Why We Need a Soulful Sleep Sanctuary
We often give our best energies to our jobs, leaving ourselves depleted. By the time we get home, we want to veg out or zone out, but the truth is—our souls are still in need of care. Too tired to do anything meaningful, we turn to television, Netflix, or social media, believing they will help us relax. But over time, these things drain us even more.
Our souls need a safe, intentional space to recover. A soulful sleep sanctuary is more than just a place to rest our bodies—it is a refuge for spiritual and emotional restoration.
The Double-Edged Sword of Technology in Your Soulful Sleep Sanctuary
But what prevents our bedrooms from becoming true sanctuaries? Often, the biggest intruder is the technology we bring into that space—disrupting the stillness our souls so desperately need.
Televisions and phones can become double-edged swords. While they offer short-term escape, they also keep our minds stimulated and our souls unrested. Netflix lures us in like deer caught in headlights, while the endless scroll of Instagram and Facebook leaves us numb.
According to the Sleep Foundation, screen exposure before bedtime interferes with melatonin production—the hormone that regulates our sleep-wake cycles. Studies in Environmental Health Perspectives also show that noise and artificial light hinder our ability to access deep, restorative sleep (Smith et al., 2022; Chowdhury-Paulino et al., 2022).
If we are serious about building a soulful sleep sanctuary, removing these digital distractions is essential. This space must allow for peace, silence, and true rest.
What Plants Teach Us About the Power of a Soulful Sleep Sanctuary
To better understand the sacred nature of nighttime rest, we can look to creation itself. What happens to a plant at night? In the dark, plants breathe differently. They absorb oxygen and release carbon dioxide, repairing and renewing their cells. Roots stretch deeper into the soil, anchoring the plant for what’s to come.
This quiet rhythm mirrors what we need. Our nightly rest is not just physical—it is soul-deep. When our bedrooms become a soulful sleep sanctuary, they serve as that nourishing soil. Surrounded by darkness and silence, we regenerate, just like the hidden growth of a plant overnight.
Boundaries for Rest: Turning Your Bedroom into a Soulful Sleep Sanctuary
We know sleep is important, but we rarely protect it. We guard our phones with passwords, but we leave our rest open to every ping and screen glow.
In my weight loss program, Seven Doors to Embodied Transformation, I teach clients to build boundaries around their rest. Protecting sleep is key to health and weight maintenance and to honoring one’s soul.
Here are simple ways to create your soulful sleep sanctuary:
- Keep the space clean and clutter-free
- Use clean sheets to create a calming sensory experience
- Remove electronics or power them down at least an hour before bed
- Embrace darkness and silence
- Establish bedtime rituals: reading Scripture, journaling, or listening to calming music
- Incorporate calming scents or natural elements—like a lavender essential oil diffuser—to engage the senses and create a grounded, peaceful atmosphere.
Faith, Trust, and the Soul: Spiritual Roots of the Soulful Sleep Sanctuary
Sleep is an act of surrender. It requires trust—not in ourselves, but in God. King David knew this when he wrote:
“In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety.” (Psalm 4:8)
“I lay down and slept; I woke again, for the Lord sustained me.” (Psalm 3:5)
David trusted that even in unconscious rest, God was sustaining him. That’s the heart of a soulful sleep sanctuary—a place where we let go and trust God to restore what’s been depleted.
We give our best energies to the world. But we must remember that it is not our work that sustains us but God. And through sleep, He restores both body and soul.
Final Thoughts
Your soul doesn’t just need more sleep—it needs protected sleep.
It needs a soulful sleep sanctuary—not just on Sunday, but every night.
Tonight, dim the lights, power down the screens, and rest like a seed planted in sacred soil—trusting God to renew you in the dark.
This post is a soulful revision of my original article from 2010, “6 Ideas for Turning Your Bedroom into a Sanctuary.“
References
National Sleep Foundation. (n.d.). Healthy sleep tips. Retrieved from Technology in the Bedroom
Chowdhury-Paulino, I., Hart, J., Iyer, H., Wilt, G., Hu, C., Markt, S., Nethery, R., Laden, F., & Mucci, L. (2022). Association between outdoor light at night, sleep duration, and sleep quality in the US based-Health Professionals Follow-Up Study. ISEE Conference Abstracts, 2022(1), Abstract O-OP-12. https://doi.org/10.1289/isee.2022.O-OP-127
Smith, M. G., Cordoza, M., & Basner, M. (2022). Environmental noise and effects on sleep: An update to the WHO systematic review and meta-analysis. Environmental Health Perspectives, 130(7), Article 076001. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP10197
