listed as those things that help me or others who I know or work with to fall asleep. I also find that physical activity in the second part of the day and spending some quality time or quality interactions with our loved ones can also help to transition to a more relaxed mental state and eventually fall asleep. Not having the threat of the sirens and missile rocket launches help too!!

AY 19 Jun 2026 at 15:19

Thanks for raising this topic for conversation. I find that on days that I go for a run, I fall asleep better at night. However, I find that if the run is to close to bedtime, then it'll still take a while to fall asleep.

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