When God Prescribed Sleep

Welcome to 2025 - our advanced world where AI-driven personalized medicine, robotic surgeries, and disease-curing gene therapies are no longer a figment of imagination. We are the most technologically advanced generation in history, equipped with an unprecedented depth of knowledge. Yet, despite all of our innovation and intellect, we continue to overlook an age-old truth that has stood the test of time: the vital importance of a good night’s rest.

Have you noticed how our society romanticizes sacrificing sleep in the name of productivity? We are so obsessed with the hustle and grind that we treat sleep as a luxury we can’t afford. Yet, sleep is not just a break from our busy lives — it is a significant component of our overall health and well-being.

Time and time again, research has shown that quality sleep is healing for us. It is an active process of restoration that improves cognitive function, reduces risk of chronic disease, and optimizes our healthspan — how long we live in good health.

As we sleep, our brain cycles through two phases: non-REM sleep and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep.

We first enter non-REM sleep characterized by 3 stages:

  • Stage 1 (the transition from wakefulness to sleep): Your heart rate and breathing slows down, and your muscles start to relax.

  • Stage 2 (light sleep): Your brain waves slow, and your body temperature drops as you drift deeper into sleep.

  • Stage 3 (deep, restorative sleep): Your heart rate and breathing reach their lowest levels, muscles fully relax, blood flow increases to your muscles and brain, and your body performs tissue repair and growth. This is when your energy is restored and essential hormones are released.

After about 90 minutes, you enter REM sleep.

This is when your brain becomes highly active, resembling wakefulness in many ways, yet the body remains in a state of temporary paralysis. While non-REM sleep focuses on physical restoration, REM sleep is crucial for cognitive function, emotional regulation, and memory consolidation.

So what is the ideal amount of sleep to get on a daily basis?

According to the Mayo Clinic, adults need at least 7 to 9 hours of uninterrupted, high quality sleep per day on average.

Here are a ~few~ health benefits:

  • Strengthens immune system: one study showed that individuals who slept less than 7 hours consistently were 3x more likely to catch the common cold than those who slept 8 hours or more

  • Lowers risk of depression: it has been estimated that 90% of patients with depression indicate poor sleep quality

  • Helps prevent obesity: short-sleeping adults are 57% more likely to be obese; short-sleeping children are 89% more likely

  • Regulates appetite control: decreased cravings for unhealthy food and night-time snacking

  • Improves athletic performance

  • Optimizes learning and memory capabilities

  • Increases energy for daily activities

  • Expands capacity to empathize and emotionally connect with others

If I haven’t convinced you to prioritize your sleep yet, take encouragement from the Bible. Rest is deeply woven into the fabric of creation. In Genesis, God models rest after creating the world to show us the rhythm of work and rest.

Although it is totally possible that there are occasions where the sacrifice of sleep for something greater can be honorable or even necessary, Scripture teaches us to uphold sleep as a sweet gift from God (Proverbs 3:24). Sleep is a physical limitation of ours, just like food and water, that serve to remind us daily of our dependence on God for our very existence.

John Piper said it best: “For those prone to productive self-reliance, the bed is a desk in God’s school of humility.”

“In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat — for God grants sleep to those He loves.” — Psalm 127:2

Take it from Elijah. [1 Kings 19: 1-9]

Elijah had just experienced one of the greatest victories of his life—calling down fire from heaven and proving God’s power before the prophets of Baal. But after Queen Jezebel threatened his life, fear overtook him. He ran into the wilderness, exhausted and overwhelmed, collapsing under a tree.

"I have had enough, Lord," he prayed. "Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors."

Then, Elijah did something simple but profound—he slept.

An angel eventually woke him up and fed him. He ate and then slept again. The angel returned a second time and said, “Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.” Strengthened by the food and rest, Elijah traveled forty days and forty nights to Mount Horeb, where he encountered God in a gentle whisper.

Even the strongest among us need rest. In Elijah’s moment of deep despair, God did not rebuke him or tell him to pray harder.

He let Elijah sleep and eat.

He allowed his body to recover before calling him forward again.

Today, we often push ourselves past exhaustion. But Scripture shows us that sleep is a gift, a divine reset for both body and soul. Like Elijah, we need to rest so we can be strengthened for the journey ahead.

So the next time you feel overwhelmed, remember: sleep is not just physical; it is spiritual. It is a reminder that we are not meant to run on our own strength. Take the rest God offers with joyful gratitude—you may wake up to a renewed spirit and a clearer path forward.

With that said, I will leave you with some tips from sleep experts:

  1. Regularity - go to bed at the same time and wake up at the same time; try to form a night-time routine like brushing your teeth, reading for 15 minutes, and then immediately going to bed.

  2. Darkness - dim the lights down around house in the last hour before bed; consider blackout curtains and duct tape — melatonin is naturally raised when the sun goes down. Nowadays, we have too many artificial lights confusing our system!

  3. Don’t use screens 1 hour before bed time.

  4. Keep the temperature slightly colder (65-69F).

  5. Walk it out - don’t lie in bed too long if you can’t sleep.

  6. Limit your caffeine; also remember that it has a half-life of 5-6 hours. This means that if you drink 200mg of caffeine at 12pm, 100mg remains in your system at 5pm and 50mg remains at 10pm.

  7. Limit your alcohol.

  8. Consider 20-30 min naps during the day if you are feeling tired; naps have been shown to lower cortisol levels, which reduces anxiety and stress.

That’s all folks. Sweet dreams!

If you would like to share any feedback, personal experiences, or thoughts with the author, please email iza.zabaneh@tcu.edu.