“In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety” (Ps 4:8).

In college, I studied all the time and went to bed by ten. I still remember one night when I stayed up to keep a friend company during the last hours of her shift working the front desk of our dorm. A couple of us joined her from ten to midnight. My friends were shocked, first of all, that I joined them, and second, that I stayed awake the entire time!

Like many of you, I’ve struggled at times with getting enough sleep. Insomnia has plagued me, while other times worry and anxiety kept me from falling asleep. Still other times, I stayed up late on purpose and then regretted it the next day.

Years ago, a neurologist told me how important a regular sleep schedule is to ward off migraines. On his advice, I tracked my sleep schedule, and I noticed a pattern: when I stayed up too late or slept too long, I had a migraine the next day. Unfortunately, I had many other migraine triggers as well, many of which were out of my control, but I could control my sleep schedule.

Even Stephen King promotes the benefits of sleep as a way to encourage our minds to connect events during our sleep to our wakeful hours. While dream often don’t make sense to our logical minds, we know that dreaming is our brain’s way of working through emotions, memories, or events.

Getting enough sleep has many benefits in addition to improved physical health. As a writer and editor, I’ve discovered the following benefits:

• Improved creativity;
• Improved alertness;
• Improved memory;
• Improved problem solving ability; and
• Lower stress levels.

When I get enough sleep, I’m more creative and alert, and my memory works better. It’s hard to come up with blog topics, catch errors in someone’s manuscript, or remember where I read something when my brain is tired or I have a migraine. Sleep also lowers my stress levels, which is helpful when running my small business.

My goal is to get seven hours of sleep a night, and I’m currently reaching that goal consistently. To promote a good night’s sleep, I have implemented the following:

• Wearing a sleep mask. I’ve always thought sleep masks look silly. But I’m single, so no one sees me anyway. There’s a motion light outside my bedroom window, and the light shining into my room makes it hard to fall into a restful sleep. Wearing the sleep mask means I don’t see the light. Another option to block the light would be installing room darkening curtains.
• Using a weighted blanket. Friends touted the benefits of weighted blankets and improvements to their sleep, so I decided to try it for myself. I received a weighted blanket for Christmas, and it has indeed allowed me to fall asleep faster.
• Reading before bed. Reading for just a few minutes before bed can be relaxing. I have to be careful about the type of book I choose, though, so that it doesn’t make me anxious or make me want to read all night. I typically choose a nonfiction, Christian growth book to read at bedtime. These books are stimulating enough to maintain my interest but provide enough food for thought that I want to read slowly to digest the material.
• Establishing a bedtime routine. A bedtime routine includes all the little things I do like washing my face, flossing, and brushing my teeth that signal my brain to start winding down. I used to do these things in the five minutes before bedtime, but I’ve moved my start time to about an hour before I go to bed. I’ve noticed an improvement.

Dear Jesus, when I have trouble sleeping, help me to turn to you for comfort. Show me how to take better care of myself so that I’m able to create and share your love with those around me. Amen.