Today, we have become overstimulated. Sleep varies by other lifestyle demands and we trade off sleep for the ability to reach a deadline or finish a movie. It has become a habit to reduce sleep in order to get other things done. For the believer, sleep is a very sacred time of each day. It is a time that we curl up under the shadow of the Almighty and go to His rest. At that rest, our physical body is restored. We burn fat. Hormones are regulated, inflammation is reduced and aches go away. Mental fog is eliminated and we reconcile many issues of life. God can connect the dots, give clarity, and remove confusion. He uses dreams, gives us escapes, and warns us about things in the future. We can see the importance of sleep. The body has not changed. It was designed to have sleep. If the enemy of God can have us change our behaviors to not appreciate sleep, then we open ourselves up to many ailments that are preventable. Sleep is the reset button for living people and animals. Today, even sleep is dysfunctional. The messages we can get from the TV while we sleep, doing our job with a laptop, a handheld device, game addiction, and dining experiences, all in bed. Sleep has little value and is considered a needed inconvenience at best. Holistically, here are some thoughts to consider for improved health:
1. Sweet sleep – a promised blessing for healing and restoration.
2. Eliminate noise – fall asleep easier and remain in a sleep position.
3. White noise. – provides a constant noise (a soft wind); Used to drown-out sounds.
4. Set a schedule – body adjusts well to sleep habits.
5. Wind down – establish a set of habits before bed (i.e., brush teeth, a cup of tea ...)
6. Draw boundaries – no food in here, no TV, no devices
7. Work – determine the work-life balance
8. Devices – remove from your bed-chamber or sleeping room
9. Sitting room – have devices here
10. Make the room dark – to ease into sleep
11. Trespasses - TV, phone calls, certain conversations, nonloving interventions.
12. Define violation – wake up calls, meals just before bed
13. Prayer ritual – confess sins, give God your now, give him your future
14. Meet with household regarding sleep protocols
One minister once said, “if God does not sleep, it makes no sense for both of us to stay awake.”
A mother can tell when a baby is fighting for sleep. She can cradle, rock, and settle him down until he’s out. As adults, we should be able to determine when sleep is needed. We need to develop the habit of sleep every day within a 24 hour period. I was having a conversation with a friend who was anxiously looking for a new mattress because she and her husband were not getting restful sleep. It made so much sense, right? However, God promised His kids sweet sleep. But not because of a great new mattress. Jacob in scripture used a stone for a pillow and rested well into a dream. Watching what we say and how we say it, will turn a situation according to the will of the Father for us. We must apply God's word in faith to everything. We must speak life. Comfy bed or no bed, I can still have sweet sleep until I get to a new bed. “And he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night because the sun was set; and he took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep.” --Genesis 28:11 KJV “When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet.” --Proverbs 3:24
Scriptural Readings:
Genesis 2:2
Proverbs 3:24
Hebrews 4:1
Related Readings:
The Seven Disciplines of Wellness, The Spiritual Connection To Good Health,
--by Surina Ann Jordan
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