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Insomnia seems more like a curse than a blessing. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine says 12 percent of Americans have chronic insomnia, with as many as 33 percent of us experiencing sleeplessness on any given day.
I have trouble going to sleep and staying asleep. The problem with going to sleep comes more from my personality. I’m an introvert who has learned to behave like an extravert most of the time. By day’s end, I crave silence and solitude. I want some “me” time.
Rather than resting in the Lord, I want to decompress with a podcast, book or jigsaw-puzzle app. This troubles me. Why am I delaying doing an examen or a night prayer, only to fall asleep to a funny podcast? What does that say about my relationship with God?
When I finally do fall asleep, chronic pain wakes me up. I know I have an opportunity to do something more positive than to complain to God about it. But complain I do.
Satan likes darkness. He takes advantage of Christians in the night by urging us to question God, doubt our own faith and overthink everything.
From Tossing and Turning to Praising and Thanking
The late Sarah Young, as always, has some good ideas. She had chronic pain and many difficult nights. Yet in her book of devotions called “Jesus Today” she quoted Psalm 63:6: “On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night.”
Indulging in complaints and fears (How will I be able to function tomorrow? If I fall asleep now, I’ll only get four hours of sleep.) leads to rumination and anxiety. That drives us further away from God.
After all, Jesus tells us not to be anxious about our life, including the specific night we are living. 1 Peter 5:7 invites us to cast all our anxiety on God because He cares about us. But how?
Sarah suggests that we accept this invitation by talking honestly to God about how we are feeling. I can do that. And if I’m not sleepy at all, I can invite him into my restorative activities.
Ask God to Banish the Worry
When we find ourselves in worry or rumination, Sarah suggests we intentionally shift our thinking to focusing on the attributes of God. A simple start is to remember that God is love. Calm your mind and open your heart to feel God’s presence: His love and His peace.
We also can think about God’s promises. He does know what tomorrow will bring. And, just as He is with you in the night, He will be with you tomorrow. He may be teaching you dependence on His strength.
If you are trying to find an answer to a problem, talk to the Lord heart-to-heart about it. You may be amazed at the words that pop into your mind … solutions you never considered, directions to do nothing except place a terrible worry into God’s hands. Fear is useless, Jesus often said. He will help you get over it and learn to trust Him in the midnight hours.
We also can pray for the fruits of the Holy Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control. Or we can find comfort in the names of God: the Good Shepherd, Savior, Immanuel, Prince of Peace, El Shaddai, King of Kings, Lord of Lords and more.
If you can’t remember any of these ideas in the night, ask the Lord what you should do. He has a lovely plan for your night watch. Sometimes it’s sleep and sometimes it’s quiet time.
Either way, the Lord will give you the strength you need to rest with Him … and deal with tomorrow’s problems tomorrow.
For more ideas, please visit these posts.