What Does The Bible Say About Sleep?

Is there anything like too much sleep, and what does the Bible say about it? Learn the Bible perspective of ideal sleep, and also how to manage it rightly.

There is nothing that exists which was not created by God for a specific purpose. Among them, rest and sleep is one of the functional part of His unique masterpiece.

Sleep is a need that is inbuilt into every living thing, and the Bible is full of the very fact that it is a blessing by God. “For He,” the Bible says, “gives His beloved sleep.”

Every living thing answers to this call of nature, during which time, we are well rested, wake up refreshed and ready to face the blessing of new day.

What Does The Bible Say About Sleep?

The Bible tells us that sleep is a part of our makeup as creations of God. Since sleep is the art of resting that is more natural to all living things, it is safe to say that according to the Bible, it is a concept instituted by God Himself during the creation.

Here are some simple things we might find in the Bible about sleep:

  • God rested after His creation activity.
  • God commanded His people, the Israelites to observe special days of rest when He instituted the Sabbath
  • A good night’s sleep is a gift from God
  • Sleep has both negative and positive effect (like everything else) depending on how we use it

As we go on, we will read the Bible and we will see some of these points. We will also see how God wants us to enjoy them as His children every day.

(Unless otherwise stated, all scripture quotations are from the KJV)

What Does The Bible Say About Sleep KJV?

As we read the Bible, let’s highlight some of the things the Bible says about sleep from the KJV translation:

  • God rested after His creation activity
“And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.”Genesis 2:2
  • A hardworking man sleeps peacefully
“The sleep of a labouring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much: but the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep.”Ecclesiastes 5:12
  • God made Adam fall into a deep sleep when He would create Eve
“And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof;”Genesis 2:21
  • A good night’s sleep is a gift from God
“It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep.”Psalms 127:2
  • Sleep has both negative and positive effect (like everything else) depending on how we use it
“Love not sleep, lest thou come to poverty; open thine eyes, and thou shalt be satisfied with bread.”Proverbs 20:13

What Does The Bible Say About Sleeping Too Much?

Like everything that God created, we can fall into excesses, and this can be dangerous. Although sleep is good for our health and productivity, too much of it is actually the opposite.

Here are some Biblical verses about sleeping too much:

“Love not sleep, lest thou come to poverty; open thine eyes, and thou shalt be satisfied with bread.”Proverbs 20:13
“Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:”Proverbs 24:33
“How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?”Proverbs 6:9

Is It A Sin To Sleep Too Much?

If I were to speak blatantly, the answer would be yes. However, it is necessary that, as God’s children, we are able to balance the word of God rightly. After all, the Bible does say in

“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. (NIV)”2Timothy 2:15

Therefore, to answer this question is to understand this: when and why does sleeping become a sin?

Remember that we have seen from God’s word and even been told before by health professionals that sleep is good. Yet, there are situations that abuses this concept. For instance, sleeping too much (as in the subject in question), sleeping at the wrong time/place, sleeping late, and not having enough sleep (sleep deprivation), all these are ways in which we abuse sleep. It is necessary to know how to balance our sleep according to our situations and not just out of arrogance or laxity.

God is a God of balance, and medical professionals have given us the ideal time that is enough for sleep. You cannot oversleep and be productive, and you are doing God a disservice when you are not productive because He created you to be productive.

That is why the Bible cautions against oversleeping.

“How long will you lie there, you sluggard? When will you get up from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest— and poverty will come on you like a thief and scarcity like an armed man. (NIV)”Proverbs 6:9-11

Hence, when you sleep too much, you are wasting your life, your time, your opportunities, and resources that would have been yours if you were awake. This is what makes sleeping too much a sin.

What Does The Bible Say About Sleeping Late?

There is one direct citation of sleeping late in the Bible, and it is associated with working by ourselves to succeed or trusting God to work on our behalf while He gives us rest.

“Unless the LORD builds the house, the builders labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain. In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat— for he grants sleep to those he loves.(NIV)”Psalms 127:1-2

What does this mean?

Remember the Bible also tells us that, “there is time for everything?”

Ideally, there is a time a person should be sleeping, unless otherwise he or she is in a circumstance that does not afford him that. However, if this is not the case, the Bible does not encourage us to sleep later than normal, so that we are able to wake up early, seek God in prayer, study His word, and be in time to carry out our daily activities excellently and in the right state of mind.

What Does The Bible Say About Sleep Deprivation?

There are many reasons for sleep deprivation in many lives. There is anxiety, worry, and overworking our bodies and minds among other things.

However, just like we saw in our text (Psalms 127:1-2) above, and now in the Book of Psalms 4:8, the Bible says, In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety. (NIV)

Simply put, sound sleep is the result of faith and trust in God. You do your part, and you let God handle the rest, knowing that He is powerful enough to take care of you while you rest. Hence, the more we trust God, the less anxious, and restless thoughts we will have, and the easier we will fall asleep.

What Does The Bible Say About Sleep And Poverty?

Among other things, that may cause poverty, the Bible does highlight sleep as playing an important role.

“How long will you lie there, you sluggard? When will you get up from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest— and poverty will come on you like a thief and scarcity like an armed man. (NIV)”Proverbs 6:9-11
“Do not love sleep or you will grow poor; stay awake and you will have food to spare. (NIV)”Proverbs 20:13

Although sleep is good, a gift from God, yet too much of sleep is a characteristics of laziness and irresponsibility.

A person who sleeps too much cannot be productive, cannot keep a job, cannot commit to a goal, and most definitely avoids responsibility.

“The LORD will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands. You will lend to many nations but will borrow from none.”Deuteronomy 28:12

Considering that fact that God will bless the “work” of our hands, a sleeping person has none, and therefore will be confined to a life of poverty and retrogression regardless of how gifted or skillful he or she might be.

Meaning Of Deep Sleep In The Bible

The word used in the Bible for “deep sleep” in the following verses of the KJV is the Hebrew word “Tardamah.”

Here are a few verses about this word, and the meaning behind it:

  • A trance operated by God to give visions, revelations, or to carry out something “big” without the active participation of our consciousness.

Adam was put into a deep sleep in order for God to use one of ribs to create Eve. Abraham also, is an example of one God put into a deep sleep for the purpose of a vision.

“So David took the spear and the cruse of water from Saul’s bolster; and they gat them away, and no man saw it, nor knew it, neither awaked: for they were all asleep; because a deep sleep from the LORD was fallen upon them.”1Samuel 26:12
“In thoughts from the visions of the night, when deep sleep falleth on men,”Job 4:13
  • Lethargy, or lack of enthusiasm to work, slothfulness
“Slothfulness casteth into a deep sleep; and an idle soul shall suffer hunger.”Proverbs 19:15
  • Spiritual blindness and insensitivity (spiritual sleep)
“For the LORD hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes: the prophets and your rulers, the seers hath he covered.”Isaiah 29:10
  • Weakness of the body
“And there sat in a window a certain young man named Eutychus, being fallen into a deep sleep: and as Paul was long preaching, he sunk down with sleep, and fell down from the third loft, and was taken up dead.”Acts 20:9

Sleep is good, a gift from God, and a declaration of our faith in His Almighty power. Let us therefore, learn to be responsible with this wonderful gift as our lives continue to bring glory to God everyday with it.

Joseph

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