Today is the Festival of Sleep Day.

It’s probably safe to say that we don’t give much thought to our sleep habits—certainly not enough to devote a day to celebrate sleeping! We all know it’s something we have to do in order to stay healthy. Most of us know that we don’t feel well when we don’t get enough sleep. But that’s about as far as our thinking on the subject goes.

But consider the following facts:

• We will spend about a third of our life sleeping.
• Teens need an average of ten hours of sleep each night—as much as a young child.
• If it takes you less than five minutes to fall asleep at night, you’re sleep deprived. The ideal period of time for falling asleep is between 10 and 15 minutes, meaning you’re still tired enough to sleep deeply, but not so exhausted that you feel sleepy by day.
• Lack of sleep can affect our moods, our performance, and our ability to think.
• The 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill off Alaska, the Challenger space shuttle disaster, and the Chernobyl nuclear accident have all been attributed to human errors in which sleep-deprivation played a role.

Getting a good night’s sleep is important! Jesus knew that. On frequent occasions, Jesus and his disciples broke away from the crowds to rest (Matthew 8:18 and Mark 6:31). And one time, Jesus was sound asleep while his disciples were battling a fierce storm (Mark 4:35-41). The Bible tells us that rest is a gift from God. So before your head hits the pillow tonight, make sure to thank him for a sleep-filled night!

It is useless for you to work so hard
from early morning until late at night,
anxiously working for food to eat;
for God gives rest to his loved ones (Psalm 127:2).

To Do

Try keeping a sleep diary for the next week. Record when you go to bed, what time you wake up, your general mood that day, or any factors affecting your sleep. See what a difference a good night’s sleep makes in your daily life.

Also on this day . . .

1892—J.R.R. Tolkien’s birthday

1888—The drinking straw was patented by Marvin C. Stone.

1924—English explorer Howard Carter discovered the sarcophagus of Tutankhamen in the Valley of the Kings, near Luxor, Egypt.

From Betsy Schmitt and Dave Veerman, 365 Trivia Twist Devotions: An Almanac of Fun Facts and Spiritual Truth for Every Day of the Year (Cincinnati: Standard, 2005). Scripture quotations are from the New Living Translation unless otherwise noted.