How Faith Can Help You During Sleepless Nights

Do you have difficulty falling asleep? Do you suffer from insomnia and wonder whether your Catholic faith can help you rest better during the night?

While we should never forget to apply practical means as well as seek medical help when needed, we should also never forget the role of our faith when it comes to having a good night’s sleep.

So in addition to drinking your milk, getting enough sunlight and exercise during the day and having a comfortable bedtime environment, here are some things you can consider from a spiritual perspective:

1. The Importance of Prayers at Night

In the Catholic tradition, Compline or Night Prayer is the last prayer for the day in the Liturgy of the Hours. It involves a prayer of protection as well as an examination of one’s conscience. The usual structure includes a hymn, a Psalm and a reading of Scriptures. You don’t have to be a priest or a nun to pray it.

You can also have your own set of night prayers that would allow you to offer the day to God, give thanks to Him, and ask for forgiveness and protection for the night.

If you have a lot of time, you can even pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy or the Holy Rosary. You may not be able to sleep at once, but you would have used your time well by praying.

In a way, praying helps you also to relax and surrender everything to God.

2. Sleep Is God’s Gift

While we may think of sleep as a mere routine or a product of various procedures to induce rest, our Catholic faith recognizes sleep as a gift from God.

“In peace I will lie down and fall asleep, for you alone, LORD, make me secure.” – Psalm 4:9 NABRE

Our difficulty in falling asleep can help us grow in humility by reminding us that even sleep comes from God.

Let us ask this gift from God and trust Him that He will not withhold any gift that will be for our good.

3. Entrusting Our Worries To God

One of the most common reasons why people find it hard to fall asleep is because of their worries and cares. Instead of restfully falling asleep, we think about the next day or the problem that needs to be solved.

Instead of being filled with anxiety, we must learn to surrender our worries and troubles to God. Night is a time for rest. When another day begins, we can have the opportunity to do our best again.

If you find it hard to mentally cast your worries to God, you can have a diary or even a piece of paper on your bedside. Simply write a short note that describes the things you should address for the next day. Then close the diary or fold that paper and pray to God.

Remember that even if you’re resting, God is awake. He is already working and helping you in ways you do not know. All you need is the faith to trust Him and let go of your fears.

“Night and day the seed sprouts and grows, though he knows not how.” – Mark 4:27 NABRE

4. Believing In God’s Providence

The cause of our difficulty may also be that we have not scheduled sufficient hours for our rest. We may be working beyond our capabilities, believing that it’s the only way to make both ends meet.

While there may be tough times and God recognizes our sacrifices, we must pause before this becomes a habit we can no longer control.

We must work hard, but work should not be our god. God has even set one day of the week for our rest. Let us do what we can and entrust the rest of our needs to Him.

“It is vain for you to rise early and put off your rest at night,
To eat bread earned by hard toil— all this God gives to his beloved in sleep.”
– Psalm 127:2 NABRE

In God Alone Is Our Rest

St. Teresa of Avila once said:

“Let nothing disturb you, let nothing frighten you. All things are passing; God never changes.”

Let every fear be put away and let the love of our Lord keep our minds at peace. Even if we find it difficult to fall asleep, let us keep our souls still and trust that God will give us rest.

“Have courage for the great sorrows of life and patience for the small ones; and when you have laboriously accomplished your daily task, go to sleep in peace. God is awake.”― Victor Hugo

“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves.” – Matthew 11:28-29 NABRE

Let this bedtime lullaby and prayer song assist you as you try to find a good night’s sleep:
In Peace, O Lord, I Go To Sleep