Do you have trouble sleeping at night? If so, you’re not alone. Millions of people around the world suffer from insomnia. There are many different things that can cause insomnia, including stress, anxiety, and depression. If you’re looking for Bible verses for insomnia, we will give you some scriptures that should encourage you and hopefully will help you relax.
The Lord sustains His children and he wants us to have the peace we need to get good, sound sleep. In this article, we will discuss the topic and provide several Bible verses that can encourage you to you relax and fall asleep more quickly.
There is a difference between having consistent, chronic insomnia and just having occasional nights where sleep doesn’t come easily. There are many Bible verses that can be applied to this but Jesus summed up how to find true rest in the book of Matthew.
“Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Matthew 11:28-29
We are going to talk about the spiritual and Biblical principles that can help your mind so that your sleep will come easier and your sleep will be sweet!
What are some of the different causes of insomnia?
First of all, we need to acknowledge that sometimes there can be underlying medical conditions that cause your chronic insomnia. If you find yourself with a serious problem falling asleep that is chronic and affecting your health, you should check with your physician. If there is a physical malady going on then you need to have that addressed along with seeking God and meditating on Bible verses for insomnia.
Simply Put…Too Much Stress Can Cause Insomnia
Worrying about your job, school, health, money, or family may keep your thoughts active at night and make it hard to fall asleep. Other than those common occurrences, significant and stressful life events or trauma such as the death or sickness of a loved one, job loss, or divorce can all cause sleeplessness. Meditating on Bible verses for insomnia is helpful. However, we also need to be proactive in giving our life to Christ in each of these areas.
Your Work/Travel Schedule can cause Sleeplessness.
Your internal circadian rhythms are mental, physical, and behavioral types of changes that follow a 24-hour cycle. They are kind of like a clock that acts internally to help your wake and sleep cycles, the temperature of your body, and your overall metabolism. When these get disrupted because of extensive or erratic travel schedules, this can cause insomnia. You may travel and experience mild or severe jet lag, or simply be working early or late shifts to which your body hasn’t yet adapted, etc.
Late Night Meals and Insomnia
Has your schedule or personal habits caused you to eat large amounts late at night? Even if you don’t realize it at the time, a heavy meal can cause you physical discomfort just enough to keep you awake sometimes. Also, it can cause heartburn as your food backs up into the esophagus and makes you uncomfortable. Sure, a light snack is not necessarily bad, we should just limit our food intake around bedtime.
Developing Poor Sleeping Habits Can Cause Insomnia
It is very easy to develop poor habits that prohibit us from getting the sleep we need. Many of us have enough trouble trying to overcome insomnia without adding bad habits.
Napping is a key culprit for many people who experience insomnia at night. Carrying your work to bed, playing mind-exhausting video games, staying on your smartphone, and letting your mind be stimulated by the bad news of the day can all interfere with sleep.
However, you can use your smartphone in a positive way. There are apps that allow you to meditate on scripture quotations that help us focus on our Lord. Soft Christian music can help as well as other apps. Just be careful that you don’t let electronic options overstimulate your mind rather than help you wind down.
One of the best ways to use scripture is to memorize some verses and do scripture meditation and allow those verses to go over and over in your mind. God gave us many scriptures about facing fear, having peace, etc., so we should allow those to work in our hearts.
How Can Bible Verses Help Us Find Rest and Fall Asleep?
When our emotions are working overtime because of fear, worry, and all of the “earthly things” we are experiencing in life, it can be hard to shut them off.
Sometimes when we should be falling asleep we find ourselves “Heavy laden” as the Bible says and we stay awake because we literally can’t find the peace to relax. Finding Bible verses about insomnia might seem hard at first, but there are really more than you might think.
There are many verses that can give us comfort, and peace, and help us focus on the positive. They can help bring the thoughts into our minds that will in turn provide relaxation to our bodies.
How can Bible verses for insomnia help us? Well, first off, there are many scripture passages where, although they don’t mention sleep specifically, the principle of the verse totally applies to the mindset that you need for finding rest and good sleep.
Ultimately, focusing on and meditating on Bible verses can help us seek and embrace God’s peace and focus on a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. We believe that the only true peace that comes in life is from the Lord. If we can begin to set our minds on Jesus Christ then we can develop a habit so we can lie down and sleep and get the peace-filled rest that our body needs.
Setting Your Mind At Bedtime
One of the keys that we have to overcome insomnia is setting our minds on the right things. If we could point to one overarching verse that encapsulates what we need to do with our minds in order to find good rest and sleep, this passage might be the one:
“Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth.” Colossians 3:1-2
What are you thinking about as you prepare for bed? Is this a time when all your anxieties and problems of the day are coming to the forefront of your mind?
Does your mind start to go over each mistake or perceived mistake you made that day and how you could have done better? With the help of God, Christians can begin to set their worries and fear aside and rest in Christ Jesus, believing God’s promises that He is with you and will never leave you. We CAN set our minds on the things of God.
We have to IGNORE what our emotions are telling us if they contradict what God tells us in His word. You can go to sleep setting your mind on God and the peace that only He can give throughout the night.
So, keep these things in mind as we look to some Bible verses to help you sleep. Here are many of the best Bible verses for insomnia. We will list the verse and also add some comments that we hope will be encouraging.
Fortunately, the Holy Bible includes songs, poems, and letters to the church that can help us battle insomnia. Be honest with God. Tell Him you need His help and His peace in order to rest. He can give you the strength and the wisdom to win the battle of good sleep. The Bible says,
“If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.” James 1:5
So, here’s a quick prayer we can say together:
“Dear Father, I know that you want us to sleep well and get the rest that we need. Please help me find refuge, peace, and comfort as I lie down to sleep. Help me give everything to you. Let me set aside my troubles and fears for now and set my mind on you and how much you love me. Please, give me the ability to get the sleep that I need. In Jesus’ name, amen.”
Bible Verses for Insomnia
In this famous verse, we hear Moses gives Joshua encouragement about leading the Israelites into the promised land.
“Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.” Deuteronomy 31:8
As human beings, we want as much peace as possible. Only with the truth of God’s word can we think about perfect peace. the first step is simply experiencing greater peace than you have right now.
One of the great books of the Bible that we can find many passages of encouragement is the wonderful book of the Psalms. Here are several verses that we can apply to peaceful sleep and you can find many others as well.
“In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, O Lord, will keep me safe.” Psalm 4:8
Psalm 23 is one of the most famous Psalms in all of the Bible. It encourages us with the symbolism of the shepherd and his sheep. Here are three of the verses but you might want to read the entire Psalm chapter.
“The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.” Psalm 23:1-3
“The Lord is my light and my salvation— so why should I be afraid? The Lord is my fortress, protecting me from danger, so why should I tremble?” Psalm 27:1
God promises to strengthen His people – His children. When you trust the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior, you become one who can experience love, mercy, and strength unlike those who are not believers in Him.
“The Lord gives his people strength. The Lord blesses them with peace.” Psalm 29:11
The following verse is dear to many people. When your heart is broken and you feel crushed, know that He is there and He will not leave His children alone.
“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.” Psalm 34:18
“I praise God for what he has promised I trust in God, so why should I be afraid? What can mere mortals do to me?” Psalm 56:3-4
Psalm 91 is particularly meaningful to me. At a time in my life when I was extremely depressed, this entire Psalm was a great comfort to me. Here a couple of brief passages from this great Psalm.
“Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him.” Psalm 91:1-2
“The Lord says, “I will rescue those who love me. I will protect those who trust in my name. When they call on me, I will answer; I will be with them in trouble. I will rescue and honor them.” Psalm 91:14-15
This verse in Isaiah can motivate us to keep our thoughts on Him
“You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!” Isaiah 26:3
Those were some verses in the Old Testament. Now we will take a look at some Bible verses for insomnia from the New Testament. Once again, are all of these Bible verses about insomnia? Remember, the principles of these verses include insomnia. They are about our lives here on earth and so much more!
Do you worry about tomorrow? I will admit that I worry too much about what’s coming. Here is one of the most important scriptures in the Bible about worry. Do we want to know how to have peace when we lie down to sleep – straight from the mouth of Jesus? Look at these two passages in Matthew.
“So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.” Matthew 6:31-34
“Then Jesus said, ‘Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28
“He is the God who made the world and everything in it. Since he is Lord of heaven and earth, he doesn’t live in man-made temples, 25 and human hands can’t serve his needs—for he has no needs. He himself gives life and breath to everything, and he satisfies every need.” Acts 17:24-25
Do you need to be proactive about worrying at night? The Apostle Paul wrote to the church in Philippi and gave them this as a part of his message.
“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7
“So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.” 1 Peter 5:7
These are just a few of the many verses in the Bible that talk about finding peace and rest in God. We could go on and on. I hope you will. If you’re struggling with insomnia, take some time to read through these verses and let them sink into your heart. You may find that they help you calm down and get some much-needed sleep. God bless!
“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” Jeremiah 17:7-8
First Steps Plan
If you need a quick action plan for beginning to meditate on these or other Bible verses to help you sleep here is a very quick and very easy action plan just as a starting point.
1. Choose one of the above or other Bible verses that speak to you.
2. Write out the verse on a notecard or paper and post it near your bed. (You can print it out or use your phone, but writing it out helps).
3. Have the chosen scripture passage ready before you go to bed every night
4. Meditate on the meaning of the verse and how it can apply to your life.
5. Use that verse as a part of your prayer. Pray it back to God and thank Him for loving you and acknowledge that the scripture is true.
6. Relax and try to let that passage of scripture replace the troubling thoughts of your day or any fear or worry about tomorrow.
We pray God gives you the peace and comfort to rest and sleep! Know that no matter if your circumstances are great or desperate you are still ultimately safe in the arms of God.
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