Rest and Sleep Across the Lifespan

Course overview

While the category of rest and sleep was just added to the list of occupational areas within our field's scope of practice, it has long had an impact on the way individuals function. People who get too much, too little, or poor quality sleep are at risk of experiencing physical and mental health concerns and decreased quality of life. Individuals who do not get the right kind of rest also experience poorer health outcomes along with higher healthcare costs and service utilization. Sleep concerns do not discriminate, so it's possible for individuals to experience trouble sleeping across the lifespan. Sleep difficulties can co-occur with other health concerns, complicate the treatment process, and even cause additional health concerns to arise. For this reason, occupational therapists should be prepared to provide patients with both preventive and remediatory interventions focused on productive sleep and rest. Sleep and rest interventions clearly align with the Occupational Therapy Practice Framework, as they are heavily impacted by a person's client factors, performance patterns, routines, habits, roles, and a variety of contextual factors.