By Dr Bọ́lá ADÉWARÁ
There are seasons in life when sleep suddenly disappears in the middle of the night. Sometimes, it happens because you slept too early and woke up long before dawn. At other times, it is the weight of worries, anxieties, unanswered questions, financial pressures, family burdens, health concerns, disappointments, or deep reflections about life that keep the eyes wide open while others sleep peacefully.
When sleep disappears, many people rush to social media, scroll endlessly through videos, argue online, or consume materials that leave the mind even more agitated. But some people convert sleepless nights into moments of productivity and transformation.
Those days, people like me often hit my library and turn to books, reflections, and creative writing. In fact, many of the over 500 articles and 19 books I’ve written were born in the quiet hours of sleepless midnights. Silence has a way of awakening creativity. Yet, I have also discovered that constantly burning the midnight oil is not always wise. The body needs rest. The brain needs restoration. The heart needs calmness.
So when sleep refuses to come, I now choose a different path. I pick up my tablet where I store messages from my favourite spiritual teachers and pastors. Those sleepless hours become moments of spiritual rebuilding. I listen to sermons, meditations, worship music, scriptural reflections, and messages that strengthen faith and calm the soul. Instead of allowing worries to consume me, I turn the midnight hours into a spiritual workshop, demolishing fear, anxiety, discouragement, bitterness, and every invisible barricade standing before destiny.
So, what should you do when sleep eludes you at midnight?
Here are some healthy and meaningful things to do to help you go back to sleep:
** This is time to start praying for your children, work, business, spouse, etc.
** Start playing soft (worship) music or uplifting messages on your phones.
** Deliberately avoid social media at this time. Don’t do anything physically engaging so you can sleep again.
** Keep the bedroom dark and peaceful to aid sleep.
** If your mind drifts to unresolved anger or bitterness, instruct it to let go. This is why you should not go to bed with unresolved issues in your mind.
The goal is to go back to sleep. Just remain there with your eyes closed. When next you open it, it’s a beautiful morning!
I hope this helps…
