Four Remarkable Reasons to Sleep More in 2022 According to Human Design.

These days, it's almost a social obligation to say that you are busy. "How are you?" "Oh, you know, so, so busy." "How's work?" "So, so busy." The question is, with all this busyness, are we really being productive? There seems to be a lot of movement but not many results. How can we know if we are being busy the right way? What if what we need is more rest? Why do I need nine hours of sleep, and my friend insists that six hours is enough? Who is right, and who is wrong? Enter Human Design.

You may have heard about human design. Maybe you even ran your chart and got back a weird-looking graphic like the one in this article. It talked about your Type, Strategy, and many other things that probably didn't make a lot of sense to you. Human Design can be complex and challenging to understand at the beginning. The best way to approach it is to study little bits of it at the time and apply those bits of knowledge to an area of your life. I'll give you an example by explaining the need for sleep and rest that each Type has. If you don't know your Type, you can find out using the many free tools available, like mybodygraph.com or myhumandesign.com (these are not affiliate links, the tools are free).

Let's start with the basics. What is a Human Design Type? The first piece of information you receive in your chart is your Type. You can be one of four types: Generator, Manifestor, Projector, or Reflector. Generators may also be a subtype called Manifesting Generators, but those are still Generators. The Type, also known as the Aura, tells you the Energetic Design you have. It reveals your energy sources, and you can learn to operate better in your life. And, of course, it will help you better understand the amount of rest and sleep you need.

The First Reason to Prioritize Rest: You are a Generator.

Think about the word Generator: it is the same word as in a power generator. If you are a Generator, you are a source of power and energy. Your energy comes from your Sacral Center. All Generators have a Defined Sacral Center, so it appears colored up in your chart. That's excellent news. You are a source of energy for yourself. If you were cast away on an island, the next day you would be building a hut, starting a fire, fishing some dinner, and making a sock puppet called Wilson. All you need is a good night's sleep to wake up refreshed and ready for more. And yet, all over the place, you see Generators dragging their feet, feeling exhausted and on the edge of giving up. How is this possible?

Well, there is using energy, and there is wasting energy. Generators can work tirelessly if they are doing something they love. But when Generators find themselves in places they do not want to be, all the energy goes into trying too hard to do something that should be easy. I had a friend that was a terrible student back in High School. It was a constant fight with her mother, and I remember her angst: she was not slacking on purpose; it was just too hard. I worried about her. What if she could not cut it in college as her parents wanted? When we graduated, she got accepted into the Physical Therapy program at a university because her mother was a professor, and they gave faculty children a limited number of seats. Suddenly, my friend was a rock star. She was the best in her class. Even more incredible, she didn't mind at all pulling all-nighters studying anatomy, physiology, and kinesiology. Those are some of the hardest classes anyone can take. But she loved it all. She was a completely different person. The same thing happened with my High School sweetheart, also a mediocre student at the time. To this day, he still affirms that the only reason he got into a decent college was that my parents let us spend a lot of time together only if we were studying for the SATs. He didn't like books, but he enjoyed spending time with me. In the end, he got a decent score and went to business school, which he loved. He is now a prosperous entrepreneur.

Oftentimes, Generators hear that they are not good enough or not smart enough. But most likely, they are trying to do something they do not love. And the way to know what a Generator loves is simple: what does your gut tell you. Do you feel excitement or dread? Do what feels good for you. Generators are tireless as long as they are working on something they love. When a Generator's work is not profoundly satisfying, we become like hamsters running on a wheel: making a lot of effort and getting nowhere. That's why the Strategy is so important. The Generator Strategy is "To respond." Whenever something is asked of you, feel it in your gut. Does it feel like an instant "yes" or does it make you growl internally? Choosing something you do not really want will leave you nothing but exhaustion and burnout.

In my case, I was at my best when I went through Medical School. It was a lot of work, but it was also structured and something I loved: learning. I love being a student (I know, weirdo). But once I entered the workforce, that structure became all my responsibility. That's when my energy started to dissipate all over the place. So I had to create a system for myself, and I am always studying something new. I've got two associates' degrees after already having an MD and a Ph.D. Why? Because constantly being in school gives me a sense of structure that helps me organize the rest of my life. You don't have to do anything like that, just find your "yes," find what makes you excited: a job you love, a hobby you could spend hours doing. Those are the things that keep the Generator charged up.

The other reason Generators can be overwhelmed and exhausted is because they may be the ones carrying the energetic load for everyone else. I'll use myself as an example again: I am a Generator, yet I frequently feel tired and tend to be overwhelmed. I'm supposed to be a working machine. Why is this happening to me? In my case, Human Design helped me discover another reason for my exhaustion.

Because I love studying things, including Human Design, I did the charts for my whole family. And holy crap, was I in for a shock. It turns out I am the only Generator in my family. Since I'm trained in statistics, let me tell you, that has to be an anomaly. 70% of the population are Generators, so a family circle with only one Generator has to be an exception. But that explained a lot. I always felt like the family "counted on me" too much, even as a child. It was great being a kid whose opinion is valued, but then I became an adult, and suddenly I was the head of the family while my parents were still in their prime. WTF? Well, it turned out I was the only person with a defined Sacral Center, so everyone sucked up their energy from me. In fact, while my grandparents were still alive, that didn't happen (they were a Generator and a Manifesting Generator), but once they were gone, I was the only source of energy available. No wonder it felt like everyone wanted a piece of the pie, and I was the crumbling pie. The key to managing this kind of situation is boundaries. You have to learn to say no in a loving way and give yourself lots of "me time ." I also explained Human Design to them, which gave them quite a few answers about their restlessness and neediness, and we are learning to be more cooperative, so life is easier for all of us.

The bottom line: if you are a Generator, you are always spending a lot of energy, both for yourself and for others. Spend time doing things you love and ensure the amount of sleep you get is enough to get you truly rested.

The Second Reason to Prioritize Rest: You are a Manifestor

"I'm the King of the World!" That's the Manifestor's motto; arms open a-la-Leonardo DiCaprio in Titanic. Manifestors are born to lead, they have lots of ideas, and many of the kings and queens of the past were Manifestors. You would think Manifestors have it easy. You are a born leader; you go around giving orders, the world obeys. Easy peasy.

You would be wrong: Manifestors do not possess a defined Sacral Center, and they do not have an energy source of their own. Manifestors are dependent on being charged up by the Generators around them.

You see it with parents who seem to love having many kids. In many cases, one or both of the parents are Manifestors, and they literally manifest their sources of energy (the kids) without understanding why they are doing it. Maybe they could be the person that loves the idea of living in a commune or shared housing. Or it can also be seen in a relationship where one person becomes highly attached to another. In my family, it happened in a hilarious way. My mother is a Manifestor, my father a Projector. Neither of them had a defined Sacral Center or energy of their own. When they met, my father fell in love with my mother and with her whole family. He was immediately attached to my grandparents, who were both Generators.

On the other hand, my mother fell crazy in love with this man but said that she would never, ever leave her parent's house. She needed the source of energy, and my father, much as she loved him, had none to share. They all stayed in the same house, and it worked great.

Manifestors are great at creating things but not so great at sustaining them for an extended period, creating frustration. Manifestors are not meant to do everything by themselves. A Manifestor that feels angry all the time is not handling their Strategy well. Make sure you have a reliable support system, but also remember that the Manifestor Strategy is "To Inform." Make sure you inform those around you of your ideas and decisions. Don't take people for granted. Include them in your plans so you can count on them, and that way, the Generators around will be happy to share their energy with you. Also, don't take just any energy. Make sure that your inner circle gives you comfort, and do not attach to people or relationships in desperate attempts to suck some energy for yourself. Only good flow, peaceful energy will allow you to manifest all those marvelous ideas you constantly create. And when you get tired, rest. Do not compare yourself with the hyperactive people around you. Work and socialize at your own pace.

The Third Reason to Prioritize Rest: You are a Projector

Boy, oh boy! If you are a Projector, your motto should be "I rest; therefore I am." Projectors, along with Reflectors, are the types that require the most rest. Unfortunately, they are frequently criticized for not acting like Generators. In general, Projectors are not meant to work a nine-to-five job. It just doesn't work. They feel overwhelmed by tasks that others would say are simple. That's why projectors do better in creative or athletic fields. Freedom of creating and physical exercise are two ways for Projectors to stay active without being exhausted. They work in short bursts of very productive energy; then they must stop. Imagine being a Projector in a family of Generators. Your parents and siblings are all work animals, and you are seen as lazy or disdainful when the truth is you need to find a field where your brain works better. You may not be a structured school teacher like your father, but you probably could be great at leading afterschool activities, like a music, art, or sports program, so your job starts late in the day, and it's all about creativity and movement. Just make sure to have someone you trust with Generator energy to pay the bills and stay up to date with taxes and other structured necessities.

This doesn't mean a Projector cannot hold a traditional career. In fact, both the Obamas, Michelle and Barack, are Projectors, and yet they are both lawyers and, of course, much more. As long as you are doing what you are passionate about and respecting your personal limits, you don't have to give up any options. Understand that you are not meant to be a lone wolf and must be careful about selecting the company you keep. And above all, rest, rest, rest.

The Fourth Reason to Prioritize Rest: you are a Reflector.

Reflectors are the smallest percentage of the population. As the name says is, they are mirrors, reflecting whatever is happening in the world around them. Because all of their centers are open, they are sponges that attract and absorb whatever is floating around them. That requires a lot of care and caution. Just because a Reflector depends on the Generators around to obtain their energy, it doesn't mean that anyone will do. Their extreme openness creates both fantastic flexibility and significant vulnerability. So resting time is a must. We live in a pressure system that wants people to react instead of act, all in the name of efficiency, which makes the world highly inefficient. The reflector Strategy is "To Wait A Lunar Cycle," meaning they require a long time to ponder before making a decision and taking action. And that time needs to be passed in a quiet, calm environment with a lot of rest, so they can take inspired action instead of reacting to pressure. If you are a Reflector, learn your Strategy to communicate clearly to others that you are not procrastinating: you are taking the time you need to make the right decision, which will benefit everyone. Learn to enjoy places of peace and quiet so the overwhelming energy of others doesn't oppress you. Create your own cocoon where you can retire to rest.

As the New Year approaches, make it a resolution to give yourself quality rest. Know your Type, follow your Strategy, stop being a busy bee that bumps against everything. Take a step back and decide: this is how much rest I need to be my better self.

Would you like to know more about your Human Design and how to implement it in your life? Let’s have some fun! Sign up for some coaching and start the year with your best foot!