Sleep Only When Needed

“Do not love sleep or you will grow poor; stay awake and you will have food to spare.” Proverbs 20:13 NIV

In an email I received yesterday from Six Minute Mile aimed at debunking myths that many runners hold, there was a link to an article titled “Sleep Myths” that totally exposed the falseness of the idea that “More Sleep is Better.” In fact, Dr. Michael Breus said “You have the myth that 9 hours of sleep or more per night is best. This is untrue. Hypersomnia, or sleeping too much, can be just as bad for you as insomnia, or not sleeping enough. In fact, sleeping too much is linked to many of the same health problems as not getting enough sleep, including: Cardiovascular disease, Diabetes, Obesity, Cognitive impairment.” The doctor went on to say, “If you find that you’re consistently sleeping for nine or more hours per night and still don’t feel rested in the morning, you are oversleeping and may be suffering from an underlying sleep disorder.”

And you know, when it comes to sleeping more hours than what’s needed for proper rest, the Bible gives us this warning… “Do not love sleep or you will grow poor.” This love of sleep refers to laziness. You see, it takes some initiative to “stay awake,” get out of bed, and go to work. But that’s the only way a person will make a living and “have food to spare.” Which means it’s not the number of hours spent sleeping that’s necessarily the point. It’s the laziness that causes it. 

So make the effort to sleep only when needed so you can avoid poverty my friend. It will be worth it since hard work is always rewarded in God’s economic system. 

Heavenly Father, thank You for reminding us that laziness leads to poverty. Give us a heart set on working hard so that we would not fall into the pitfalls of idleness. It’s in your precious name we pray Jesus. Amen. 

Happy Running!