What if I can’t sleep?

Photo by Mink Mingle on Unsplash

There’s nothing quite like a good night’s sleep. You waken well-rested and ready to face the day’s challenge. Yet sometimes the effort of trying to get a good night’s sleep can tire us out; plumping pillows… right room temperature… no screens before bed…warm milk…soothing app…good book (but not too good).

If you’re a parent of young children, the thought of unbroken sleep may be a distant memory, and one which you daren’t even hope for as the days stretch into nights. But it’s not just the parents of young children who suffer from sleepless nights. The elderly, the worried, those who are afraid, the stressed, and those who have a list that never seems to clear.

Or those who have life-changing decisions to make either for themselves or for those in their employment; what course to apply for, or who can I afford to keep in employment?

The brain doesn’t seem to tire the body for sleep, it just seems to weary it.

It does also seem that people need varying amounts of sleep to function. Apparently, Winston Churchill would nap for 2 hours at 5 pm and then work throughout the night. Mariah Carey stated she needed 15 hours of sleep to sing in the way she wanted to.

I guess, like most people, I’m somewhere in between. Apparently, as you get older you need less sleep. It may have something to do with being less physically active, I don’t know.

As children we were taken to the seaside. The oft quoted words were “they’ll sleep tonight” proved true. We were physically exhausted.  Yet there’s more things that can keep us awake than the lack of physical exertion.

Often at night, in the darkness it seems our minds have freedom to roam wherever they will…from the jobs not completed today, to the list needed for tomorrow, the fears of what if’s, and thoughts of what now.

Or perhaps it is the dread of thinking that tomorrow is not going to change anything, there will be no knock at the door, no parcel in the post, no friendly voice on the phone. Or the fact that you know you’re still your child’s teacher!

Our worries can loom large and rob us of perspective and peace. It is no wonder that sleep becomes elusive.

Often in the stillness and quiet, or with someone snoring beside you, it may happen that you need reassurance that there is someone with you. Someone who you could leave your troubles with.

Often it can be a time to do business with God, a time to talk, and more often a time to listen.

God is always awake

Psalm 121 is sung by the people of Israel on their way to the temple. They sang it to remember God’s faithfulness and protection. They sang it to remind themselves of God’s character. I have often been encouraged by Psalm 121.

3  He will not let your foot be moved

He who keeps you will not slumber

4  Behold, he who keeps Israel

will neither slumber nor sleep

It reminds them that God is always awake. He does not lie down for a nap, or fold his hands and have 40 winks!

The God who created the universe doesn’t get tired, or weary.

Jesus, Son of God, who took on your physical body needed rest and grew hungry, but in His Risen Immortal body He does not need to sleep.

When children are sick, or tired, or afraid, what they really want is the presence of a parent with them. They feel safe and secure, knowing that the one who loves them is with them.  Parents know this and go to great lengths to be with their children even moving into hospital rooms and sharing beds.

There is a lot which can rob us of sleep, but there is someone we can turn to with our worries. God is awake, and therefore you can talk to Him in the darkest night. It may not be easy at first, because you may feel as if you’re talking to someone you don’t know very well.

Take time to get to know Him, perhaps read over the psalm, and think what it would mean to have help from the Lord of heaven and earth.

It may be that writing down your thoughts helps to get them out of your head and then you can talk to God about it.

Whatever is keeping you awake at night, God can handle it.

He promises to be with you.

Maybe you need to confess a wrong doing and receive forgiveness. Maybe you need wisdom or guidance,

Just ask.

Maybe you need hope for the future. Look to God to sustain you. Hand it over to Him and go to sleep.

There’s no point in the two of you being awake.