Waking Up, the meditation and mental training app founded by neuroscientist & philosopher Sam Harris, launched a 14-day sleep and recovery program called Deep Rest Reset to help people go beyond sleep to support total well-being. “Most people know how to exhaust themselves. Very few have been taught how to actually recover,” said Tom Coburn, CEO of Waking Up. Developed in partnership with human performance scientist Dr. Andy Galpin and his company, Absolute Rest, this program recognizes that people can be physically exhausted with a wired nervous system, which makes it difficult to fall asleep, stay asleep, and perform at their peak in waking life.
Daily, Deep Rest Reset participants reflect, watch a video lesson from Galpin, experience behavior change, and participate in a guided Waking Up meditation practice. Additionally, the challenge includes optional analysis of wearable data from Oura, WHOOP, and Fitbit.
What Makes This Trend Stand Out
- Deep Recovery Programs
- A focus on structured short-term resets that blend education, guided meditation, and behavioral prompts to shift public expectations from mere sleep duration to holistic restoration.
- Wearable-integrated Sleep Coaching
- Integration of consumer wearable data with expert-led programs enabling continuous, individualized insight into restorative states and recovery efficacy.
- Neurobehavioral Performance Optimization
- Emphasis on training nervous-system regulation alongside physical rest to improve waking cognitive and physical performance through targeted interventions.
Sectors Adopting This
- Digital Mental Health
- Programs that combine evidence-based meditation content with expert instruction and data-driven personalization to expand therapeutic offerings beyond traditional therapy models.
- Wearable Technology and Sleep Analytics
- Opportunity for analytics platforms to translate biometric signals into actionable recovery metrics and adaptive content tailored to users’ physiological states.
- Corporate Wellness and Employee Benefits
- Shift toward employer-sponsored recovery curricula and biometric-informed programs that aim to reduce burnout and enhance productivity across workforces.
