Advent 19 - Restorative Sleep
By Andy Percey
As the days shorten and the evenings draw us towards Advent’s gentle waiting, we are reminded that God created us not as endless workers but as whole beings who need rest. From the very beginning of Scripture, the rhythm of creation includes evening and morning. Night is not an afterthought; it is part of God’s design. To sleep is not wasted time; it is a gift that restores body, mind and soul.
In our world of screens, schedules and endless striving, we can sometimes see sleep as a luxury or even an inconvenience. Yet Advent calls us to slow, to prepare, to notice the God who comes to us in vulnerability and quiet. Rest is holy, and sleep, restorative sleep, is one of the ways we learn to trust God with our lives.
When we enter this kind of rest, we are gently yet revolutionarily affirming the good pattern that has existed since the beginning of time.
Practical Helps for Sleep
While we can’t command ourselves to sleep, we can prepare for it. A few small practices can make a difference:
Create a rhythm: Going to bed and getting up at similar times helps the body know when to rest. Don’t keep your body guessing.
Step away from noise: Try to turn off screens at least half an hour before bed. If you struggle to do that, then there are settings on your devices that limit the amount of ‘blue light’ your screens emit. Blue light can reduce the amount of melatonin your body produces, which is the hormone that tells your body it’s time to sleep. If you need something on to help you drift off, let the last words you hear be gentle, not frantic.
Settle the body: A warm drink, dimmed lights, and a quiet space can signal the body that it is safe to let go.
Release the day: Write down tomorrow’s tasks or today’s worries in a journal before sleep. Maybe you practice the Examen? Or journal. In practicing these things, we place our days into God’s hands rather than clutching them through the night.
These are not rules but invitations; ways of making space for God’s restoring presence.
A Night Prayer
Advent is a season of watchfulness, but also of rest. As you lay your head down tonight, you might pray these words slowly:
“Lord Jesus Christ, you who came among us as light in the darkness, receive this day which has now finished. Forgive where I have fallen short, bless what was given in love, and hold me in your peace. Through the hours of the night, guard my heart, calm my mind, and renew my body. I sleep in your care. Amen.”
Reflection on Psalm 4:8
“In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety.”
The psalmist reminds us that true rest is not found in perfect circumstances but in God’s presence. We may face uncertainties, burdens, or unspoken fears, but God does not abandon us when we close our eyes. In fact, the act of sleeping is itself a confession of trust: I cannot hold the world together tonight, but God can!
As Advent leads us towards the crib in Bethlehem, we remember that the One who entered our world as a sleeping child is the same Lord who now offers us peace. May our nights become places of renewal, our dreams cradled in God’s care, our waking filled with hope.
This Advent, let us receive restorative sleep not simply as rest for tired bodies, but as a foretaste of the deeper peace God longs to give his people.
Infused with Life
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