PEACEFUL SLEEP
DEPRESSION
«I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; for You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety» (Psalm 4:8).
The fourth symptom of depression is insomnia, even if in some cases oversleeping can also occur. The Psalms describe physical pain of a person that get worse during the night hours. It comes with sadness and insomnia as it occurs with people who suffer from depression. The Psalmist tells us, «I am weary with my groaning; all night I make my bed swim; I drench my couch with my tears. My eye wastes away because of grief; it grows old because of all my enemies» (Ps. 6:6,7).
Whether it is true that suffering from insomnia does not mean suffering from depression, sleep changes are always present in depressive disorder. Having trouble falling asleep or waking up and being unable to back to sleep may be very annoying when faced with the prospect of the next day s discomfort. The problem of sleeplessness is on the rise due to the increase of stress levels as a consequence of unemployment, family problems, uncertainty, health complications, among other causes.
There is also organic insomnia, but most of the es have to do with worries, fears or guilt. When the conscience is completely c m and when there is faith in God, we usually enjoy deep and refreshing sleep. It is told that, during one of his pastoral journeys throughout China, Bishop Bashford of the Episcopal Church could not stay in the only inn of that place because it was fully booked. Without a better alternative, he decided to spend the night under some trees. Already settled on the ground and half-asleep, he suddenly remembered the innkeeper’s words saying that there were marauders in the area. That thought prevented him from falling asleep. After more than one sleepless hour, he began to meditate on today’s verse. He repeated it many times and prayed: «Lord, it doesn’t make any sense that both You and I stay awake tonight.» After a few minutes, the pastor was deeply asleep.
example of Jesus sleeping during a storm is the most impressive one. His mental peace, together with physical tiredness allowed him to sleep on the boat in the midst of the storm; his sleep was so deep that His disciples could hardly wake Him up (Matt. 8:24-25). It entails a strong exercise of faith to leave our worries, fears and anxieties in the hand of Jesus. But if we give Him our whole burden, we can receive His promise, «I will give you rest» (Matt. 11:28).
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Taken from: Daily Devotions for Adults 2020
“A Cheerful Heart Is Good Medicine”
From: Julian Melgoza-Laura Fidanza
Colaboradores: Alejandra Zavala & Magda Sanz