Sleep & Rest
A Vital Link In Your Health Stewardship Program

    Most people do not realize the healing that takes place when we sleep. The body is on self-direct when we are sleeping. If we have given it the nutrients it requires and have kept up with waste disposal, the body will do all the repair and maintenance it can before sunrise.

    If you are in a weak condition, several 20 minute naps throughout the day and daily periods of vigorous exercise bring good results.

    The hours we sleep before midnight are more valuable to the body. Some equate one hour of sleep before midnight to be worth two or three hours after midnight. The only way to replenish nerve energy is during sleep. And nerve energy is necessary for every bodily function. Did you ever stay up all night because you waited to long to write a paper for school? Depending on a lot of other factors, you could feel pretty bad for days. Of course the older you are the longer it takes to recover. It could take a week of early bedtimes to recover the nerve energy drained by one night of lost sleep.

    Many times the Bible speaks of Jesus "rising a great while before day...." He started his day with prayer. The scriptures never say why. But his example is to rise early and pray first. Also there is no reference to his staying up late into the night to get more done. The only night he stayed up late was the night he was betrayed. And then he kept a prayer vigil until the appointed time.

    The best way to take charge of your life is to rise early. If you usually get up at 7am, try getting up 15 minutes earlier and praying for that time. You will experience a different day. If you work night shift or you are a night owl, you will still benefit from adding that prayer time before you start your day. If you have trouble sleeping at night try getting up earlier. Or there are several herbs that promote sleep. It may be hard to stay awake the first few days. But Eventually you start sleeping better.

    The principle here is: If you're tired, then sleep. If you can't sleep, rest. But make sure you earn your sleep and rest. Tiredness is often a result of lack of exercise. Or poor diet.

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