10 Verses For When You Can’t Sleep At Night

When your heart is broken or your mind is racing with anxiety and stress, here are 10 Bible verses when you can't sleep at night.  #WomenLivingWell #Bible #verses #sleep

Have you ever spent the night – staring at the clock – calculating how many more hours until you get up and panicking about how little sleep you are getting?

Sometimes I fall asleep but can’t stay asleep. I wake up and my mind starts working too soon and I want to desperately fall back asleep, but I just can’t.  I’m in my bed for 7 to 8 hours but not actually sleeping!

One thing that has worked – instead of counting sheep – is meditating on God’s Word and repeating certain verses over and over in my head to stop my mind from thinking too much.  Below I’ll share a few of the verses I like to refer to and also what God’s Word says about sleep.

Here’s 10 Verses For When You Can’t Sleep At Night-

1.)  All of Psalm chapter 23 is a huge comfort!  Here’s just one of the 6 verses from that Psalm.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil,
for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
~Psalm 23:4

2.) Tell your mind and emotions to be still.  Trust in God.

Be still, and know that I am God.
~Psalm 46:10

3.) God does not sleep so we CAN sleep. We can rest in Him.

I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
~Psalm 121:1-4

4.)  When we cry out to the Lord – He hears and He sustains us.

I cried aloud to the Lord, and he answered me from his holy hill. I lay down and slept; I woke again, for the Lord sustained me.
~Psalm 3:4-5

5.) Jesus commands that we do not worry about tomorrow.  We need to obey this.

Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
~Matthew 6:34

6.)  As we lay in bed – God is present with us.  We are never alone.

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
~Psalm 46:1

7.)  When we walk in God’s wisdom and ways, we have nothing to fear.  Sleep should be sweet. 

If you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.
~Proverbs 3:24

8.) We are not donkeys.  We are not meant to be burden bearers.  We are sheep.

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
~Matthew 11:28,29

9.)  Rising early and staying up late, running ourselves ragged with anxiety, is not God’s will for our lives.  Rest is a gift.

It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep.
~Psalm 127:2

10.)  Embrace the peace of Christ and let it rule in your heart tonight.

And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts.
~Colossians 3:15

Do you want to print these verses?  Click HERE for a free printable.

Walk with the King,

Courtney

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What verses do you to turn to when you can’t sleep at night?

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72 Comments

    1. Hi, thank you for this. Getting over a chest sinus cold. Left hear buzzing. Happens to be our 33rd wedding anniversary today, September 19th. I work as a stand up forklift operator but called in sic today. Both me and my wife have had a lot on our minds. I believe God heals but gonna try to see a ear doctor. Played in bands and sometimes loud environments. Pray no ear damage. Maybe from allergies sinus? Anyway, Love the Lord and recently dedicated life again. Pray and thanks

      1. I work nights and I have a hard time sleeping during the day I need some scriptures that would help me to sleep during the day

  1. Amen and thank you so much! I have been dealing with sleepless nights here lately and I needed to see this.

  2. Thank you. Often, I wake in the middle of the night and I’m so anxious. I have verses I repeat and needed these also.

      1. I am a nurse and sometimes go to work for a 12 and a half hours shift with know sleep because a am trying to hard to sleep
        God is faithful and I get through the day but I need to sleep so I will meditate on these verses
        Thank you so much x

  3. Thank you so much I needed this so much I think so much I don’t go to sleep sometime ‘s after mid night and I wake up at the crack of dawn

  4. Wow these are really great verses. As I’m trying to put my baby to sleep at the moment. I see these versesand I start to read them and all of a sudden my baby is calm.

  5. Wow. I have never in my life commented on a blog before but….

    I’ve been waking up lately in the early hours thanks to pregnancy-induced heartburn, but usually can fall back asleep after an hour. Tonight, however, I never fell asleep when I went to bed. I had an argument just before with my partner that left me upset and I just can’t get my brain to turn off. On top of that, our toddler has been super restless in her sleep tonight (we cosleep) and we’ve changed positions several times.

    So I browse online once again and come here, which I visit your blog often, and voilà! Verses to help me sleep. My walk with the Lord isn’t as close as I’d like but I truly believe when He shows up at the exact right time. So thank you for allowing Him to work through you by posting this tonight.

    1. I’m glad you commented! I’m praying for you! The Lord promises when we draw near to Him, He draws near to us! You are drawing near by searching out such a great Christian lady like Courtney. I’m praying for your walk, peace in your home, and rest for you and your babies!

    2. Your situation is similar to mine. I’m caring for my 2 yr old grandson. 3 weeks now. And I just call Jesus name. Some of the verses I do used. But I’m thankful for those posted.

  6. I wish I had seen this last night! It doesn’t happen that often but I woke up in the early hours and lay awake for about three hours with mind whirling, finally falling asleep about 5 until 8 (fortunately, that’s not a problem). I will print for future reference. Thank you Courtney.

  7. Thank you much for this, I’ve been having trouble sleeping lately. I’m defiantly going to read these tonight.

  8. it’s 4:27AM and i can’t sleep…don’t know why…just woke up.
    how blessed and timely to receive this in my in -box

  9. “In returning [to Me] and rest you shall be saved, In quietness and confident trust is your strength.” I am willing. Is. 30:15
    “You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!” Is. 26:3 Peace, sweet peace ….. wonderful gift of God’s love.

    1. Thank you these gave me chills and I I’m anxious and can’t be still but all of the sudden I have calmed down and I needed to. I’m experiencing sickness that is preventing me from sleeping and it is trying to overcome addiction…please pray for me

      1. Dear Heidi, I am praying for you as I know the anxiety that comes with overcoming addiction. Turn to our Good and Faithful Lord, he will deliver you…be at peace in Him!

      2. Dear Heidi, God will never leave you or forsake you. He loves you so much that He sent His only begotten Son to die for you and me. I’m praying for you. You will overcome addiction. With God nothing is impossible. God bless you!

    2. Thanks, I really needed this. Have a grown daughter that just moved back home and we are on two different pages. Pray for is.

      1. May GOD give you the wisdom to win your daughter for Christ. I pray this for you Joyce. The wisdom that takes into captivity all thoughts that raise themselves against God. Amen

  10. It’s 5:07 am and I can’t sleep and I do not know why. Just checked my email and I am glad I did. Will make a print out and read every night. I need to learn to relax and clear my mind before bed.

  11. I couldn’t sleep tonight like many nights. I kept thinking and just saying Jesus name…picked up my iPad to find bible studies online…found you. God’s perfect timing. Thanks for this.

  12. 3:50 am, had to give medicine to my daughter, now I can’t sleep! Checked my emails and this is what I find. Thank you! Will be printing these in the morning.

  13. Opened Women Living Well first thing and saw this topic. Although I have trouble sleeping now and then, the Lord called my husband home 3 months ago and I find some nights my mind works overtime after I go to bed…..did I do this correct, what do I have to do about that, how can I ever go on, and I spend most of the sleepless night in prayer. Not just for myself, but for others, as well. I am printing these verses off to have handy. Thank you!!

  14. My 11 yr old lab was up all night not doing well. So, that ment I was up too by his side. Praying. Thank you for this sister in Christ. Will print and share.

  15. It often takes me at least an hour or two to fall asleep because of physical pain and heart symptoms. Reciting verses at night has been a true godsend, to keep me from panic and frustration; and my verses are practically the same as yours!! Isn’t the Holy Spirit wonderful?!
    I also sing hymns to myself, and let the comforting truths wash over my weary soul.
    Be Still, My Soul
    He Leadeth Me
    The Solid Rock (my hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness)
    Blessed Assurance
    Jesus is All the World to Me

    And when my mind just won’t work, and the panic is starting to set in, I put on my ear buds and listen to hymns on my iPad. . .or even listen to Psalms on an audio bible version.

    God’s Word is truly my life, and my salvation! Thank you for sharing this, Courtney

    1. Do note that our heavenly father is able to heal your physical heart condition and there are practical healthy habits, diet nutrition and exercise that you can follow to help you improve your overall health

  16. You will keep him (her) in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he (she) trusts you. ~Isaiah 26:3~

  17. I haven’t slept through the night in weeks. Started when I was sick with a bad flu and now it has lingered. Every night I’m up by 3, sometimes 2. I’ve had a lot on my mind and had to make hard decisions and the middle of the night is when I panic. Constantly worrying I picked wrong and what if what if what if. Trying to make decision not based on fear of the what ifs but those wee early hours brings so much doubt. I’m so exhausted now. The alarm going off at 4:45 is both dread because I haven’t slept and joy because I can escape the worry of laying there. Thanks for posting these verses, I will try to memorize to use to combat the middle of the night worry.

    1. I will be praying for you! I have had the same battle and I know that road. God’s wonderful and complete peace to you!

    2. This will all pass over and you will eventually rest well regularly and find peace. Stay strong in the Lord and know he is doing this all for a greater reason. The lord would not put this in your life if he didn’t know you could not overcome it

  18. It’s funny but my “go-to” bible chapter is always Ecclesiastes. Why? I couldn’t tell you. 🙂 Just is. Whenever I can’t sleep I put in headphones, turn on the audio option on my bible app and I fall asleep listening to Ecclesiastes being read to me. I fall asleep like a baby every time!

    1. I have the bible on cds and when I go to bed I put my headphone on and I listen to the word of God until I go to sleep. It stops playing after an hour, I can be sound asleep when it stops I wake up enough to take the headphones off then i go right back to sleep. I word of God is the last thing I hear at night . I sleep so peaceful at night. Praise God.

  19. Thanks so much Courtney!

    Having driven twelve hours yesterday to be home I thought last night would be just perfect in my own bed. Wrong again! Tossing and turning, I kept creating list after list in my head and thinking about all my undone projects.

    I tried to keep turning it all over to Him quite unsuccessfully. No more!

    Printing and sharing this list immediately.

    Thanks!

  20. I love this lesson, and the idea from Em of having the Bible read to me at night! I have trouble memorizing long verses, so when I awake, I mentally sing or repeat our doxology from church to myself–“Praise God from whom all blessings flow, praise Him all creatures here below….” But any hymn works too!

  21. This is such an encouragement and reminder that God does listen to our prayers. For weeks now I’ve been having strange dreams, waking up and not sleeping soundly. Thank you Courtney for these verses! I will be sharing them with my family as well. I believe I will be sleeping better tonight! Amen!

  22. Thank you for sharing this Courtney!! I struggle with not being able to sleep because of a racing mind. I just printed the verses and tomorrow I will begin memorizing them one by one. 🙂

  23. Another thing to consider with sleeplessness is that God may be calling us to pray. If you are awakened in the night with a certain person or situation on your mind, it may be God nudging you to lift them up. But then the challenge is to trust in these verses and be able to put everything in God’s hands and go back to sleep.

  24. Okay I have never blogged, but for months now I find it very hard to fall asleep. And it seems like once I get to sleep I may sleep for about a couple hours and then I am wide awake! I am going through the change of life. I don’t know if that’s it, due to my mind seems never to shut off. Thank you for sharing

  25. My wife shared these verses with me…..Thank you. I have been struggling with finding restful sleep. Sometimes I try to wrap my head around this problem, only to find out I can’t. I need God”s daily sustainance to keep me trusting and hoping. I get so tired sonetimes that all I can whisper is Jesus. Thank you for your prayers ladies of God, that God would breakthrough and strengthen me to be an effective husband and father to my four girls again.

  26. “Since ancient times, no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God beside You who acts on behalf of those who wait for Him.” ~Isaiah 64:4
    Though not directly involved with sleep, it helps me to know that God is acting on behalf continually; even while I am struggling with sleeplessness.
    Also had someone share with me in Genesis 2:21, “…the Lord caused the man to fall into a deep sleep.” God isn’t going to remove a rib from me in my sleep, but if He did this for Adam, I’m going to ask Him to do this for me tonight. God doesn’t change.

  27. “Since ancient times, no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God beside You who acts on behalf of those who wait for Him.” ~Isaiah 64:4
    Though not directly involved with sleep, it helps me to know that God is acting on my behalf continually, which includes during the night.

    Also had someone share with me in Genesis 2:21, “…the Lord caused the man to fall into a deep sleep.” God isn’t going to remove a rib from me in my sleep, but if He did this for Adam, I’m going to ask Him to do this for me tonight (the deep sleep; not the rib removal).

  28. I’ve been struggling with sleepless nights some nights I get perfect sleep and some nights I stay up all night and some nights I stay up very late and fall asleep getting little of it. It seems it switches off frequently though. I am young at 14 and these problems are not too usual I have only had them for the past week and until this Monday. I am reading these verses at 2:00 am BECUASE I can’t fall asleep due to my nasal spray that I didn’t know would keep me up. Any one who sees this prayer would be awesome BECUASE I need the lord to help me and I can NOT do it on my own

  29. I love all the comments and I am so sure that more will come. RuthAnn commented on January 27, 2016 at 6:57. I have a similar experience. My beloved husband went to be with Jesus three months ago. God has been good and faithful to me and my family. He had surrounded me with people whose love and care overwhelm me. I am thankful for this. I have come to observe that my sleeping pattern has changed and it is affecting my mood in the day time. A friend suggested sleeping tablets and I don’t want that. Sometimes I go to bed at 11.00pm, wake up by 1.00am and will keep my eyes on the clock till dawn. Too many thoughts run through my mind at night and most times I am afraid! Any little noise is a distraction. I pray and recite scriptures and use the time to pray for others too. But I just can’t sleep. I know that it is a passing phase but I am worried. I pray that God will help me in Jesus name. I just woke up this morning and decided to search for “scripture verses on sleepless night”. There are many sites but the Lord led me to open yours and I am glad I did. Thank you, Courtney for sharing the additional Bible verses. I will keep them handy in my notebook. God bless you.

  30. Thank you for this and for the comments. I’m told to not worry by a health care practitioner and to think of other things. I do have so much to be grateful for. I will memorize these and go back to bed in faith with God’s Word in my mind.

  31. The past week having issues with racing mind, and sleep issues. I came across this website and what an amazing find. The verses are perfect for what I’m going through. I will start saying these verses tonight!!

  32. I didn’t listen when God told me to go to bed. It started years a go because of having a night job. Now I have developed chronic insomnia. God finally got my attention recently when I saw a program about an insomnia medical condition that is 100% fatal. Since I saw this program I have been frightens and worried. I am tired but mostly only able to sleep moments at a time. when I do get more then that I have had difficulty getting back to sleep. I have repented and asked God to help me sleep effortlessly and deeply. I was led to search for scripture and I found this blog. Thank you this has helped me so much. Please pray with me as I am with each of you.

  33. Glad I ran across this. I’ve struggled with insomnia for many many years. I wish I knew the core reason for insomnia so I’m calling out to God. Lord I want to sleep what is at the core of my sleeplessness? ….Jeremiah 33:3
    And I will think and pray over Psalm 4:8 & Proverbs 3:24
    Thanks for doing this.

  34. Thank God for talking to me through you. I haven’t been sleeping,too much thinking going on . It’s my family,school,n no work. Thirsty for God. I’ll use them n walk by them every day.

  35. I found this at 4 in the morning today. I was looking at the comments which I seldom do, and realized this is not a new post.

    God works!!!!

    Thank you for posting these. They are so true. I needed this today and everyday.

  36. Sleeping issues have been with me since childhood. Doctors said here’s some medication to fix that. For 20 years I took pills to help me sleep. I took myself off when they stopped helping. (Nightmare of its own) Now some nights I get to see the beautiful sunrise. Fear has been replaced with joy. If I don’t sleep, I pray, I read his word. Sleep comes in its time…

  37. I read a lot about People complaining about severe insomnia then saying they get 5-7hours or others saying 0–4sleep but will crash occasionally for 12hrs. SmH! Makes me angry how ungrateful these people are cause they still get sleep or at least make up for it. How I wish I get those hours or crash! Unfortunately, I am one who truly suffer from anxiety related chronic insomnia. 3 going on 4 years of this vicious cycle drove me into madness. During my lucky sleep I get hourly broken 4-6hr and when it flare ups every month I would go weeks of 2-4hrs broken. I did everything to help the situation but NOTHING works! Its like my brain has complete control and theres just no winning over it! I feel crazy and I just feel numb and hopeless. I begged God reason with him pleaded my case why sleep is vital for my health. The answer I got was misery. even a criminal or a psychopath is bless with blissful sleep am I worse than them that God doesn’t feel I am deserving of his gift of sleep? I don’t even ask for much hours just the hours needed for me to function and think clear. Its like wanting to get out from your own skin and your mind feeling like you have gone insane and theres just nothing you can do about it but to wait for death to come and begging for it to come faster than speed of light cause at least then I can rest forever when I am 6ft under. Sleep pills are trash they barely work. God does not seem to hear my cry for help so will you kindly please pray for me and maybe he will listen to you. I know there are truly insomniac sufferers and my heart bleeds for all of us. I hope God hears out all your prayers cause he surely is deaf to mine.
    Share

  38. Thanks so much I really needed this. I’m 16 and have been struggling recently to fall asleep. My mind races at a 1000 mph and i know it’s the enemy trying to get inside of my head. So thanks again for these versus .

  39. Thank you so so much for this! It’s currently 5:48 and I have been up since 2:45. I am so tired, but it’s so comforting to come on here and find people who relate to me and know that I’m not alone, God is with me! Now I have to get up at 6 and get ready for a long day of school haha!

  40. Thank you, I need this so much have been suffering insomnia for days for no reason. Heart full of anxiety whenever I lie down. Prayed to God this morning after a long restless night and finally get a few hours rest before work. Thank you for your content I love it so much.

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