Nope, this isn’t about spiritual sleep or decay… it’s about the actual, physical zzzz-stuff!
One of many things that isn’t accented all that much in most surgeries is how one’s stomach will react afterwards.
I say this not from personal experience but via sharing that of my wife who just underwent a hip replacement and must do another and at least one knee replacement all due to extreme arthritis.
So what does this have to do with sleep?
Read on…
You likely recall that when young, you were probably not all that interested in naptime. As in “Honey I Blew Up the Baby”: “NOOO Nap”!
Yet as one hits their late 20’s and beyond, naps at least sometimes, seem quite the gift.
I went through days, even weeks in my 20’s when naps were just not an option, and at that point I still didn’t really want nor think I needed them. As I aged I not only appreciated them but welcomed them.
Sleep is mentioned in scripture from several angles:
“Do not love sleep” as well as “The Lord gives His beloved sleep” (or “rest”).
On the one hand being a slacker or slug about responsible living and work is not God’s plan for anyone. On the other, He understands human limitation and need and in His love brings rest and sleep to us to meet such need (major example, the Sabbath).
During Wendi’s rehab due to both pain, a sane schedule of medication-taking as well as stomach issues and toilet needs we found ourselves only able to sleep somewhere between an hour or so and perhaps 3 hours at a time.
Being a musician (!) all my life I’m often asked “How do you feel?” and my standard response is often “I’m starting to wake up a little bit” even if it’s 3 o’clock in the afternoon… and I’m not always joking.
Musicians are often not all that lucid until about that time as we end up getting to sleep for the night quite late (or early depending on your perspective), therefore sleeping later in the morning or even early afternoon.
So you can imagine how my body was responding to waking up (not really Waking Up) every couple of hours for several weeks in a row.
I’m not supposed to love sleep… but I sure do sometimes!
As we age or due to circumstances of sporadic workloads, illness, etc., there will be those times throughout life when sleep is such a desired gift, such a solace and hug that you just can’t wait to get some.
Aging often brings insomnia and both I and plenty peeps I know in their sixties and older wake up in the middle of the night or an hour or two before dawn and for no apparent reason cannot get back to sleep.
I find praying a great deal, listening to (or reading on the Web) news and sometimes writing are all helpful and even edifying things to do in such times.
Through making good changes in diet, exercise and such one can help ease transitions and burdens to get a better night’s rest. Changing to a different mattress, etc., can all help- yet all of these and more are not fail-safe adjustments toward regular sleep habits for life often has its twists and turns.
As Wendi and I raised our children and currently with grandchildren close, various sickness, etc. means sleep gets interrupted no matter what your plan may be to get enough.
Lastly, from both ministering to hurting people with mental/emotional/physical issues, even very wise, balanced folks who have lost a loved one, sleep cycles can change-up without warning. Sometimes sleep becomes a drug of choice used to escape whatever ails one.
I found myself really desiring more sleep in part to find peace in nights when Wendi was in real pain during those moments there seemed nothing we could do to fix it.
Depression is both brought on by lack of restful sleep and also at times part of what may help cure depression and other anxiety or disorders.
I’m certainly no professional nor anywhere near an expert, but these are some of my own observations… while at least partially awake.
All of this to say that sleep is something worth considering as it’s such a large, needful part of life and indeed affects each of us as well as those around us both in terms of their relationships as well as our own ability to function and even cope with life’s ups and downs.
The longer I live the more I appreciate this gift from God! The truth is- I still don’t always want to stop for naps but sure do like ’em from time to time!
Well… it’s now 3:44 a.m. so I’m going back to bed.
Thanks for stopping by 🙂 -Glenn
glennkaiser.com 