Do you struggle with insomnia?
Ever since I hit middle age, it seems like 3:00 a.m. calls my name, whether I want to hear it or not.
Many nights, I’m wide awake with no reason. I’m not anxious, sick or troubled. I’m just awake.
This insomnia used to annoy me, until I realized it held opportunity to draw me closer to God.
Prefer to listen? Here’s the podcast episode:
3 Ways to Meet God in the Night Hours
But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
Psalm 1:2 ESV
Here are three ways you can meet with God in the night hours and enrich your relationship with him.
1. Ask God to speak.
When Samuel was a boy, God called out to him in the night. He thought Eli the priest was calling for him, but Eli told him to say, “Speak, for your servant hears.” (1 Samuel 3:10 ESV). Then Samuel recognized and heard the Lord’s message to him in the middle of the night.
You can also ask God to speak to you in the night hours. He may use those quiet, distraction-free times to speak unique messages to you and bring you special comfort.
2. Meditate on God’s Word.
As the psalm for today states, we can meditate on God’s Word at all times of the day or night. I suggest that you keep a card by your bed with your weekly meditation verse.
If you wake up, turn on the light for a few minutes so you don’t get too alert. Read the verse, turn off the light, and then repeat it in your mind, savoring each word. This meditation will bring you peace and help you fall back to sleep.
3. Pray.
Most of us want to pray more often but don’t know when to do it. The night hours are an ideal time for prayer. Pour your heart out to God when you can’t sleep. He is waiting for you in the darkness. It’s a safe place to unburden your heart to him.
If you really can’t get back to sleep, turn on the light and pray God’s Word back to him. This morning I whispered all of Psalm 18 back to God in the form of a prayer. God takes delight in hearing our voices repeat his words back to him. Pick a psalm to pray back to God the next time you struggle with insomnia.
How to meet God in the night hours while you struggle with #insomnia. Click To TweetTransforming Your Thought Life
Interested in learning more about Christian meditation for handling insomnia and other problems? My book, Transforming Your Thought Life: Christian Meditation in Focus, will help you do just that! Check out the book page HERE and watch the book trailer HERE.
More resources for better sleep
You might like these related posts on getting better sleep:
How to Head Off Insomnia Before It Begins
How Insomnia Is An Opportunity
A Midnight Meeting with God
New Tips for 2024
I have been using a tip from my new 2025 planner for better sleep, and it really works!
The tip is to roll your feet on a tennis ball or something similar before you go to bed. I have been rolling my feet on my hand weights, and it truly helps me sleep sounder. The research-backed science behind this tip is that it stimulates the pressure points in your feet, which releases tension.
More tips for better sleep (be sure to check with a doctor first):
- I elevate my legs on a few pillows for about 10 minutes. I make sure that my feet are above my heart level. This helps redirect blood flow back to my heart and makes my feet and legs feel less stiff and/or sore.
- I sip this Calm magnesium drink, and it helps reduce middle-of-the-night insomnia.
- I use blackout curtains, a white noise fan, and an eye mask to cut out sensory stimulation.
- I use lavender spray on my pillow for calming aromatherapy.
- I journal my thoughts almost every night in this journal, which I like because it holds about three months of writing.
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