Insomnia has been a topical issue of humanity since ancient times. Lack of sleep, difficulty falling asleep, and nightmares were the source of interest for both scientists and theologists. Nowadays, there are a lot of articles and theories surrounding insomnia and its effects on one’s health.
There are many reasons why people experience insomnia. The most popular ones include stress, chronic pains, cardiac arrhythmias, significant physical fatigue, anxiety, hormonal changes in the body, mental disorders and diseases, and drug and alcohol addiction. To each person, the causes of insomnia might vary and be unique (Glovinsky & Spielman, 2006). The most prone to insomnia are pregnant women, the elderly, and people suffering from excessive nervous excitability.
Doctors believe that a lack of sleep can cause many long-term health complications, such as a significant decrease in immunity, exacerbation of chronic diseases, development of pathology of the cardiovascular system, weight gain, exhaustion of the nervous system, depression, and anxiety disorder (“The Consequences of a Week of Insomnia II: Patients With Insomnia,” 1998). In addition, a sleepy person can get into a dangerous situation and harm themselves and others while driving a car or working with mechanisms that require constant concentration.
From a Biblical point of view, according to 1 Corinthians 10:31, sleep, like drinking or eating, should be something one decides to do for the glory of God (Frank et al., 2014). Choosing to sleep or not to do so, according to the Bible, should be motivated by one’s will to praise God. In other words, sleep must not be viewed as a source of material gain, status, or pleasure, but rather one’s freedom of Christ and beliefs (Frank et al., 2014). Considering the importance of sleep to physical and mental health and how it affects one’s behavior, it can be interpreted as drinking and eating.
References
Frank, M., Ralls, M. D., Swala, K., & Abrams, M. D. (2014). The Insomnia Answer: A Personalized Program for Identifying and Overcoming the Three Types of Insomnia. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, 10(0), 2041–1042.
Glovinsky, P., & Spielman, A. (2006). The Insomnia Answer: A Personalized Program for Identifying and Overcoming the Three Types of Insomnia (First Trade Paperback Edition). TarcherPerigee.
The Consequences of a Week of Insomnia II: Patients with Insomnia. (1998). Sleep.