A Simple Solution To Tossing And Turning

A Simple Solution to Tossing and Turning

Cling to your faith in Christ, and keep your conscience clear.

1 Timothy 1:19

Few people would argue that an overly busy lifestyle and stress-filled days and weeks can affect our ability to sleep well. If we’re not worried about work or finances, we have concerns about children, aging parents, health, fragmented families—and the list goes on and on. Articles abound on how to get a good night’s sleep, and more than one author has written an entire book on the subject. One such book lists sixteen tips for eliminating sleep problems. Among them are get up and go to bed the same time every day, don’t take daytime naps, avoid drinking alcohol and smoking, and follow a bedtime routine to help you unwind. But the author also includes an item that some other writers don’t: keep a clear conscience.^a Imagine that! Unfinished business with our spouses—unkind or thoughtless remarks, encouraging words left unsaid, unwillingness to put our spouse’s needs ahead of our own—any or all of these and more can keep us from maintaining a clear conscience and cause us to toss and turn when we could be sleeping peacefully.

So what’s the practical solution? It’s not always easy, but it is simple. As soon as you make a thoughtless remark or behave in a way that is hurtful toward your spouse, be prepared to offer a sincere apology and ask forgiveness. In fact, to prepare for the time when you may need to apologize—and all of us do—consider these questions to generate a discussion: Can you recall a time when you didn’t apologize for doing or saying something you felt bad about? What did it do to your insides? What did it do when it was time to go to bed for the night? Conversely, can you recall a time when coming clean on something gave you a fresh start and a peaceful night’s sleep?

Poet Thomas Hood wrote, “O bed! O bed! Delicious bed! That heaven upon earth to the weary head.” And that is so true—but only if you and your spouse work at keeping your consciences clear with each other.

A quiet conscience sleeps in thunder.

—Thomas Fuller

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