What to pray when you cannot sleep

When you cannot sleep, you can talk to God in the dark in short, plain sentences. Several psalms were prayed at night. One writer says God held his eyelids open. Another says he can lie down in peace because God stays awake. Both are in the Bible, and both can shape your prayer tonight.

Is it normal to lie awake troubled?

²In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord; My hand was stretched out in the night without ceasing; My soul refused to be comforted.
³I remembered God, and was troubled; I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed. Selah
⁴You hold my eyelids open; I am so troubled that I cannot speak.
Psalm 77:2-4 (NKJV) · Read in context

Psalm 77 is a psalm of Asaph. He is not describing a calm night of prayer. He is restless, he refuses comfort and he cannot even speak. Then, around verse 10, he decides to remember the years when God acted for His people. Read Psalm 77 to the end. The change is slow, and it begins with memory rather than with a feeling.

Why does it matter that God does not sleep?

³He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber.
⁴Behold, He who keeps Israel Shall neither slumber nor sleep.
Psalm 121:3-4 (NKJV) · Read in context

Psalm 121 is one of the Songs of Ascents, sung by pilgrims travelling up to Jerusalem. The road was long and the hills could be dangerous. The psalm tells the traveller that the One keeping watch never dozes. You do not have to stay awake to hold the night together. The watch is God's.

Can you fall asleep while you pray?

Be angry, and do not sin. Meditate within your heart on your bed, and be still. Selah
Psalm 4:4 (NKJV) · Read in context

Psalm 4 is a prayer of David from a time of distress. He tells his hearers to think things through on their beds and be still. He ends the psalm like this:

I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; For You alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.
Psalm 4:8 (NKJV) · Read in context

The peace he describes rests on God's keeping, not on the trouble being over. Falling asleep in the middle of a prayer is no failure.

How can you pray in the night?

Name what is keeping you awake, one thing at a time.
For each one, say: “I give this to You for tonight.” You can pick it up again in the morning if you need to.
Thank God for one ordinary thing from the day.
Read Psalm 4:8 slowly and rest your mind on it.

For example: “Lord, I keep thinking about tomorrow's meeting and the bill on the table. I give them to You for tonight. You are awake, so I can rest. Amen.” This is a prepared example, not a promise that sleep will come at once.

When is sleeplessness more than a bad night?

Some sleeplessness has causes a doctor can help with, such as pain, low mood, anxiety or a medicine you are taking. If you have slept badly for weeks, or it is affecting your work and your relationships, talk to your doctor. Prayer and medical care belong together.

If you would like help with words for tonight, write a prayer. For worry that follows you through the day, read praying with Philippians 4:6-7 when you feel anxious.