6 Reasons You Might Not Be Sleeping Well

I have a love-hate relationship with sleep. I love how great it feels to get a good night of sleep and how it reminds me of the goodness of the Lord who "gives to His beloved sleep" (Psalm 127:2)*. Even when I'm asleep, God is still at work upholding the universe, and He keeping the world moving according to His plan (Hebrews 1:3). Sleep is a time that I can let go of control and fully trust God to do His work—that's literally something I can do nothing about.

Yet this lack of control is why I also struggle with sleep. There are nights where sleep eludes me, and I fight with everything inside me to get some rest. I can't solve my problems while I'm laying there, but it seems impossible to shut my brain off. The stress of desiring to relax is exhausting! Yet I lay awake, tossing and turning, longing to get comfortable. This reminds me that I'm not in control—even of sleep itself. Those nights I cry out, "Lord, help me sleep. You can take care of my problems... but I can't seem to trust you enough!".

Sleep is deeply spiritual. There's no doubt about it. But it's also is heavily impacted by our physical environment and life choices. Since we aren't disembodied souls, we need to think about sleep. Consider what Scripture says:

"It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil"
-Psalm 127:2
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Chasing vanity is spiritual, but it has physical consequences—rising early, going to sleep late, and toiling anxiously. We need to cast our anxieties on the Lord, and that's something we all know (1 Peter 5:7). However, we may also need to change our habits and take practical steps to get the rest we desperately need.

​What Hinders Our Sleep?
Anxiety and vanity aren't the only reasons we aren't getting enough shut-eye. Some sleep hindrances are easy fixes, while others are going to require major changes—changes like a job change or waiting for your babies to grow up and sleep better! However, getting more and better sleep is something that most of us could probably benefit from. So we should learn what else could be keeping us awake at night.
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1. Light: Constant sources of bright light from smartphones, TVs, LED clocks, etc. trigger our bodies to stay awake. The information we take in from these devices might also be keeping us up at night. There's a lot of stressful stuff out there! Putting your phone down and covering light sources in your room can make a big difference. It may also be worth reading Tony Reinke's Competing Spectacles to help you think through why you might be drawn to the constant dopamine hits that come from an entertainment-driven world. 
2. Temperature: Is your room too hot? Are you too cold? Are you wearing the wrong clothes to bed? The ideal temperature for your bedroom is 60-67 degrees according to the Sleep Foundation. That's a big zone, so you'll have to do some experimenting to see what works best for you. You may even have to throw on some extra layers or shed some PJ's to make it work!
   
3. Caffeine: For most people, caffeine has an affect on their body for 10-12 hours. For people with slow caffeine metabolism, that afternoon cup of coffee can be in your system through the middle of the night! There are some who say, "I can drink coffee and fall asleep", but the caffeine has a major impact on overall sleep quality for nearly everyone. It's probably wise to cut the caffeine before lunch, if not earlier. I love my coffee, so I usually opt for decaf after my first morning cup!
4. Alcohol: Alcohol is a hotly debated topic in Christianity. This is for those whose consciences allow them to have a glass of wine or drink an alcoholic beverage without any guilt. There are some health benefits from drinking a red wine, but that glass of beer after dinner or wine to wind down at the end of the day has been shown to fragment your sleep. Worse, if you have reflux, you're going to have some major heartburn, too. For most, alcohol earlier in the evening is best—as long as you're staying sober! For others, abstaining may be your best option. There are plenty of health benefits 
5. Food: Are you eating a huge meal at 7 and then finishing the day with dessert as you lay in the bed? If so, your meal may be keeping you up at night. It's hard to digest a big meal while laying flat on your back. If you're able, keep your meal time several hours from your bedtime so you can get some better shuteye. If you have problems with reflux, you may want to elevate the head of your bed to alleviate some of your symptoms as well.
6. Stress: From COVID-19 and racial unrest to the presidential election, we are under a lot of pressure. Add the weight of family struggles, spiritual warfare, and everything in between, and many of us are carrying heavy doses of stress at any given time. In response, we often search for satisfaction in food, entertainment, or social media. Then we get stressed about our weight gain, get into a comment war, and see everyone else's perfect lives while we struggle to find joy. God's Word calls us to cast our anxieties on Him (1 Peter 5:7). He calls us to be still and know that He is God. Even in the tumultuous times we live in, God is in control (Psalm 27:5).

Why Does This Even Matter?
For me, this matters tremendously. When I don't get enough sleep, I struggle in every aspect of life. I'm usually irritable, impulsive, and I have a hard time focusing. Worse, when I don't get good sleep, it's a struggle for me to wake up and spend time with the Lord. There are many days where I get an extra 15 or 20 minutes of sleep instead of getting up to spend time with the Lord. The day isn't a total loss, but I can definitely feel a fatigue in my soul that seems to match my body. Maybe it's just me, but when my sleep suffers, my soul suffers too.

You may not be as sensitive to changes in your sleep habits as I am, but sleep is still important. Perhaps better sleep could help you think more clearly or give you more energy to spend with your children. Surely a sharper mind could help you memorize more Scripture or teach with more clarity. Maybe you'd be more fun to be around because you have more energy and aren't moping around like Eeyore. I know my wife and children are thankful for the days that I get good rest!

What about you?
Are you getting enough sleep? What will you change to improve your sleep quality? How does gospel give you hope even if you can't make drastic improvements to your sleep?

*Your translation may say that God gives to His beloved even in his sleep. This rendering reminds us that God gives to us even as we sleep. He never stops providing and caring for us.

Photo by Julien Bachelet from Pexels