Sleep is a cardinal requirement for us as human beings to function optimally. If we are sleep deprived, then many if not all of our bodily functions suffer. We become irritable, we make many errors and in the long run our health gets affected negatively.
“A good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures in the doctor’s book.” Irish proverb
In various circles, sleep can easily be associated with laziness. I think this is so if it is overdone. Nancy Foldvary-Schaefer said “Sleep is not a waste of time. During sleep, a variety of biological processes take place that restore our bodies and minds.” I think when you look at it critically, there is no human being who can operate without sleep for a continuous period beyond 24 hours without it causing some serious effects to their wellbeing.
Sleep is crucial but it is beneficial to ensure that by the time you sleep, your affairs are in order. Ensure that within the 24 hours allotted to you, as it is allotted to everyone, you have attended to all matters you need to. I know this is not easy to do, but it is a worthy habit to develop by all means. There are a number of references in the Scriptures to illustrate this point. In the book of Matthew 25, is written the story of the ten bridesmaids. Five were wise and five were foolish. The five who were foolish did not take enough olive oil for their lamps, but the other five were wise enough to take along extra oil. When the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep.
At midnight they were roused by the shout, ‘look, the bridegroom is coming! Come out and meet him!’ All the bridesmaids got up and prepared their lamps. Then the five foolish ones asked the others, ‘please give us some of your oil because our lamps are going out.’ But the others replied, ‘we don’t have enough for all of us. Go to a shop and buy some for yourselves.’
But while they were gone to buy oil, the bridegroom came. Then those who were ready went with him to the marriage feast, and the door was locked. Later, when the other five bridesmaids returned, they stood outside, calling, ‘Lord! Lord! Open the door for us!’ But he called back, ‘Believe me, I don’t know you!’ Although this story was told by Jesus to sensitize his disciples to be prepared for his unknown time of return, I think it also illustrates the importance of leaving your affairs in order before sleeping as did the wise bridesmaids. In Ephesians 4:26 we get this warning “Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a foothold to the devil.” So in essence, we should deal with any issues that have caused us to be angry and sort them out before going to bed. This is best.
Speaking of the sun going down, I recall early last year watching a YouTube Video in which they described the circadian rhythm of sleep. Apparently, this is a system that runs in the background of our brain and body like a built in 24 hour clock. It is attuned to the day and night cycle. It dictates when we should be awake and when we should fall asleep. It is regulated by exposure to daylight and is meant to coincide with the natural patterns of the 24 hour day. This system works best when one has a regular bedtime and wake up time, that is going to bed when it is dark and waking up when it gets bright. The video describes how the setting of the sun and the evening darkness signals the production of melatonin which is the sleep hormone. Scientists claim that the sleep hormone starts building up in the evening and is highest at 12am. The melatonin levels start increasing roughly 2 to 3 hours after sunset, which is when your body signals it is time to sleep. 10pm is the recommended time by which one should sleep. The deepest regenerative sleep that allows the body to rejuvenate, get repaired and perform other important biological processes happens between 10pm and 2am. When one misses this time frame of sleep, they likely wake up still feeling tired and less energized for the day. The body does not get the ample downtime to perform the neurochemical processes for its regeneration.
I have tried applying this schedule and I can vouch for it. The days when I am in bed by 10pm, I wake up early, feeling so refreshed. Before I encountered this information, I would go to bed regularly past 11pm, wake up in the morning around 7am but would still be feeling so sleepy and tired. When I tried this, it made such a big difference. I wake up early even at 4am on some days (especially when I was studying for an examination) feeling fresh and ready to get on with the days tasks.
Poor sleep patterns have been associated with health risks in some adults. A study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology in March 2020, found that “Older adults with irregular sleep patterns—meaning they have no regular bedtime and wake-up schedule, or they get different amounts of sleep each night—are nearly twice as likely to develop cardiovascular disease as those with more regular sleep patterns.” Other studies have also linked sleep deprivation or poor sleep to higher risk of diseases such as obesity, high blood pressure and heart disease. Prolonged poor sleep invariable can also have an impact on mental health.
I have observed the behavioural effect of both good and poor sleep in my child who is now a toddler. This I am certain goes without saying for parents of young children. On the days he has sufficient sleep, he wakes up happy, content, joyful and cooperative. On the nights he did not sleep well or on days he misses his daytime nap, he is grumpy, uncooperative and quite a tough one to deal with. It has shown me the importance of sleep for good behaviour in a child. I also think this extends to us as adults too. When we have slept well, we are less grumpy and make less mistakes on whatever we are doing, thus making for an overall good outcome of our day. So sleep in essence, stabilizes us. As Henry Ward Beecher “God has made sleep to be a sponge by which to rub out fatigue. A man’s roots are planted at night as in soil.”
So what is your sleeping habit? Do you have a regular bedtime? Do you burn the midnight oil regularly? For us to live an inspired harmonious life, we should ensure that we have ample sleep for our bodies to regenerate and get fresh supply of energy to keep going the following day. It is crucial that we develop a regular sleep habit seeing as there are immense health benefits associated with this kind of routine. There is wisdom after all in what is proverbially said, early to bed, early to rise. As Charles Reade said “Sleep is life’s nurse, sent from heaven to create us anew day by day.”
