Sweet sleep is a gift from God: “when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet” (Proverbs 3:24b).

I agree with John Piper and Don Carson on sleep:

1. John Piper: “For me, adequate sleep is not just a matter of staying healthy. It’s a matter of staying in the ministry” (p. 189).
2. Don Carson: “Doubt may be fostered by sleep deprivation. If you keep burning the candle at both ends, sooner or later you will indulge in more and more mean cynicism—and the line between cynicism and doubt is a very thin one. Of course, different individuals require different numbers of hours of sleep: moreover, some cope with a bit of tiredness better than others. Nevertheless, if you are among those who become nasty, cynical, or even full of doubt when you are missing your sleep, you are morally obligated to try to get the sleep you need. We are whole, complicated beings; our physical existence is tied to our spiritual well-being, to our mental outlook, to our relationships with others, including our relationship with God. Sometimes the godliest thing you can do in the universe is get a good night’s sleep—not pray all night, but sleep. I’m certainly not denying that there may be a place for praying all night; I’m merely insisting that in the normal course of things, spiritual discipline obligates you get the sleep your body need” (p. 147)

So I was delighted to read this book:

Adrian Reynolds. And So to Bed …: A Biblical View of Sleep. Fearn, Scotland: Christian Focus, 2014.

It’s short: the substance is only 85 pages, and the print is large.

10 excerpts:

1. The python sleeps for eighteen hours in every day. … [G]iraffes need only two hours’ sleep in every day. … On average, newborn babies need about 16– 18 hours’ sleep. … Children need less sleep—approximately 9–10 hours—and teenagers one hour less again (though you might think they would actually like much more if you’ve ever tried to get them out of bed in the morning). Most adults require 7–8 hours’ sleep and older adults can get by on 6–7 hours, though this is supplemented (as you may know!) by naps during the day. (pp. 17–19)
2. [A neuroscientist suggests] that sleep plays a key role in body maintenance. (p. 22)
3. A good night’s sleep may also make us more creative. (p. 23)
4. Jesus slept. That unremarkable statement is more significant than we imagine. (p. 25)
5. Sleep is part of our created humanity. … The willingness to lie down and sleep is itself an expression of trust and faith in a sovereign God. (p. 26)
6. We shouldn’t listen to those who mock sleep, nor give any weight to those who see lack of sleep as a badge of honour. (p. 28)
7. I would rather like to think that sleep will be in the new creation, only even better. (p. 30)
8. We can sleep because God does not. (p. 44)
9. Sleep is a perfect analogy for death. (p. 54)
10. Alcohol doesn’t help you sleep. … [but] sexual activity not only reduces stress (which aids sleep) but also releases the chemical oxytocin which aids sleepiness. (p. 65)

Related: C. J. Mahaney, “A Biblical Understanding of Sleep” (sermon MP3)