Sleepless in (insert your city)

Last night was another sleepless night for me.  I don’t know how well you are sleeping these days, but I don’t sleep through most nights no matter what time I go to bed.  While I’ve always been an early riser, I know there was a time when I slept regularly through the night…not that I can remember when!  I know I’m not the only one with this problem because others (some much younger than me) have posted on Facebook that they can’t get back to sleep.

There are several reasons why I have difficulty sleeping through the night.  The first one is because I’m a light sleeper…it takes a while for me to drown out internal and external noises.  The second reason is the permanent neuropathy (numbness) in my right foot bothers me more at night than any other time.  The third reason for my sleep difficulty is that every night after I fall asleep, my Bladder and Kidneys decide to torture me between midnight and 3:00 am.  I’ve been unsuccessful in ignoring them!   

When I return to bed, my Lower Back and Right Hip begin their nightly dalliance with Ms. Osteo and Mr. Arthur (osteoarthritis)!  The problem is after they get together, they never want to separate until I get up and move around.  Since I know the four of them have an addiction to each other, I occasionally take Aleve right before going to bed as a ploy to keep them separated.  Last night, they figured out my game plan, slipped past Aleve, and began jamming the night away. 

After a couple hours of intermittent sleep, Bladder and Kidneys got jealous of the foursome and decided to torture me again.  Ignoring them was useless.  I yielded to them again!  With sleep evading me, I began thinking about the seven relatives and friends I had visited during the week who are battling illnesses and bereavement.  It’s now 6:00 am on a Saturday morning.  I slip out of bed for the third time, grab my prayer journal and head downstairs where I spent the next hour in intercessory prayer. 

I think my inability to sleep through the night may be a ‘thorn’ the Lord has given to me... to keep me mindful of how blessed I am and prompt me to pray for those who are in the midst of a storm.  When you’re unable to sleep, consider those you know who are in a storm and intercede on their behalf.   I’ve learned there’s more than one way to feel rested!  But if you see me nodding or I come across as irritable, consider that I may have just had another sleepless night! 

Ephesians 6:18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. (NIV)