One of the ladies in my church choir made a truly profound statement. She said that all teenagers need sleep.

I cocked my head at this. I would think that we’re supposed to be running on empty the younger we are, and as the complaints and fatigue increase, sleep more as we grow older.

But the lady who made the statement has several teenagers at home. She knows what she’s talking about. .

No, it doesn’t make sense to me, this great mystery of sleep. I haven’t cracked the code. These are just my thoughts and experiences on the subject.

Maybe we’ll all take a nap later.

To me, sleep is self-medicating. If I’m feeling sick (sick to my stomach, head-cold sick, etc), I go to sleep. Or, first I eat as much Fresh Wok Chinese food as possible. And then I fall asleep.

If I spend all day crying, or after I teach a bible lesson or lead a session of worship, I feel drained, so I go to sleep.

If you haven’t caught my drift yet, I love sleep.

I don’t understand people who view sleep as this horrible battle of the night.

You either sleep, or you don’t. Make up your mind. Choose a pillow, or the TV. Don’t sit wide-eyed in front of the TV and complain about how you can’t sleep.

People who “can’t sleep,” just haven’t got the required willpower  to do so.

You put on comfy pajamas. A old T-shirt and some thick sweats. Then you find cotton socks. Put them on. Do something with your hair, whether it’d be up off your neck or loose and free.

The way you get ready for bed is crucial. “Ugh, I’m too tired, I’ll just brush my teeth twice in the morning..” is the perfect mind set. It’s all about the way you do things.

If you’re “zipidee doo dah!” as you brush your teeth, your body is going to think you’re getting ready in the morning and wake yourself up. Brush slowly. Breathe deeply. Complain in your head over the fact that this minuscule task is stepping in the way of you finally lying down for the night and closing your tired eyes.

Again, it’s all about you. And how tired. Heavy. Exhausted. Done with the day. You are. And how you deserve this.

When you finally lie down, feel your muscles relax. Sink deeply into your mattress. The world is your cloud. Fluffy and soft. And you can lie there and rest all you want.

I just taught you how to fall asleep.

None of this “oh I can’t sleep, so I’ll do [BLANK] until I get tired.” Work out? Run a mile? Maybe that’ll work. But don’t be grabbing your phone and letting that bright light ding you into full consciousness. (You’ll never sleep.) Or watch TV. Those will wake you up even more. Unless you’re watching a pool game. . or golf. .

I’ve been tired for the past two weeks. I hardly ever feel tired, but it’s catching up with me. And, considering the other day, I “rested my eyes” at 8:30pm and didn’t wake up until the next day, I was very much inspired to write a post about sleep.

Focus on your breathing. Get a song stuck in your head and sing it over and over and over.

Sleep is good. Don’t know how else to tell you. So yeah. Insomnia is all in your head. You’ve got to really want this. And like all things in life (because a wise person once used the phrase “like all things in life,” obviously declaring they’ve done all things..), practice makes perfect.

I’m going to bed.