Why People Can’t Sleep: Biblical + Brain-Based Solutions for Insomnia

Discover why so many people struggle with insomnia and how trauma, neurobiology, and spiritual anxiety affect sleep. A guide with Christ-centered practices to calm your body and reclaim rest.

In my coaching practice I’ve noticed that weeks have themes amongst my clients and conversations. Last week it was insomnia so, I had to answer…

Why Insomnia Happens (From a Neuroscience + Trauma Lens)

For many people, the hours meant for rest become the hours of greatest torment. You lie down with good intentions, only to be met by racing thoughts, panic, or emotional heaviness that refuses to quiet. Sleep becomes a battlefield, not a blessing.

If this is your story, take heart, you’re human and your body may be stuck in patterns of hypervigilance that were once protective, but no longer serve you.

In this article, we’ll explore why insomnia happens from both a neuroscience and trauma-informed lens, and how God’s Word offers comfort, clarity, and a practical path toward healing.

Sleep is not just a physiological event. It is also a spiritual invitation to trust in God’s provision, presence, and peace.

What Science Reveals: The Neurological Roots of Sleeplessness

Many who suffer from insomnia feel defeated, wondering why their bodies “won’t cooperate” when it's time to rest, but sleep resistance is rarely rooted in willpower. It’s often rooted in survival wiring.

Common Causes of Insomnia:

• Unresolved trauma (grief, chronic stress, CPTSD)

• Neurodivergence (ADHD or autism, with sensory sensitivity or racing thoughts)

• Perfectionism or over-functioning (difficulty turning off achievement mode)

• Spiritual anxiety (fear, guilt, or distance from God)

These experiences leave the nervous system in a heightened state of arousal, also known as dysregulation. Even when the environment is safe, the brain doesn’t get the memo.

Key Neurological Contributors:

• Cortisol spikes at night, rather than morning (stress hormone stays elevated)

• Underactive parasympathetic system (poor vagal tone blocks relaxation)

• Amygdala hyperactivity (emotional memory keeps the body on high alert)

• Weakened melatonin production (due to screen time, trauma, or irregular rhythms)

This isn’t dysfunction. It’s a survival pattern. But it can be retrained through biblical truth, embodied practices, and God’s grace.

What Scripture Reveals: Rest as a Spiritual Practice

Sleep is not simply a bodily function, it is a spiritual rhythm designed by God. From creation, rest was woven into the fabric of life, especially sabbath.

“In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, O Lord, will keep me safe.”—Psalm 4:8 (NLT)“You can go to bed without fear; you will lie down and sleep soundly.”—Proverbs 3:24“You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you.”—Isaiah 26:3

These are not poetic wishes. They are promises rooted in the character of a God who never slumbers nor sleeps, so that His people can.

A 5-Step Framework for Restoring Rest

Healing insomnia requires more than sleep hygiene tips. It requires a whole-person approach, addressing body, mind, and spirit.

Here’s a practical, Scripture-integrated framework you can begin today.

Step 1: Assess the Root

Before rushing to fix your sleep, pause to ask:

• When did this begin?

• Is it tied to anxiety, grief, trauma, guilt, or fear?

• What is the mental loop or spiritual narrative I rehearse at night?

Get curious, not condemning. Insomnia is often a signal, not the source.

Step 2: Build a Sacred Nighttime Routine

Your body thrives on rhythm. A Christ-centered wind-down routine teaches your nervous system that it’s safe to relax.

1–2 Hours Before Bed:

• Turn off screens or wear blue light blockers

• Dim the lights and play calming worship or instrumental music

• Enjoy a magnesium-rich tea or snack (pumpkin seeds, banana, chamomile tea)

• Meditate on Scripture (Psalm 91, Isaiah 43, John 14)

• Practice breath prayer: Inhale “Prince of Peace” / Exhale “Give me rest”

Try Box Breathing (inhale 4 / hold 4 / exhale 4 / hold 4) or my fvavorite, 4-7-8 breathing, to gently engage the parasympathetic system.

Suggested Night Prayer:

“Lord, You give sleep to those You love. I release every burden, every fear, and every thought into Your hands. Help me rest in the truth that You are God and I am not.”

Step 3: Rewire Thought Patterns with Scripture

Many people unconsciously reinforce sleeplessness with fear-based thinking:

“If I don’t sleep, I’ll be a wreck tomorrow.”“I can’t control my mind….”“I’ll never feel normal again.”

But God's Word offers a renewing alternative:

• “If I don’t sleep, I’ll be a wreck tomorrow”→ Reframe: “God is my strength when I am weak. His power is made perfect in my limitations.” (2 Cor. 12:9)

• “I can’t control my mind”→ Reframe: “I take every thought captive and make it obedient to Christ.” (2 Cor. 10:5)

Put these on repeat. Once for information, multiple times for transformation. You are not at the mercy of your thoughts. Through Christ, you are being made new, even in the stillness of night.

Step 4: Regulate the Nervous System

Your spirit may believe in God’s peace, but your body may not yet feel it. That’s where somatic and spiritual practices intersect.

Calming Tools to Support the Body:

• Weighted blanket or warm bath to soothe the nervous system

• Grounding touch (hand on heart or chest) while praying or reciting Scripture

• Progressive muscle relaxation (tense and release muscle groups slowly)

• Guided imagery: Picture Jesus, with His hand on your head, and you sitting at His feet, with your head resting on His knees, beside still waters (Psalm 23)

None of these are mystical. They are embodied invitations into the peace of Christ.

Step 5: Journal to Release the Loop

If your mind loops through regrets, fears, or unfinished thoughts, give it a safe place to release.

Try one of these prompts before bed:

• “What am I holding that God is asking me to release tonight?”

• “Lord, where are You in this moment of restlessness?”

• “What lie am I believing about rest and what is Your truth?”

• “What do I need to confess and ask for forgivenss for?”

Write without judgment. Then release it into God’s hands.

Optional Tools for Persistent Insomnia

If insomnia persists despite spiritual and behavioral efforts, additional support may be needed and that’s okay. God often works through both prayer and practical tools.

Consider:

• Acupuncture, Working out early in the day, Decreasing caffeine

• Light therapy in the morning (to reset circadian rhythm)

• Therapeutic support (especially for trauma, anxiety, or grief)

• Functional medicine (to assess for hormonal, nutrient, or adrenal imbalances)

• Essential oils like lavender, vetiver, or frankincense (used prayerfully, not ritualistically)

These are not replacements for faith. They are expressions of stewarding the body God designed.

Final Encouragement

Beloved, if you are weary from sleepless nights, know this: God is not disappointed in you. He is not absent from your suffering. He is present in it.

He never sleeps so that you can. He holds your anxious mind and your restless body in the same hands that calmed the storm. You are not alone. And you are not beyond healing.

“I lay down and slept, yet I woke up in safety, for the Lord was watching over me.”—Psalm 3:5

You don’t have to fix your sleep overnight. You simply need to be willing to experiment and begin where you are, with honesty, with grace, and with the gentle invitation to rest in the arms of your Shepherd.

"Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.”

Proverbs 4:23 (NLT)

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