Sleep: An Often Overlooked Essential for Health
- ahwcweb
- 6 days ago
- 8 min read
Are you tired of being tired? Sleep is a fundamental pillar of health and well-being. How you can participate and tap into the power of better sleep so you start healing and getting your life back? Yep! You read it right; that’s the rejuvenating power of sleep. Keep Reading to find out how!
In the beginning of this world’s history, God created the world and filled it with living creatures, including mankind. After six days of creation, God rested (see Genesis 1-2). Was God tired? No, the Bible tells us, God does not get tired, He “neither slumbers or sleeps.” (Psalm 121:4).
Why did God rest after His labor?
God says in Hebrews, “Let us labor, therefore to enter into that rest…” (Hebrews 4:11).
How do we labor to enter into God’s rest?
Let’s learn about sleep and rest and then circle back to these questions.
While many of us are tempted to sacrifice sleep in favor of productivity or leisure, research consistently shows that quality sleep is essential for physical, mental, and emotional health.
Why Does Sleep Matters?
Sleep plays a critical role in maintaining health and vitality. During sleep, the body engages in essential processes such as tissue repair, muscle growth, and memory storage. Sleep also helps regulate hormones, strengthens the immune system, and restores energy levels. Insufficient or poor-quality sleep has been linked to a range of health issues, including:
Weakened Immunity: Sleep deprivation can impair the immune system, making you more susceptible to illnesses and disease. Heart disease, diabetes, obesity and auto-immune conditions are more prevalent among those with inadequate sleep.
Cognitive Decline: Chronic sleep loss affects memory, focus, and decision-making abilities leading to a gradual but noticeable cognitive decline.
Mental Health Challenges: Insomnia and poor sleep quality are associated with higher rates of anxiety, depression, and emotional instability.
Time for Bed?
While sleep is essential, the timing of sleep also matters. Going to bed early—preferably before 10 PM—aligns with your body’s natural circadian rhythm. Our internal master clock, suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) is regulated by the rising and setting of the sun, which means our bodies are biologically programmed to rest during the night and be active during the day. If sleeping hours need to be shortened, do so after midnight because the hours before midnight are twice as beneficial as those after midnight.
Benefits of Early Sleep:
Optimized Hormone Production: The body releases crucial hormones like melatonin (which promotes sleep) and growth hormone (which aids in repair and regeneration) primarily between 10 PM and 2 AM. The liver also does a nightly detox if we are asleep by 10 PM. Delaying bedtime past 10 PM can disrupt these processes and can create imbalance within our body.
Improved Mental Clarity and Productivity: Research shows that early sleepers experience better cognitive function and memory recall compared to those who stay up late. Those who have at least two hours of sleep before midnight are more productive the next day than those who went to sleep after midnight.
Enhanced Emotional Health: Early sleep supports the brain’s ability to process emotions, reduces stress, and enhances mood stability.
Better Sleep Quality: Sleeping early can help you achieve more restorative deep sleep cycles, which are crucial for physical recovery and mental rejuvenation.
How Much Sleep?
The ideal length of nightly sleep varies depending on age, but adults typically need 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night. Getting this amount consistently can:
Boost the immune system with better control of, or decrease risk of, autoimmune conditions and better control of inflammation.
Lower the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Improve metabolism and maintain healthy weight, glucose and blood pressure levels.
Enhance memory, creativity, and productivity.
Better hormone regulation (best if in bed and asleep before 10 PM).
Children and teenagers require more sleep due to their rapid growth and development, with recommendations ranging from 9 to 12 hours depending on their age. For seniors, 7 to 9 hours is still ideal.
Tips for Better Sleep
Achieving restful sleep is best achieved with intentional habits and an environment conducive to relaxation. Here are some practical tips:
Establish a Consistent Sleep Schedule: Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, even on weekends.
Create a Relaxing Evening Routine: Engage in calming activities like reading, Scriptural meditation, or a warm (not hot) bath before bed.
Limit Screen Time: Avoid electronic devices at least one hour before bedtime to minimize exposure to blue light, which suppresses melatonin production.
Optimize Your Sleep Environment: Keep your bedroom cool, dark, and quiet. Use comfortable bedding and consider blackout curtains.
Avoid Stimulants: Avoid caffeine and nicotine and other mind-altering substances. Also avoid heavy meals in the evening, as they can interfere with sleep quality.
Embracing Rest, Peace and Quiet
While sleep is vital, rest encompasses more than just sleeping. Incorporating moments of rest throughout the day, such as short breaks, quiet time with God, and physical activity like walking, can help recharge your mind and body. Resting during the day can also reduce stress and improve focus, enhancing overall productivity.
Entering into God’s Rest
In Genesis 1, at the end of each day we read, “and the evening and morning…” Biblically speaking, the day begins with Rest (evening or dark part of the 24-hour cycle). In the darkness of night, in the darkest hour of my life, when the enemy comes in like a flood, how can I have absolute trust in God and be restful?
Genesis 1:31 tells us, “And God saw everything that He had made, and behold, it was very good.” God’s work was complete, He was satisfied, and now He desired a day to commune with His creation. A day to remember, “it is He that hath made us…we are His people.” Psalm 100:3.
When we rest, we trust we will rise again (Psalm 3:5). When we trust, we are carefree (1 Peter 5:7) because Christ is our Burden-bearer (Isaiah 53). When we are carefree, our sleep will be sweet (Proverbs 3:24).
Entering into the rest of God happens when we daily commit the day’s work to Him, are content and satisfied with the accomplishments that, together with God, have been achieved, and are also content and satisfied that what did not get done God did not intend to have accomplished today. This is knowing and accepting that God is in control, He will provide for all my needs, and I can lay down and rest and awake for it is God Who sustains me (Psalm 3:5). This is entering the rest of God. He has my back (Isaiah 58:8); I am safe in His Hand; I have nothing to fear. I can praise and glorify God in every situation; I am hid in Christ.
Prioritizing rest is one of the simplest yet most impactful steps you can take to enhance your health and well-being.
That is why we are focusing on improving sleep and energy so you can get your health back in our upcoming
Energize and Thrive: A Virtual Retreat for Vibrant Living.
During this 12-day immersive virtual retreat every activity and training session is focused on helping you get quality sleep, so you can reduce inflammation, pain, and fatigue, and increase energy and vitality so you can enthusiastically participate in your family activities again.
During the Retreat, you will create a unique-to-you health plan that is doable, achievable, and realistic for you, and can be applied immediately, and then adjusted as needed so you can continue to feel better day by day. We will help make that even easier with coaching and collaboration throughout the retreat, answering any questions or addressing any hurdles you may have.
During this life revitalizing virtual health retreat:
You will learn how to replace inflammatory foods with healing foods so you can begin to say goodbye to digestive issues, inflammation, and pain, and hello to better sleep, more energy, and improved circulation and mental clarity.
You will experience virtual, hands-on cooking classes from the convenience of your own home, so you can learn to create nourishing, simple meals and embrace a healthier lifestyle with ease.
Our nutritious meals will help the body easily digest food and clean the intestinal tract, so it can Detoxify, Cleanse, and readily Absorb Nutrients again, allowing it to Reset and begin to Restore and Repair damaged areas.
You will be provided a menu, shopping lists, nutritional information, and the harder-to-find items will be included in your care package, which will be shipped to you.
Through gentle movement training, you will reduce joint stiffness so you can move freely and comfortably again.
You will experience improved circulation and better blood flow to the brain, so you can enjoy inner-body calming effects, reduced brain fog and fatigue, and sharpener mental acuity.
Through the comprehensive cleansing and detoxification process, you will rejuvenate your energy levels so you can thrive again in everyday life.
As we dive deep into understanding the love of God through morning and evening devotionals, you will learn how to cooperate with God in His desire for your health, so you can experience peace and joy, knowing God has your best interest in mind.
Imagine how revitalizing it would feel to know exactly what to do (and what not to do) to recover your health in 2026 so you will be able to do all the things you love to do again!
I will lead you step-by-step, as you personally pull together the health puzzle pieces that work synergistically together, so you can establish your best health.
Does that sound like a refreshing change?
But that’s not all, there’s more!
We will work together one-on-one at the beginning of the Retreat to set your intentions and overcome health anxieties so that you can excel with confidence.
We will work together one-on-one at the end of the Retreat to set your intentions for after the Retreat, so you can keep successful forward momentum.
Through cooperating with God’s Plan for your health, you will bring your blood pressure, glucose, cholesterol, and inflammatory markers closer to normal levels.
Energize and Thrive: A Virtual Retreat for Vibrant Living will help you break through the fog so you REALLY can wake up feeling refreshed and ready to meet the day.
The world needs you to be alive and thriving.
Don’t you think it’s time to connect with God and His promises for both refreshing sleep and to wake revitalized to make the impact in this world that you were created to make?
That is exactly what a truly amazing group of individuals who are joining me for our Energize and Thrive: A Virtual Retreat for Vibrant Living will be doing.
They are SO ready to learn God’s healing plan and learn how to incorporate His gifts into their lives.
If this sounds like you too, then won’t you join us?
By the end of the retreat, you'll come away with increased energy levels, more efficient and effective sleep, have begun a healthier lifestyle, gained more faith and peace so you can live with vitality, purpose, and joy.
My Heart Says Yes – Sign Me Up!
Choose Your Retreat Dates: January 18-29, 2026, or March 15-26, 2026
Retreat Early Bird Special: $2,497 USD per person. (After December 31, 2025, $2,997/person)
Call 479-363-6585 to Make Your Reservation.
Not sure if this retreat is for you? Or need a payment plan? Let’s chat!
See you soon!
Dana
Dana West, RDN, LD thrives on helping her amazing clients get a new lease on life by embracing health and conquering disease, one step at a time, so they can start living with renewed energy and enthusiasm, doing all the things they love to do again.
You can get a new lease on life too, in her upcoming Energize and Thrive: A Virtual Retreat for Vibrant Living.
If you’re an individual in serious overwhelm with your health, lacking energy and experiencing fatigue and poor sleep, this retreat will have you reclaiming your life and thriving in all the things you love again.
Wanna come? Let’s Chat! Schedule a Free Chat with Me Here.
References:
National Sleep Foundation. (2021). "How Much Sleep Do We Really Need?" https://www.sleepfoundation.org
Harvard Medical School. (2017). "The Importance of Sleep: Why You Need to Prioritize Rest." https://www.health.harvard.edu
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2021). "Sleep and Health." https://www.cdc.gov
Walker, M. (2017). Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams. Scribner.