It can be really hard to find a place for a short rest, adding a gadget for the map that allows short rests at that spot would be a great help as the map designer could put on in a side room or such so that the characters could not only rest but also ID magic items.
Yeah short rest is... screwy.
I agree with you, when I played yours through there was almost no place to take a short rest other than in the beginning, because it tracks how close the nearest mobs are, and yours even though they may be a long ways away the module only sees them as if they are right next to you due to map design.
Heck even with mine, Crypt of the Wight King you still have to clear the initial area of Wights before you can short rest to attune the items I left.
I have played a couple of maps where the only solution was to death march all the way back to the entrance for a short rest.