Sleeping by Faith Means Creating Good Routines

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“Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise.”

Ephesians 5:15

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God’s Gift of Rest

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God’s People Need Regular Routine

Experts talk about our ‘circadian rhythm.’  In the science world it refers to the body’s normal sleep/wake cycle.  

The idea behind the circadian rhythm is that your body craves regulation.  It likes to have a routine where it knows when it is to rise and when it is to shut down.

The science only backs what the Scriptures teach in this regard.  God’s will for our lives is that we live a well-ordered life.  That includes maintaining regular daily routines and weekly rhythms of life which allow our bodies to get the maximum rest possible.

For instance, God created the weekly pattern of work and worship.  He instituted the sabbath so that we would have the rhythm working 6 days and devoting one day to Him.

Daily routines are also expected by the Lord.  For example, Proverbs 9:11 talks about Lady Folly and how she is “loud.”  Foolishness is personified as a boisterous woman who bangs around and does not observe the proper times of calm.

This folly is expressive of someone doesn’t have a regimented bedtime. When we are up late one night and trying to get to bed early on another, our body naturally becomes confused.  We lack that rhythm that produces the sound, rejuvenating sleep that the Lord would otherwise bestow.

Likewise, 1 Thess. 5 talks about the “unruly” person.  The word unruly literally means “unarranged.”  The unruly person sins because he has not arranged his life in a way that would please the Lord.  Disorder reigns because he lacks the discipline of ordering his time and energy.  

As a result of his unarranged life, he doesn’t have the kind of nightly routine that makes the body ready to rest.  Subsequently, his sleep becomes as disordered as the rest of his life.  Over time this takes a toll.  His body is depleted and his brain fails to perform at the optimal levels God intended.  

This, of course, leads to other forms of disordering.  Chief among them are those extra tokes of caffeine which he thinks will compensate for his muddled night.

All in all, Scripture points to the need for moderating our pleasures, work, and the everyday distractions which can impede our call to a well ordered life.  The wisdom of consistent daily (and nightly) habits are biblical principles which provide the avenue for God’s blessings in our life.

So, one of the great helps to improving our nightly rest (and making the most out of our wakeful hours) is honing in that ‘circadian rhythm’ God knit into our system.

To do this, you must first determine when you ought to rise and making this wake time as regimented as possible.  That includes weekends.  Your body will appreciate the regularity, rather than always guessing when it is to sleep in or wake up early.

The wake time is also important because it dictates the time you should go to bed.  While age may be a factor in how long you sleep, normally you should shoot for at least 7 hours.  So, if you are to be up at 6 am, you should aim to be on the pillow and out by 11 pm.

To achieve this, though, it is wise to have a bedtime routine.  During that half hour or hour leading up to bed, you should make it your aim to follow a consistent “wind down” pattern.  This ordering of your life may include things like washing, putting on pajamas, eating a light snack, brushing your teeth, a short time of prayer, and/or reading.  

These practices, if repeated consistently, can let the body know that bedtime is coming.  As you become accustomed to this pattern, you will find that you can drift off to sleep much easier.  You may even find that you consistently fall asleep and wake at exactly the right moments.

Furthermore, the regularity of this process will cause your daytime activity to flourish.  The nightly patterns will allow you to be more rested, enabling you to be more active and alert during the day.  You will rise refreshed and feel less sluggish during the afternoons because the Lord replenishes your body during the night.

All this stems from the kind of order that God intends for your life.  When we prioritize what is important to the Lord and orient our affairs into a routine that best achieves God’s will, we demonstrate that we are living by a true and lively faith in Him.

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