Prayer for sleep
It is 2 a.m. and you are wide awake. These prayers for sleep are written for that moment: short, quiet, and meant to be prayed in the dark without picking up your phone.
Prayers to pray now
A short prayer for when you can't sleep
Lord, I am awake and You are awake. I give You my thoughts. Give me rest. Amen.
A prayer to quiet a busy mind
Father, my mind keeps running through tomorrow. I cannot solve these problems tonight, and I do not have to.
I hand You each worry by name. I trust You to hold them until morning.
Slow my breathing. Relax my body. Let me lie down in peace and sleep, because You alone make me safe. Amen.
A prayer for peaceful sleep
God, You give Your beloved sleep. Let me receive it tonight as a gift. Amen.
A prayer when you wake up in the night
Lord, I remember You upon my bed and think of You through the night. Be my peace in these hours. Amen.
A prayer for rest after a hard day
Jesus, You said, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." I am coming. Amen.
When and how to pray this
Keep it simple and slow. Pray one short prayer, breathe slowly, and repeat a verse such as Psalm 4:8 rather than reaching for your phone. If a worry keeps coming back, picture placing it in God's hands each time.
If sleeplessness lasts for weeks, please talk with a doctor too; prayer and good care go together.
Bible verses to pray
I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety.
Psalm 4:8 (KJV)
It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep.
Psalm 127:2 (KJV)
When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches.
Psalm 63:6 (KJV)
Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Matthew 11:28 (KJV)
Questions people ask
What is a good prayer for when you can't sleep?
A short, repeated prayer works best in the dark: "Lord, I give You my thoughts. Give me rest." Pair it with slow breathing and Psalm 4:8.
What Bible verse helps with sleep?
Psalm 4:8, "I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep," and Psalm 127:2, "he giveth his beloved sleep," are often prayed at night.
Is it okay to pray in bed?
Yes. Psalm 63:6 describes remembering God upon your bed through the night. Praying in bed is one of the oldest habits of God's people.