Does rest actually benefit someone who can't sleep?

Factual Questions
1

I’ve never been a very good sleeper. When I was young and couldn’t sleep, my parents would insist that “rest” - meaning you lie in bed with your eyes closed- wasn’t quite as good as sleeping, but that it would help restore your energy so you could face the next day, anyway. After trying to sleep for four hours on TH night, and eventually getting two hours sleep before getting up to go shopping, I began to wonder about this theory of theirs…

Does staying in bed quietly when you can’t sleep actually do anything positive? You aren’t wasting energy by being up and about, and getting bored does increase the chance that you’ll eventually fall asleep, but other than that is it any better for you than relaxing and watching TV or reading a book?

2

If you’re a parent, it certainly does - it gets the overtired kid out of your hair for a few hours!

3

As I understand it, the body needs to rest so as to rebuild and replenish the muscles. Just laying quietly will suffice I’m told.

A true insomniac is pretty rare as the mind ( brain ) needs to rest also.

Not a fun way to live IMO.

Good luck.

4

I dunno, sometimes I sleep in too late on weekends so I can’t fall asleep Sunday night, and while I’ll lie in bed until about 3am as still as possible with my eyes closed I definitely feel a lot more tired in the morning compared to a normal night’s sleep.

5

I’ve been an insomniac since the late 70s, and for all that time lying down, possibly reading, has been almost as good as sleeping. I can definitely notice a change in my physical capabilities (ie weightlifting, bicycling) the day after a restless night, and if I was sitting quietly, I’m much, much better off than if I was puttering around doing laundry or something.