For some reason our culture has morphed being tired into some sort of badge of honor.
Maybe it comes from the root of wanting people to believe we have so much to do in our lives we don’t have time for sleep, maybe it springs up out of wanting to pine away hours in a hipster coffee shop (who needs sleep when you can function on caffeine?), or maybe it is an issue you’ve faced for much of your life where good sleep always seems physiologically just beyond reach.
There are many valid reasons why someone doesn’t get enough sleep during certain seasons of life, such as a new baby or taking care of an ill loved one. There are also many people who face real hormonal imbalances that make quality & quantity sleep unattainable. But there are also many people who just choose to go to bed too late or allow stress & anxieties to rob them from a good night’s rest.
Then His disciples said, “Lord if he sleeps he will get well.” {John 11:12}
People in ancient times were in tune with the fact that sleeping makes us well. In this case, the scripture refers to getting well from a sickness, but sleep makes us well in many ways.
Adequate sleep allows our bodies to heal & produce hormones that help all of our organs & our brains function normally. Better functioning organs & brains leads to better food & health decisions overall, plus scientifically leads to a healthier weight.
Our Creator, gave us sleep to restore us from not only our physical tiredness but so that our body could work on healing itself in the cover of night.
If you’ve ever taken care of a sick person with a high fever, you know that the fever almost always “breaks” when the person is asleep. They will wake up covered completely in sweat. This is because while we sleep our nervous system is hard at work to keep our body functioning properly.
Sleep is crucial to balancing health.
A lack of sleep affects our mood & cognitive function but, like stress, it can also affect our weight-loss or weight maintenance.
When you sleep, there are two specific hormones made in your body. One is called Leptin & the other is called Ghrelin. These two hormones tell your body when it’s full & when it’s hungry. If you are lacking in sleep & you don’t make enough of these hormones, it’s likely that you will not recognize proper signals of when you are full & when you are hungry.
Have you ever noticed when you’re tired you crave food? This is the body’s response to needing energy. Even if you don’t feel a physical hunger, Leptin & Ghrelin are at war inside of you, trying to make you eat.
If you want to level out food cravings & likely get to a place where you can balance weight-loss or maintain weight, getting enough sleep is your first line of defense.
Though it seems like going to bed should be natural, our modern culture gives us so many distractions that getting in bed no longer happens in a natural rhythm.
So how do we conquer the problem of getting enough sleep?
First, decide on a bedtime that will actually work for you, but make sure it gives you ample sleep before the alarm goes off.
Second, ask someone in your house to keep you accountable to getting in bed on time. If you live alone, ask a friend to keep you accountable. Even knowing that you will need to report your sleep habits to someone will give you cause to keep to your goal.
Third, use a sleep tracker on your watch or phone. Making sure you get plenty of sleep might move into a priority when you have a way of tracking your progress in your pursuit.
If you are someone who truly struggles with falling asleep, consider taking some of the following scriptures & writing them on note cards. Place them next to your bed & read them every night before you lie down to sleep. Let the Word of God be the last thoughts that you meditate on before you go to sleep.
When you lie down, you will not be afraid; yes, you will lie down and your sleep will be sweet. {Proverbs 3:24}
I lay down and slept; I awoke, for the LORD sustained me. {Psalm 3:5}
I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; for You alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety. {Psalm 4:8}
It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows; for so He gives His beloved sleep. {Psalm 127:2}
Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. {Psalm 91:1 NIV}