Insomnia: The Miracle of the Mundane
If you
really study the miracles recorded in the Gospels you will quickly realize that
Jesus did not use a protocol or formula. Sometimes He spoke and at His word
someone was healed. Other times he
touched people to cure their disease. On
one occasion He used saliva and mixed it with dirt to cover a blind man’s
eyes. Believers sometimes have trouble
believing that something is from God unless it involves the supernatural and
the extraordinary. But God can be in it—even
through a natural means. When it comes
to sleep and rest, God can also use the natural and mundane—especially when it
is internalized by faith.
This graph which
breaks down the causes of insomnia suggests that almost one-third of cases of
insomnia are caused by poor behavioral habits. Medicine calls this poor sleep hygiene. In other words almost thirty percent of cases
of insomnia can be relieved by healthy bedtime habits. Perhaps there is a simple habit that God can
enable you to change that can help you sleep better. Here are some helpful sleep hygiene tips that
may help you rest better.
1. Establish a consistent bedtime
rhythm—boring is good.
2. Exercise daily—but not before bedtime. Most studies show that people (especially women) who exercise in the early afternoon have better rest.
3. Avoid drinking a lot of fluids before
bedtime (to prevent frequent trips to the bathroom).
4. Do not eat right before
bedtime—better to rest on an empty stomach.
5. Never use your bed for anything other
than sleep or sex with your spouse. In
other words, don’t do anything that would help your mind associate activity
with bedtime (ie surfing the web, texting, paying bills).
6. Avoid lights when you sleep--this stimulates your brain to wake up.
Here’s
another little tidbit that may help you wake up more refreshed in the
morning. We cycle through different stages
of sleep through the night that last about ninety minutes each. If you awake during the deeper stages (REM)
you can wake up tired. If you wake to an
alarm you want to time your wake up when you are cycling into the lighter
stages of sleep. Check out this clock to
help you determine exactly when to go to bed: http://sleepyti.me/wake/
