Insomnia is a very difficult condition to have. When a person is very tired, they desire sleep, but what if sleep doesn’t come? They wind up feeling more tired, and also cranky and stressed in the process.
The days seem to melt together with more stress getting piled up. Perhaps you have tried every single possible thing to do, from dimming down the lights in your room, to downing a glass of milk at every bed time, as well as avoiding strenuous physical or mental activity an hour before bedtime. But if you still have trouble sleeping, perhaps it’s time to check the possible emotional causes of your insomnia:
1. Perennial worry: Is there something bothering you deeply? Perhaps it’s a pending move, a recent development in a relationship, or worries about your financial provision for the future. When asked straight out, you might not have an answer right away, as these things do not seem right at the top of your head. But the next time you stay awake past the midnight hour, try this: whatever things you find yourself thinking about, grab a piece of paper and write them down. Perhaps you find yourself making mental calculations of how much you need to save every month to meet your son’s tuition fees, or to meet your retirement savings plan. More often than not, worry is a major sleep-grabber for just about anyone.
2. Condemnation: Have you done something that you feel guilty about? Perhaps nobody else knows about it, but it’s eating you up inside. Sometimes it’s something you feel was very serious, such as having had an abortion several years ago, or for some people, it could be as seemingly simple as losing your patience over a child. In any case, you might not be aware that you are internally beating yourself up for whatever it was you failed to do or did wrong. This may be why Christians can be the most well-rested people as they believe that everything they’ve done has been paid for when God sent His Son to die in their place.
3. Anger: Are you holding a grudge against someone? Perhaps somebody betrayed you, or somebody is constantly getting on your nerves and you are dreading seeing that person again the next day. Some people observe that letting out their anger through some outlet, such as writing, or music, or prayer, helps them get over the angry feelings and be at peace. Other people find it easier to forgive when they realize how much they’ve also been forgiven themselves by a holy God.
4. Fear: Are you afraid of something? You most likely are not afraid of the dark, but perhaps you are afraid of losing someone you love, or of not having enough, or anything that may be irrational in the daylight but feels so real when everything else is silent around you. This type of fear is related to perennial worry, wherein no amount of rationalizing will shoo it away. In this case doctors might prescribe you anti-relaxants just to get you to doze off. But some people find it even more effective to set their sights on something, such as a God who cares so much for them that He will not leave them alone to fend for themselves. If you talk to Christians about fear, they will likely tell you that perfect love can cast it away, and you may be scratching your head as they explain to you that this perfect love is a love you can receive from your Creator!
These emotions may look simple, but when they attack you in the middle of the night, you are usually left with no resources to fend them off. As such, learning to renew your mind against such thoughts, such as feeding your mind on the answers to those worries, may just be the key to the beauty rest that you need! If anything, just acknowledging your feelings or writing them down may do wonders, and you will be well on your way to many sleep-filled nights to come.
