How Can I Sleep Better At Night – Reclaiming Your Sleep
Sometimes when we lay our head down for the night, we discover our mind racing with thoughts of the day or week. During the tough times in the early hours, our minds may wander into thoughts about our biggest life decisions. Was I right? Should I have accepted this job? Did I make the right relationship choices? These thoughts swirl around like an empty washing machine turning, depriving us of rest.
The Bible says, ‘It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows; for so He gives His beloved sleep’
– Psalm 127:2
God will intervene in our sleep lives and supply the beloved rest we need, if we welcome the Holy Spirit to take charge. There are also practical steps we can take, such as making your bedroom a peaceful environment with the correct temperature and noise controls, cutting down on caffeine and heavy eating several hours before sleep. Others include choosing a comfortable bed, keeping to a routine of sleeping hours, keeping pets out of your bedroom, using a blue light filter for devices and turning off your phone. But our focus is on the mind.
I will both lie down in peace, and sleep;
For You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety
– Psalm 4:8
One thing we discover with the wondering mind at night is there is futility in thinking over things when we are half-awake. We can’t make any good decisions in this state! We can’t appreciate the choices, understand the plans or comprehend the why, if and when’s of our lives. It really is vain to sit up late eating the bread of past sorrows.
When you lie down, you will not be afraid;
Yes, you will lie down and your sleep will be sweet
– Proverbs 3:24
Sometimes we have to say with our spirit, “No, be silent, I refuse to think on these things.” It requires discipline to still our minds. It is often a learning process, as we try different approaches to enter God’s peace. When you are ill or stressed, and don’t possess the strength to fight negative thoughts, you may find it helpful to get up and pray in tongues for ten minutes or more. The helps exhaust the body and stills the mind, allowing you to get back into bed and fall asleep. You may need to keep repeating a favourite Scripture on peace. Ultimately, we must put our trust in God, that He will sort of the thing which worries us.
Jesus said, “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble”
– Matthew 6:34
What’s the point of spinning our minds with thoughts we can’t comprehend in our half-sleep? No good choices are made when we are sleepy, exhausted, ill or overcome with stress. Making big life decisions when we are not walking in the soundness of the mind of Christ is a mistake. Exhaustion and stress distort our decision making abilities. We must reclaim our sleep in the name of Jesus because He bestows His beloved sleep. Amen!
By Paul Backholer. Find out about Paul’s books here.
