Rest is part of the natural rhythm of life, and sleeping is the most basic and simplest method of resting. It is a time to recover what was lost and to gain what is necessary for growth. A dormant seed planted absorbs the nutrients of the fertile soil, which will consequentially burst into life above ground. Animals hibernate to protect themselves from the harsh weather and to recover their strength from a season of hunting and foraging. Our lives as human beings begin in deep slumber within our mother’s wombs and eventually wake up to life, embracing all its fullness.
We make this prayer for sleeping at night. We ask God to calm our stressed minds, rest our tired bodies, and appease our anxious hearts. May God’s peace reign over us as we lay ourselves to sleep at night. May it become an opportunity to clear our minds from worry, to recover our energy, and to calm our worn hearts. After a night’s restful sleep, may we wake up filled with His grace and inspiration to face a new day.
Prayer for restful sleep
Lord Jesus Christ, Prince of Peace,
In this silent prayer of mine, kindly grant me a peaceful sleep. Allow me to fall asleep tonight. Let my eyes close from a day of witnessing Your unfailing grace. Let my body lay gently beside Your consoling presence. Let me breathe in Your peace to soothe my soul from the worries of tomorrow. May I recover the strength I offered in helping others, regain the calmness of my voice in talking to others, and relive Your love which I felt and shared with others.
Dear Jesus, I acknowledge that I sometimes have become negligent in allowing myself to have a healthy sleep routine. I may have spent numerous overtime at work, striving to fulfill its demands. I may have stayed up late countless times binge-watching a series that I am too engrossed in. There might have been sleepless nights when I lose myself in the chaos of anxiety. Kindly grant me the peace I need for me to have a restful, renewing sleep at night. Let Your peace govern in my workplace and everywhere I go. Allow Your peace to be with me tonight. I pray for a night of restful sleep by Your side, Lord Jesus Christ.
I also make this prayer for those who are having difficulty sleeping at night or are experiencing insomnia. For those who need to take medications to assist them to sleep, may You heal them from their sickness. For those who need to work overtime or at night, may You accompany them and keep them safe always. And for those who simply cannot sleep tonight, may You hear my prayers for them to sleep peacefully. Let my prayer for rest for them somehow ease their difficulties and be refreshed tomorrow. May we sleep peacefully tonight and await Your continuous grace tomorrow when we wake up.
I offer this prayer through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Short prayer for insomnia
Lord Jesus Christ, grant me a restful sleep so that I may wake up filled with Your grace as I face a new day. Amen.
Word of God
I will both lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord, make me lie down in safety.
Psalm 4:8 NRSVUE
Prayer to Saint Joseph for restful sleep
O Saint Joseph, the foster parent of Jesus, I seek your intercession to grant a restful sleep tonight. Let my tired body lay peacefully after a productive day at work. Allow my eyes to close and to rest after witnessing how God’s providence never fails to guide me in my life. In God’s will, may I also dream of the goodness and graciousness of God so that I may wake up and continue to proclaim and make His presence felt by the people I meet every day.
God spoke to you through dreams, dear Saint Joseph. You never doubted His voice and message, for you are a devout and pious man. Your unwavering faith, even in your sleep, in God led you to be a part of God’s saving plan for humanity and in saving the infant Jesus from the murderous hands of the enemy. May I also discern and hear God in my dreams. Through God’s grace and your intercession, O Saint Joseph, may I discover God’s plan for me so that I may continue to heed His words and follow His path.
As I lay in bed at night, may I continue to ponder how God has blessed me with the strength to fulfill a tiring day of work, how He has given me patience in dealing with the people around me, and how He has provided me with this providence in keeping me safe from all dangers. Kindly grant me the grace to obtain a lively faith like yours, dear Saint Joseph. May I never question what God instructs me to do. May I never put off what God asks me to fulfill. May I never close my heart to hearing His voice at night. In the silence and stillness of the night, may I hear God’s voice calling me to do something greater than what I am praying and preparing for.
Saint Joseph, pray for us. Amen.
Further reflection
A night of restful sleep is a rare opportunity, even a luxury for some. Considering how we are hooked on using our devices, we often forgo sleep only to spend more time mindlessly scrolling through our screens. For some, they cannot afford to have enough sleep due to the demanding workload that they are expected to fulfill. Oftentimes, hindrances in having a restful and peaceful sleep can be internal. The loud and anxious thoughts which we entertain in our heads at night can contribute to experiencing restless or sleepless nights. If left unchecked, it may lead to insomnia.
Therefore, we turn to prayer to seek the help of God for us to have restful sleep at night. We turn to prayer to rest our eyes from the screens of our devices. We turn to prayer to still our busy bodies from the demands of work. Prayer also allows us to offer God all our ramblings and worries, clearing our heads of any unnecessary thoughts for us to sleep. In prayer, we close our eyes and pacify our bodies in preparation for having a restful and peaceful sleep. In maintaining a healthy mind and body, may we also develop the habit of praying before sleeping at night. May saying the short prayer to fall asleep, found above, be our starting point in developing a healthy habit of praying at night. Let us always bid God goodnight and be ready to meet Him again when we wake up tomorrow.
