yes I have been astral travelling since I was a little kid "34 now". When I do that my body does get rest.
the method for realizing you are in your dream is just the beginning. The best way that I found is letting my body fall asleep while my mind stays awake and I am aware the whole process. this is usually done early in the morning when I wake up. When I do it this way I can pop out of my body and still be in the same room and look down at my body, get up and walk through walls and fly outside.