Laying, staring into the darkness. Can’t get comfortable. Turn over that way. Nope. That way. Nope. Turn again… And again… It’s no good I’ve got to move. Hot chocolate time! Must not look at my phone, must not scroll… Get a book… Do some colouring. Anything to make me drop off soon. Pleeeease… Now my neighbour’s started banging about. No chance then! Frustration… pillow bashing… annoyed shouts, and then… the tears flow.
Have you ever felt like this?
Sleep is something lots of us struggle with. For many reasons. But it’s incredibly important. If you don’t get enough quality sleep on a regular basis it can wreak havoc with your life.
Nothing is easy when you don’t get enough ZZZ’s.
Fortunately I’m getting more now. But this recent experience made me think, “Why? What’s changed?”
Two things I believe:
- It’s winter. It’s natural to feel more sleepy at this time of year. Perhaps my body just can’t help sleeping.
- I’ve reduced stress in my life. I’m now dealing with several things that were stressing me out and have given them up to God.
Lets look at the first…
Winter: a time for rest and recuperation
Over the winter months, creation rests. Trees shed their leaves and enter a period of dormancy and many animals hibernate.
In effect nature rests and recuperates ready for new growth or activity in the spring. There’s less light and it’s colder which slows or stops plant growth – photosynthesis is more difficult so winter blooms are stunted and deciduous trees shed their leaves to preserve energy. A hibernating animal’s core temperature drops and it’s heartbeat and breathing slow so it doesn’t use much energy. While it’s asleep or only moving occasionally, it uses fat reserves for survival.
In short, it takes a lot of energy to grow and thrive and this energy just isn’t available in winter. It’s best to wait, then burst into flower or get active after a time of rest.
Like nature, I’m definitely more lethargic at this time of year. I often want to curl up like a dormouse in my cosy nest for the forseeable.
But why? As humans we still have a fantastic food supply because of shops, freezers, global transportation etc, so surely we can get the energy we need to carry on? The thing is, it’s still dark and cold and our natural circadian rhythms still want to kick in. We may be able to block out the dark with our electric lights and stay warm in heated houses, but do remember God made us part of His creation. I think it’s wise to take note. Don’t you?
Which brings me onto the next point…
God ordained sleep and rest
Sleep and rest are gifts from God. He does amazing things while we sleep like giving Adam a wife (Gen 2:20-22)! He also built a pattern of rest into creation, pausing from His work on the seventh day (Gen 2:1-3).
And both are pleasant and sustaining. While we’re asleep God renews our energy and helps our bodies heal so we’re happier and more efficient during our waking hours. Sleep and rest are essential for a healthy lifestyle.
But they’re also an act of faith in God’s providence and protection. By choosing to rest – whether that’s active rest like taking a break from work in order to exercise, or passive rest like splodging on the sofa doing nothing for a bit – we’re trusting the things we have to get done into His hands. Instead of our own.
God even grants sleep amid chaos. Think of Jesus in the storm (Matt 8:23-27) – because He trusted His Father, not the circumstances, He slept while waves crashed on the tiny boat tossing and turning like mad.
Like Jesus, I believe that by trusting in God I’ve been able to get more sleep. True rest in Him is definitely key to our peace.
And the wonderful thing is, while we humans need sleep, God doesn’t:
“He will not let your foot slip – he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord watches over you – the Lord is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all harm – he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and for evermore.” – Ps 121:3-7 (NIV)
It’s completely safe to place our lives in His hands and get those ZZZ’s (Ps 4:8).
So I encourage you to make extra effort to slow down, rest and get some quality sleep this winter. Not just as an afterthought but as something God has ordained so you can thrive. It’s part of His plan.
If you’re struggling, take a look at this for some tips.
I pray that whatever your circumstances, whatever life is like for you right now, you can get the true rest of the Lord.
God bless xx
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