When Sleep Won’t Come - Martin Wiles

That night the king had trouble sleeping, so he ordered an attendant to bring the book of the history of his reign so it could be read to him. Esther 6:1 NLT

For more than a decade, sleep has escaped me.

I always slept soundly until I hit fifty. Then, for some unknown reason, I began waking up every few hours. No medical issue caused it. The doctor offered to put me on meds to help me sleep, but I didn’t want to add another pill to my already growing list. I tried over-the-counter sleep helps. Nothing worked.

One day, Essential Oils made their way into my life through my daughter. She mixed a concoction, gave it to me in a roll-top bottle, and told me to apply it to the bottom of my feet before I went to bed. I was a skeptic…but it worked. Now, I wake up fewer times and sleep better.

Insomnia is the most common sleep disorder, affecting six to ten percent of adults, and is twice as common in women as in men. Untreated, it can lead to high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, and other health problems. But if a person experiences none of these side effects, they may just be a short sleeper—which I think I am.

King Xerxes also had trouble sleeping, so he ordered the court records brought in and read to him. Surprisingly, he discovered that Mordecai had foiled a plot to assassinate the king, but had never received a reward. The king ordered his right-hand man, Haman, to reward Mordecai properly. Unknowing to him, the king also spoiled Haman’s plot to destroy the Jews.

When sleep won’t come, I choose to be productive without getting out of bed. One thing I do is recite Bible verses. I have my favorites memorized. Often, when I recite them, I fall asleep, killing two birds with one stone.

I also plan for the next day while awake. Since I teach, I always need to remember or to think about something. After a few minutes of planning with my eyes closed, I normally fall asleep.

One of my favorite things to do if I’m awake—and shouldn’t be—is plan what I’ll write the next morning. Morning is my time to do weekly writing. Thoughts come to me during the night when I’m awake. I’ve even been known to keep a pad by my bed so I can write them down, lest I forget when I awake in the morning.

I don’t enjoy waking up at night, but I figure why waste time if I’m awake. If you have trouble sleeping, make sure no medical issue causes your insomnia. If not, perhaps you are a short sleeper. If so, get a little something done during those periods when you’re awake.

When sleep won’t come, don’t waste the opportunity.

Prayer: Father, help us to lie down in peace and sleep, knowing You will watch over us. 

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What Keeps You Up? - Diana Francis

Love Lines welcomes guest writer, Diana Francis. 

I lie down and sleep; I wake again because the Lord sustains me. I will not fear the tens of thousands drawn up against me on every side.  Psalm 3:5–6 NIV

Sometimes, we spend sleepless nights because a problem consumes our thoughts.

Insomnia can arise from worry over finances or problems at work. Personal health concerns or concerns for a family member keep us awake at night and paralyze us with fear. And how many of us have not spent countless nights tossing and turning in anguish over our children? 

Now imagine David, the writer of this verse. His son Absalom had amassed an army of men to hunt down and kill David for the throne. Yet, David slept soundly and arose refreshed. How? Because he knew the Lord was in control and that He would deliver him from adversity. God would spare David’s life, or He would take him home. Either way, David won.

David trusted God would do the right thing. Sounds easy in theory, but in practice it’s difficult.

We waste time and energy on the misguided notion that we can or should handle situations ourselves before involving God. Worse yet, we might even blame God for our problems and turn away from Him.

God assures us if we will pray and truly seek Him, we will find Him and that He will listen to us. I don’t suggest we sit on our hands and expect God to make our troubles vanish. He expects us to act in a responsible and godly manner and to obey His Word. If we will humble ourselves and put our full trust in the Lord, then we can lie down without fear in our beds and hopefully sleep soundly.

Ask God to help you worry less about trying to have great faith in God and focus rather on having faith in a great God.

Prayer: Lord, thank You for the rest found in knowing I can trust You to vanquish anything that might seek to steal my peace. Amen. 

Tweetable: Are things that shouldn't keeping you up? 

Diana Francis currently attends Dallas Theological Seminary where she will soon complete a Masters in Theology and a Masters in Christian Leadership.  She lives in Corona, California, where she serves as a lay-leader at her church. Diana enjoys Red Sox baseball, being the commissioner of her fantasy football league, and spending time with her two sons and her grandson. Her husband Rick has gone to be with the Lord.

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God Insomnia - Martin Wiles

I lie awake thinking of you, meditating on you through the night. Psalm 63:6 NLT

I can’t remember the last time I did for an entire night.

Sleepless nights began when I turned fifty. Nothing had changed. I wasn’t under any stress. No physical ailments presented themselves. For some unknown reason, I simply stopped sleeping all night. I fell asleep quickly … but couldn’t stay asleep. Since then, I find myself waking up several times, visiting the bathroom, and returning to bed. When I get up in the morning, I often feel as if I haven’t been to bed, and by nine in the evening I’m ready for bed.

I’ve tried several remedies, such as staying up later, taking allergy medicine to make me drowsy, reading, and not looking at screens before bedtime. Nothing works. I considered asking the doctor for medicine, but decided against it, not wanting to add another prescription to my already growing list.

When I awake during the night, I’m aware of what my mind does while I’m asleep. It seems to race from one thought to another. I try to make myself think of nothing, but I can’t stop my mind from doing what God designed it to do during our sleep periods.

Since I’m awake, I do something productive. Like, think about what I’m going to write the next morning. Or if I’ve already thought about writing, I think about how I can refine it or add to it. And since I write about godly things, I reflect on God.

I suppose doing this puts me in good company, for the psalmist said he did the same. I don’t know what kept him awake, but while he was, he meditated on God. He must have had insomnia, too. But if I’m going to have insomnia, why not have God insomnia?

What we meditate on leads to what we act on. Meditating on God and His principles at night—or anytime—leads us to act on them during the day. Even during the sleepless nights, we can train our minds for righteousness. And I don’t have to get up when I awake during the night and read His word, get something to eat, or any other activity to go back to sleep. I simply lie there and meditate.

Connecting with God is important, and we can do this even during the night in those moments when we lie awake—regardless of how long those moments are. Those moments of insomnia can turn into worship times when we praise God for His goodness, ask for His guidance during the next day, and thank Him for His mercy and grace.

Let your moments of insomnia be moments of God insomnia.

Prayer: Father, when we lie awake at night, direct our minds toward You.

Tell us how you handle the sleepless nights?

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