Do you like to sleep?

Good morning, everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Live long, live well”

Our Bible verse for today: “When you lie down, you will not be afraid; you will lie down, and your sleep will be pleasant.” Proverbs 3:24 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Do you like to sleep?”

Do you like to sleep? I like to sleep. Everyone likes to sleep. Well, except maybe for Donald Trump. Rumor has it that he only sleeps 3-4 hours per night and that he does so grudgingly. He believes it to be a waste of time. But the rest of us – we like to sleep.

And that’s a good thing because sleep is good for you. In fact, sleep is essential. The average adult needs 7-8 hours of good sleep each night to be able to function at peak performance. Unfortunately, according to a study conducted by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) from 2013-2022, many adults in our society are sleep deprived. The number seems to vary from state-to-state but anywhere between 30-50% of adults habitually get less than seven hours of sleep per night. Why that number varies by state I don’t know but I do know that my state (Tennessee), rates as one of the least rested states in the nation (48% of us are sleep deprived).

This is a problem because in addition to making a person lethargic and grumpy, sleep deprivation contributes to numerous other health-related problems including obesity, diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, poor attention span, and depression.

In his book, “Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity”, Dr. Peter Attia and his team of researchers concluded that establishing and maintaining a pattern of adequate sleep is a key factor in both short-term and long-term health – especially brain health. Here are a few of their conclusions:

“Poor sleep can take a wrecking ball to both your long-term health and your ability to function day-to-day.”

“Chronic bad sleep is a powerful potential cause of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. Sleep, it turns out, it is as crucial to maintaining brain health as it is to brain function.”

“Long term, this thing called sleep also has the power to improve our healthspan in remarkable ways. Just like exercise, sleep is its own kind of wonder drug, with both global and localized benefits to the brain, to the heart, and especially to our metabolism.”

God designed the human body to need adequate sleep. Therefore, it is His will for us that we get adequate sleep. Tomorrow we will consider some ways to improve both the quality and the quantity of our sleep.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

(If you like what you are reading in these daily devotionals and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00 – in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

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