Over recent years, a saying has appeared in the field of occupational psychology: “Sleep is the new luxury!” Despite amazing labour-saving developments in technology, many are struggling to balance work and rest. People vary somewhat in the amount of sleep they need, but most seem to need around eight hours per night. Despite this, the amount of sleep people actually get appears to vary widely by culture. For example, in France the average amount of sleep seems to be just under eight hours, whereas in Japan, people work with much less sleep – around six and a half hours. Interestingly, sleep research suggests that those who adhere to cultural norms for sleep duration may have better overall health, though further research is needed to unpack this relationship. How is your sleep? Whatever difficulties you may face
sleeping, there are spiritual resources to help you. The Bible says that God “gives his beloved sleep.” This doesn’t mean that if you can’t sleep God hates you! But it does mean that anyone who puts their trust in Him will enter into His rest and know His peace within. As we daily walk and talk with Jesus, we receive grace and peace for every aspect of our life, including our nights. The insomniac receives peace and rest (though not always sleep!), the poor time-manager discovers how to better plan their week, and the over-worked find grace to get by.