Life is busy and many of us try to burn the candle at both ends. We may feel like life is too short to sleep all the time. But life is also too short NOT to sleep a large part of the time. Our bodies need 7 to 9 hours of sleep a day. But most of us aren’t getting it. In fact, the CDC says that sleep deprivation is an epidemic. In this post, we will explore the importance of sleep and share some tips on how to improve it!
Does God care if we get enough sleep? I believe He does or he wouldn’t have created our bodies to require it!
Here are two Biblical reasons why sleep is important:
- God created us to require it. We know from experience that going without ample sleep affects us emotionally. You’ve heard the term, hangry. I get “tangry” when I don’t have enough sleep and am not pleasant to be around. We are more likely to be stressed and frustrated. We lose our patience. We are less productive. It also impacts our physical health – weight management, hormones, immunity, and more! Lack of sleep even causes us to lose brain tissue. Yikes! I don’t have much to spare.
- There is something remarkable Christian about sleep. Psalm 3:5-6 says, “I lay down and slept; I work again, for the Lord sustained me. I will not be afraid of many thousands of people, who have set themselves against me all around.” In Mark 4, Jesus and his disciples are out at sea and a terrible storm arises. The disciples are freaking out because this is a shipwreck waiting to happen. But what is Jesus doing? He is sleeping. He wakes up to stop the storm by His word. When we sleep, we are saying — in that same spirit of faith — that God will protect us.In his article in Desiring God, John Piper says that sleep is a daily reminder from God that we are not God. Once a day God sends us to bed like patients with a sickness. This sickness is a chronic tendency to think we are in control and that our work is indispensable. To cure us of this disease, God made us need sleep!
Below are some tips for getting more, good quality sleep.
I’ve incorporated some that I learned from my friend, Alice Smith, that led the RENEW Challenge with me. Linking a copy of the video here.
Be consistent.
- Go to bed at the same time each night and get up at the same time each morning, including on weekends.
Make your bedroom conducive to deep sleep.
- Make sure your bedroom is quiet, dark, relaxing, and at a comfortable temperature (around 65 degrees).
Monitor your devices and limit screen time before bed.
- Remove electronic devices such as TVs, computers, and phones from the bedroom, and don’t use them for at least an hour before bed. Using the sleep setting on your phone is a good practice – as well as purchasing some blue light-blocking glasses.
Avoid large meals, caffeine, and alcohol before bedtime.
- All of the above can impede your sleep quality. Alice suggested not eating for at least 3 hours before bed, so your body isn’t trying to digest food while you are sleeping.
Get some exercise.
- Being physically active can help you to have more energy during the day and fall asleep more easily at night.
Consider magnesium supplements.
- Magnesium is a wonderful mineral that most of us are deficit in and it can help with better sleep. See this article for more information.
Get some morning sunshine.
- Getting sunlight in the morning can help you sleep at night as it helps reset your body’s inner sleep clock. Learn more here.
Consider a weighted blanket.
- Weighted blankets have been shown to calm your heart rate and breathing. This may make it easier to relax before you settle in for a good night’s rest. This is one I can’t do with hot flashes😊
Use deep breathing, meditation or prayer.
- Worries can easily bubble to the surface at night and keep you awake. Deep breathing exercises, meditation and/or prayer can be very helpful in helping you relax and wind down. I use the Abide App and have it tell me a bedtime story sometimes when I can’t sleep.
I hope these tips will be helpful in improving your sleep. Remember that we were created to sleep, and that life is too short NOT to sleep much of the time. If you don’t get enough sleep, it will impact your emotional health, physical health, and the overall quality of your life!
