Three in the morning again. Your body is exhausted, but your mind races through tomorrow’s to-do list, replays today’s conversations, and invents worst-case scenarios for every concern. You’ve tried counting sheep, meditation apps, and warm milk, but sleep remains elusive. The harder you try to fall asleep, the more awake you become. When insomnia becomes a regular visitor, you might wonder if God truly cares about your need for rest or if sleepless nights are just part of life you must endure.
The Bible speaks frequently about sleep, rest, and God’s provision for our physical needs. Scripture reveals a God who designed us to need rest, who gives sleep to those He loves, and who watches over us while we’re vulnerable in slumber. From the Psalms’ declarations of peaceful rest to Jesus’ own example of sleeping during storms, the Bible offers comfort and practical wisdom for those struggling with sleeplessness.
These verses aren’t sleeping pills in biblical form, but they are anchors for anxious minds and reminders of God’s faithful care. They offer perspective on worry, promises of divine protection, and the peace that comes from trusting God with both our days and our nights.
Bible Verses for Insomnia and Better Sleep
1. Psalm 4:8 – In Peace I Will Lie Down and Sleep
In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety.
New International Version (NIV)
2. Psalm 127:2 – In Vain You Rise Early and Stay Up Late
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.
English Standard Version (ESV)
3. Matthew 11:28-30 – Come to Me, All You Who Are Weary
Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”
New Living Translation (NLT)
4. Proverbs 3:24 – When You Lie Down, You Will Not Be Afraid
When you lie down, you will not be afraid; yes, you will lie down and your sleep will be sweet.
New King James Version (NKJV)
5. Psalm 121:3-4 – He Will Not Let Your Foot Slip
He will not allow your foot to slip; your Protector will not slumber. Indeed, the Protector of Israel does not slumber or sleep.
Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
6. Isaiah 26:3 – You Will Keep in Perfect Peace
The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace, because he trusts in You.
New American Standard Bible (NASB)
7. Psalm 91:1-2 – Whoever Dwells in the Shelter of the Most High
He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.
King James Version (KJV)
8. Jeremiah 31:26 – At This I Awoke and Looked Around
At this I awoke and looked, and my sleep was pleasant to me.
New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
9. Psalm 3:5 – I Lie Down and Sleep
I stretch out and sleep, then wake up secure, for GOD has hold of me.
The Message (MSG)
10. 1 Peter 5:7 – Cast All Your Anxiety on Him
casting all your worries on Him, because He cares for you.
Amplified Bible (AMP)
11. Psalm 16:7 – I Will Praise the Lord, Who Counsels Me
I will praise the Lord who guides me; yes, even at night my heart instructs me.
New English Translation (NET)
12. Job 11:18-19 – You Will Be Secure, Because There Is Hope
You will be confident because there is hope; you will look around and rest securely. You will lie down with no one to frighten you, and many will seek your favor.
Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
13. Psalm 63:6 – On My Bed I Remember You
I stay awake at night thinking about you. I remember you while I’m lying in bed.
Contemporary English Version (CEV)
14. Ecclesiastes 5:12 – The Sleep of a Laborer Is Sweet
Workers who work hard sleep well and are satisfied, whether they eat little or much. But rich people worry about their wealth and cannot sleep.
Good News Translation (GNT)
15. Psalm 139:18 – Were I to Count Them
If I could count them, they would be more than the grains of sand. When I wake up, I am still with you.
New Century Version (NCV)
16. Isaiah 32:18 – My People Will Live in Peaceful Dwelling Places
Then my people will live in a peaceful place, in secure homes, in safe resting places.
International Standard Version (ISV)
17. Psalm 23:2 – He Makes Me Lie Down in Green Pastures
He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters.
Tree of Life Version (TLV)
18. Leviticus 26:6 – I Will Grant Peace in the Land
I will give peace in the land so that you will lie down with no one to make you afraid. I will remove dangerous animals from the land, and no sword will pass through your land.
Lexham English Bible (LEB)
19. Mark 4:38-39 – Jesus Was in the Stern, Sleeping
Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on the cushion, and they woke him up, and told him, “Teacher, don’t you care that we are dying?” He awoke, and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” The wind ceased, and there was a great calm.
World English Bible (WEB)
20. Psalm 17:15 – As for Me, I Will Be Vindicated
As for me, I shall behold thy face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with beholding thy form.
American Standard Version (ASV)
21. Isaiah 57:2 – Those Who Walk Uprightly Enter into Peace
he enters into peace; they rest in their beds who walk in their uprightness.
Revised Standard Version (RSV)
22. Psalm 77:6 – I Remember My Songs in the Night
I remembered my songs in the night. My heart meditated and my spirit asked questions.
New American Bible (NAB)
23. Job 33:15-16 – In a Dream, in a Vision of the Night
In dreames and visions of the night when deepe sleepe falleth vpon men, as they slumber vpon their beds, Then openeth he the eares of men, and sealeth their instruction.
Douay-Rheims Bible (DRB)
24. Psalm 42:8 – By Day the Lord Directs His Love
Yet the Lord will command his lovingkindness in the daytime, and in the night his song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life.
English Revised Version (ERV)
25. Song of Solomon 5:2 – I Sleep, but My Heart Is Awake
I am sleeping, but my heart waketh, The sound of my beloved knocking: ‘Open to me, my sister, my friend, My dove, my perfect one, For my head is filled with dew, My locks with drops of the night.’
Young’s Literal Translation (YLT)
26. Acts 12:6 – The Night Before Herod Was to Bring Him to Trial
And when Herod was going to bring him forth, that night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and guards before the door kept the prison.
Darby Translation (DARBY)
27. 1 Kings 3:5 – At Gibeon the Lord Appeared to Solomon
In Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee.
Weymouth New Testament (WNT)
28. Genesis 28:16 – When Jacob Awoke from His Sleep
And whanne Jacob hadde wakyd of sleep, he seide, Verily the Lord is in this place, and Y wiste not.
Wycliffe Bible (WYC)
29. Psalm 6:6 – I Am Worn Out from My Groaning
I am weary with my groning: euery night wash I my bed, and water my couch with my teares.
Geneva Bible (GNV)
30. Daniel 6:18 – Then the King Returned to His Palace
Then the kyng went vnto his palace, and remayned fastynge, nether were the instrumentes of musike brought before hym, and his slepe brake from hym.
Bishop’s Bible
31. Matthew 8:24 – Suddenly a Furious Storm Came Up
And beholde, there arose a greate tempest in the see, in so moche that the shyp was hyd with wawes, and he was a slepe.
Tyndale Bible
32. Psalm 131:2 – But I Have Calmed and Quieted Myself
But I am not worried or upset. I am as content as a child who no longer cries for its mother’s milk. Yes, my begging days are done!
The Living Bible (TLB)
33. Psalm 149:5 – Let His Faithful People Rejoice in This Honor
Let his godly lovers rejoice in their triumph, and let them sing joyously, even while others sleep.
The Passion Translation (TPT)
34. Zephaniah 3:17 – The Lord Your God Is with You
For the Eternal your God is standing right there with you, and He has the strength to rescue you. He is celebrating and singing because of you! He loves you so much that He will rest in His love—He will joyfully sing because of you like a new parent rejoicing over a child.
The Voice Bible (VOICE)
35. Philippians 4:7 – And the Peace of God
Then God’s peace, which is so great we cannot understand it, will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
New International Reader’s Version (NIrV)
Our Thoughts On What the Bible Says About Insomnia and Better Sleep
Scripture treats sleep as a gift from God rather than an inconvenience or weakness. The Bible recognizes that sleep is essential for human flourishing and that sleeplessness often stems from anxiety, worry, or trying to carry burdens that belong to God. The psalmist’s declaration that God gives sleep to His beloved suggests that rest isn’t just a physical necessity but a spiritual blessing that flows from trusting God’s care and provision.
What’s particularly comforting about the biblical approach to sleep struggles is how it addresses both the physical and spiritual dimensions of rest. The verses don’t just promise eventual sleep but offer peace for anxious minds and perspective on the worries that keep us awake. When we lie down rehearsing tomorrow’s problems or replaying today’s mistakes, Scripture redirects our attention to God’s faithfulness, protection, and care.
The Bible also shows that God is present in our sleeplessness. He doesn’t sleep or slumber, which means He’s available during those long midnight hours when everything feels overwhelming. Many biblical figures received divine guidance through dreams and nighttime visions, suggesting that even our sleepless seasons can become opportunities for deeper communion with God and a fresh perspective on our circumstances.
Say This Prayer
Heavenly Father, my body is exhausted, but my mind won’t rest. I lie awake wrestling with worries about tomorrow, replaying conversations from today, and imagining problems that may never happen. The harder I try to sleep, the more elusive it becomes, and I’m beginning to dread bedtime because I know the struggle that awaits me.
Help me to cast my cares on You instead of carrying them into the night. Calm my racing thoughts and remind me that You are in control of all the things that keep me awake. Give me Your peace that surpasses understanding, the kind of rest that comes from knowing You’re watching over me while I sleep.
Teach me to use these wakeful hours for prayer and meditation on Your goodness rather than anxiety about circumstances beyond my control. Help me establish healthy bedtime routines and habits that prepare my mind and body for rest. Show me if there are practical changes I need to make to improve my sleep.
Most importantly, remind me that You give sleep to those You love and that my value doesn’t depend on how productive I am tomorrow. Help me to trust You with my rest just as I trust You with my waking hours.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Evang. Anabelle Thompson is the founder of Believers Refuge, a Scripture-based resource that helps Christians to find biblical guidance for life’s challenges.
With over 15 years of ministry experience and a decade of dedicated Bible study, she creates content that connects believers with relevant Scripture for their daily struggles.
Her work has reached over 76,000 monthly readers (which is projected to reach 100,000 readers by the end of 2025) seeking practical faith applications, biblical encouragement, and spiritual guidance rooted in God’s Word.
She writes from personal experience, having walked through seasons of waiting, breakthrough, and spiritual growth that inform her teaching.
Evang. Thompson brings 12 years of active ministry and evangelism experience, along with over 10 years of systematic Bible study and theological research.
As a former small group leader and Sunday school teacher, she has published over 200 biblical resources and devotional studies.
She specializes in applying Scripture to everyday life challenges and regularly studies the original Hebrew and Greek texts for a deeper biblical understanding.