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?
Tweetable: What do you do when you can't sleep?
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