The Blessing of Sleep

Focusing on the Word

Proverbs 3:24 (NKJV)

When you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet. 

I’ve never had any issues with sleep. My entire life, I have always put my head on the pillow, dozed off quickly, and slept straight through the night. If I would get up to go to the bathroom, I would walk groggily to and from the bed and the bathroom and, in a matter of seconds (literally), be soundly back to sleep.

Not so since the stroke.

Now, I fall quickly into a very deep sleep, almost as soon as I crawl between the covers. In fact, when I wake up for a potty break, I am always surprised to find I’ve only been asleep for about two hours; it feels like I’ve been asleep for most of the night. After I get up, I struggle to go back to sleep, if I fall back to sleep at all. Until you've experienced it, it may seem contradictory that a person can be utterly exhausted yet unable to sleep.

It’s not like my mind is racing or I’m chewing on problems or tasks. I just struggle to go back to sleep. There’s a distinct difference between tired and sleepy. The lack of feeling sleepy is feeling wide awake. I’ve tried all the tricks and techniques: keeping my room dark and cool; watching my breath; breathing cyclically; left nostril breathing; listening to tonal brainwave music set to ‘deep sleep;’ improving my ‘sleep hygiene;’ talking melatonin, magnesium, and others; and many more.

There’s even a name for it: insomnia. According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM), insomnia is considered chronic if it occurs at least three times per week and persists for more than three months.

Yikes. That’s me. And it’s not good for brain healing, either.

God gave us sleep. He made it part of our 24-hour day. Why? I’ve always complained that “sleep wastes 1/3 of my life.” But it is part of our daily cycle...

When we sleep, our bodies and minds are recharged. In fact, there is a system in the brain’s anatomy called the glymphatic system that cleanses the brain and primarily operates ONLY when we sleep. The physiology of sleep studies the fact that sleep acts as a daily reset for our brains.

Our need for sleep is like our need for food and water. Sleep recharges our body, mind, and spirit.  It is a way for us to be replenished. For some, sleep was a time when God spoke through dreams and visions. We rest so we can take on each new day. God rested on the seventh day (Gen 2:2), at least, in part, to set an example for us – the need for rest.

What seems to work the best is to get comfortable, snuggle up with Teegan (my love-bug puppy), and recite scripture over and over until I drift off, asking the Holy Spirit to please gift me restorative sleep for the rest of the night. I most often use

The Lord’s Prayer - Matthew 6:9-13 (KJV)

  9 Our Father who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name.

10 Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth, as it is in Heaven.

11 Give us this day our daily bread.

12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

13 And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the Kingdom, and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

I often pause on each verse and expand on it – like asking for or being grateful for my ‘daily bread’ or asking for forgiveness – or forgiving someone for something that happened earlier in the day.

I also use Psalm 23 (KJV)

1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

There are a few others, but these are my two favorites. I don’t have to think too hard to recall the verses. I can feel them in my heart, and with the help of the Holy Spirit, they can move me to sleepiness and then to sleep.

Today’s Prayer

Dear Father, we sleep and rest so that we may be refreshed and ready to take on the challenges of a new day. When we’ve had restful sleep, we can rise in confidence that Your great mercy and faithfulness will be ready and waiting for us. May the Holy Spirit be with us each night as we slumber, soothing the bumps and bruises we had throughout the day. May He provide the balm we need to achieve restful, restorative sleep. Thank You for always being with us, throughout our wakeful hours and as we sleep. In Jesus’s name, Amen.