What to Do When You Can't Sleep

What do you do when you just can’t sleep? Jeff tackles insomnia from a Biblical and spiritual perspective, exploring why sleepless nights are so common and what Scripture has to say about rest.

Shownotes

Common Causes of Sleeplessness (Biblical Perspective)

1. Troubled Spirit & Inner Turmoil

• Daniel 2:1 — Nebuchadnezzar’s troubled spirit caused his sleep to leave him.

2. Worry and Anxious Toil

• Psalm 127:2 — Anxiety steals sleep; God gives sleep to His beloved.

3. Anxiety and Fear

• The loneliness of night magnifies fear, dread, and uncertainty.

4. Sin and a Troubled Conscience

• Psalm 36:4 — Plotting evil while lying on the bed.
• Proverbs 4:14–16 — The wicked are robbed of sleep unless they do wrong.

5. Excessive Sleep or Sloth

• Proverbs 6:9–11 — Too much sleep leads to poverty.
• Proverbs 20:13 — Loving sleep leads to lack.

6. Poor Nighttime Habits

• Alcohol, overeating, late-night TV, social media, email, and cable news.

God’s Remedies for Sleepless Nights

1. Seek first the Kingdom

• Matthew 6:25–33 — Trust God with your needs; anxiety adds nothing.
• 2. Pray Instead of Worry

• Philippians 4:6–7 — Prayer replaces anxiety with God’s peace.
  

3. Trust in God’s Protection

• Psalm 91:1–5 — No fear of the terror of the night.
  

4. Trust God to Sustain You

• Psalm 3:5 — “I lay down and sleep… for the Lord sustains me.”
  

5. Honest Work Leads to Rest

• Ecclesiastes 5:12 — Sweet is the sleep of a laborer.
  

6. Maintain a Clean Conscience

• Confession restores peace and lifts the burden of sin.
  

7. Establish a Holy Nighttime Routine

• Psalm 119:62 — Rising at midnight to praise God.
• Psalm 23 — The Lord leads us beside still waters and restores the soul.
  

Key Takeaways