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REST FOR THE RESTLESS

Rest

PowerPoint© Slide 1
Rest for the Restless

This presentation is about different kinds of rest which all of us need daily. It is another one of those gifts from
God. He gives rest to the restless and rest for the weary. Some get rest by just being out in nature where they can
find quiet peace.

PowerPoint© Slide 2
Rest in Nature

We have a story for you called, The Spirit of St. Louis

PowerPoint© Slide 3 - The Spirit of St. Louis

Charles A. Lindbergh

It is May 20, 1927. At 7:52 a.m. a single-engine plane loaded with 450 gallons of fuel—more than it was designed
for—barely clears the electricity wires at the end of Roosevelt Field, Long Island, New York, and heads into the
unknown to attempt what has never been done before. Charles A. Lindbergh, at the controls of the Spirit of St. Louis,
is trying to become the first person to fly nonstop from New York to Paris. A reward of $25,000 has been offered to
the first person to do this, and Lindbergh intends to claim that prize.

He is wide awake. He didn’t sleep at all the night before, but for now he seems buoyed up by the excitement of
attempting the impossible. The engine drones on as he travels northeast, following the great circle route. Almost
twelve hours later, the daylight of that first day fades as the Spirit of St. Louis roars over the wharves and harbor of
St. John’s, Newfoundland, and out into the night. It is “the last point on the last island of America—the end of land;
the end of day. . . . North America and its islands are behind. Ireland is two thousand miles ahead.” 1 In the cockpit

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he is alone, and below him are icebergs, those silent sentries of the Arctic Ocean. If the engine fails, there is no place
to land.

An hour after leaving land behind, Lindbergh has 1,200 miles behind him and 2,400 miles to go; he has flown one-
third of the distance to Paris. As hour after hour passes in the darkness, his eyelids feel heavy as lead. He seems half
asleep. His eyes appear to be tricking him. Last night I couldn’t go to sleep. Tonight I can barely stay awake. The
moon comes up. That helps. I shake myself violently. . . . I’ve got to alert my mind, wake my body. And those soft
fluffy clouds down there look like a quilt where I could sleep. I’ve never wanted anything so much.

Why did I go to the public performance my last night in New York? But I didn’t know that my weather expert would
find a break in the weather and advance my leaving. Finally Lindbergh sees the faint trace of day, and the desire to
sleep seems to be uncontrollable. I’ve lost command of my eyelids. All I want in life is to throw myself down flat,
stretch out—and sleep. I’ve got to find some way to keep alert. There’s no alternative but death and failure. I fall
asleep with my eyes open.

As streaks of dawn slowly creep over the ocean, illusions torment him. Look, over to the left I see an island. I see
the trees and the waves breaking on the coast. No, it can’t be. I’ve studied the maps and there are no islands around
here. I could just fly over and take a look. No, I can’t trust my eyes; I can’t trust my senses. It is only a mirage.

After the torture of the endless night, and some hours into day two, hopeful signs appear: sea gulls, fishing boats,
and finally the southwest point of Ireland! Land never looked so good! Pushed on by a strong tail wind, Lindbergh is
three hours ahead of schedule, with enough fuel to fly across the Alps to Rome. On he flies, across the peninsula of
southwest England, and as the sun almost touches the horizon, he looks down on the city of Cherbourg, France. As
he flies up the Seine River Valley, air beacons show him the way.

PowerPoint© Slide 4
Charles A. Lindbergh

Little does Lindbergh imagine that the world is almost breathlessly following his progress. News flashes from
Ireland, England, and Cherbourg have alerted the world to his imminent arrival. Now he sees the lights of Paris. He
flies by the Eiffel Tower and heads toward Le Bourget Field. What is that almost endless string of lights? It’s
something that is not on my map.

The wheels of the Spirit of St. Louis touch down. No sleepiness now! Thousands break through police barricades.
Those lights? They weren’t industrial complexes. It was a traffic jam of cars carrying people who wanted to see
Lindbergh complete his historic mission. The entire field is covered with running figures. His feet never touch the
ground as he is triumphantly carried on the shoulders of overjoyed well-wishers.

Hours later, he finds himself in the luxury of the American Embassy, eating supper at an early morning hour. The
clocks in Paris mark 4:15 a.m. as he crawls into bed. It has been sixty-three hours since he last slept. The trip itself
lasted thirty-three and a half hours. Rest never felt so good! Sleep, sweet sleep! Later that afternoon his body
awakens. He is a little stiff but feels refreshed. His odyssey is complete. The world will never be the same again.

Benefits of sleep
Although people under unusual circumstances sometimes go two or three days without sleeping, as in the case of
Lindberg, this temporarily cuts down their alertness and their ability to make good decisions. How much sleep do
we need to assure positive benefits in a regular lifestyle?

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 PowerPoint© Slide 5 - Benefits of Sleep
• Sleep helps neural functioning, gives neurons a chance to recuperate, improves the
immune system and prevents disease.
• “If you want to fly with the eagles you’d better not hoot with the owls!”

Research shows that the body renews tissues, forms new red blood cells, and releases growth hormones during sleep
time. When sleep deprived, we react to stressful situations with more anger, sadness, and fear than we would if we
were adequately rested.

Most independent studies find young adults need about eight and a quarter hours of sleep a night. and adults need
eight to ten hours per night. For adults, research indicates that those who sleep more than ten hours may have
negative side effects. Though various research findings may differ on the exact amount, each of us needs sufficient
sleep to help us function at our best.

PowerPoint© Slide 6
Dr. Eve Van Cauter states that children need about ten hours, those aged twelve to
twenty-one require about nine hours

We not only need adequate amounts of sleep, but we also need adequate time in deep sleep. Deep sleep,
characterized by rapid eye movements (REM) and active brainwave patterns, is thought to be the time when the
brain processes and stores information. Good sleep is absolutely essential to a positive, well-balanced life. Far too
few of us are getting the sleep we need for optimal living.

Sleep affects our appearance

PowerPoint© Slide 7 - Sleep Loss and Appearance

Young men’s handsomeness is affected by sleep deprivation.

Researchers at the University of Chicago studied eleven strong young men. After six nights of sleep deprivation,
they looked almost like old men—bags under their eyes and wrinkles on their faces. The good news for the young
men was that twelve hours of sleep a night for the next week was all it took to turn back the clock and restore them.
When we get a good night’s sleep, our skin is a little brighter because the oxygen and nutrients have stimulated the
production of collagen and elastin, the fibrous proteins that make our skin springy and elastic. So let’s all take our
“beauty rest.”2

Sleep helps children and youth think well!

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 PowerPoint© Slide 8 - Sleep helps children and youth think well!
Sufficient sleep for children aids proper brain development and good memory,
strengthens the immune system, and contributes to good social behavior. So tuck them
in to bed early!

A study surveying 3,120 high school students found “students who described themselves as struggling or failing
school with C, D, and F grades reported that on school nights they obtain about 25 minutes less sleep and go to bed
an average of 40 minutes later than A and B students.”3

According to a different study, “While changes in sleep across adolescence are a normal part of development, many
adolescents are getting insufficient sleep and consequently are less likely to perform well at school, more likely to be
overweight, more likely to develop mood-related disturbances, and are at greater risk for traffic accidents, alcohol
and drug abuse.”4

NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF SLEEP DEPRIVATION

Sleep deprivation sparks changes in gene expression

Sleep deprivation doesn’t change the inherited gene, but it does change how this gene expresses itself. It throws the
switch and turns off some of the positive genes and turns on some of the negative ones. Research has shown that
humans have the power to change the expression of hundreds of genes by the lifestyle they choose.

PowerPoint© Slide 9 - Sleep Deprivation Sparks Changes in Expression of 224

Genes
The Allan Institute for Brain Science in collaboration with SRI International report
that some 224 genes in mice show a negatively changed gene expression due to sleep
deprivation and that thousands of genes appear to be regulated by the 24-hour
Circadian rhythm.

Heart disease
Sleep deprivation contributes to heart disease. The Center for Sleep Disorder Medicine at a prominent university
reports that insomnia is associated with a high risk for hypertension.5

PowerPoint© Slide 10
A study of 70,000 women found that those who slept about five hours a night had a
40% higher rate of having heart attack than did people that slept eight hours.

Mary, in her seventies and overweight, had difficulty sleeping. Frequently she got up in the middle of the night and
found her way to the ice cream container in the freezer. Some comfort food will help me sleep, she thought. One
morning her family found her on the kitchen floor with a bowl of melted vanilla ice cream beside her. Cause of
death—a heart attack.

Cancer
Margaret Ann Hancock from Edinburgh, Scotland, needed some extra money to care for her three children, so she
took a night shift at the local hospital that allowed her to take her children to nursery when she got home. She would

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sleep a few hours and then pick them up again. During the time that she worked at the hospital, she developed breast
cancer that required a lumpectomy, chemotherapy, and radium treatment.

PowerPoint© Slide 11
The International Agency for Research on Cancer announced in 2009, that their
investigations placed night working just one category below known carcinogens such
as asbestos as a cause of cancer.

Margaret wishes she had known then what she knows now. She says, “If it’s risking your health, there’s nothing
worth that.”6

Obesity

PowerPoint© Slide 12
Researchers find that lack of sleep contributes to obesity.

“Short sleep duration may increase obesity risk by causing small changes in eating patterns that cumulatively alter
energy balance.”7 Obesity in turn may contribute to cancer risk.

Stress insomnia

PowerPoint© Slide 13 - Stress Insomnia

Stress induces the adrenal gland to secrete cortisol which is called the “stress
hormone.”

PowerPoint© Slide 14 - Stress Insomnia

Stress and excess cortisol can be minimized by proper rest, exercising, relaxing,
peaceful moments in nature, breathing in deeply of fresh air and slowly blowing it out.

Cortisol is an important and helpful part of the body’s response to stress, enabling “fight or flight,” it’s important for
the relaxation response to be activated so that the body’s functions can return to normal following a stressful event.
Normally cortisol is higher in the morning and diminishes by evening, allowing for low-stress sleeping.

In contrast, prolonged stress may lead to catastrophic diseases, including diabetes, depression, strokes,
cardiovascular problems, cancer, high blood pressure, digestive disturbances, emotional confusion, and suicide.

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 PowerPoint© Slide 15 - Research—Effects of Sleep Deprivation
The effect of sleep deprivation is similar to the effect of drinking alcohol.

Two dangers—drowsy drivers and drunk drivers

“According to the international consensus meeting in Stockholm on ‘The Sleepy Driver and Pilot—Causes, Risks
and Countermeasures’ . . . as many as 15-30 percent of today’s traffic accidents are related to drowsiness; thus it is
an even greater risk factor than alcohol.”8

Studies show that if you go without sleep for eighteen hours straight, you suffer from a level of impairment that is
equal to having a blood alcohol content of 0.05 percent. If you go without sleep for twenty-four hours, the
impairment is equal to having a 0.1% blood alcohol content,9 and you are seven times more likely to have an
accident.10

China considers driving with a blood alcohol content of 0.02 percent illegal, while in Canada it is 0.08 percent, and
in the US, all states impose penalties for a blood alcohol content of 0.08 percent, although some states are stricter.

PowerPoint© Slide 16
Fatigue impairs judgment and reaction time like Alcohol.

Trucking accidents
A study done in the US found that “fatigue was a primary cause in 41% of heavy truck crashes in the western United
States and a probable cause in a further 18%.”11 Another study reported, “Insufficient sleep exacerbates the sedating
effects of alcohol so that even low levels of alcohol make the sleepy driver much more impaired and much more
likely to fall asleep at the wheel.”12

So Fatigue + Alcohol = Danger for drivers and for those unfortunate enough to be in their path.

PowerPoint© Slide 17 - Accidents and Sleep Deprivation

Studies in Oklahoma and California show that 50% of fatal accidents on freeways are
from falling asleep.

Have you experienced almost having an accident when driving because you were sleepy?
Make it a rule to not drive at such times. Stop and change drivers or take a nap at some safe public place or rest stop.

Anti-insomnia ideas for restful sleep

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 PowerPoint© Slide 18
Anti-insomnia ideas for restful sleep

After they were married, John and Millie started a tradition of reading interesting non-professional, nonfiction books
to each other after they got in bed. John usually reads to Millie, but once in a while she reads to him. This evening
ritual of reading biographies and storybooks helps Millie take her mind off the busy and stressful events of the day
so she can get to sleep faster. John says, “My voice seems to be a sure cure for insomnia. Somehow after I read a
few pages I look to the pillow beside me and Millie is sound asleep! The next night I may have to go back and re-
read the end of last night’s story.” This has been a great husband-and-wife practice for forty years, and together they
have read scores and scores of books. It is a perfect, relaxing rest time at the end of the day.

One elderly woman who sometimes has insomnia reports that she quotes Scripture when she cannot sleep in the
night. Good verses are “He gives His beloved sleep”13 and “Yes, you will lie down and your sleep will be sweet.”14
 A single person says, “I just start softly singing spiritual songs in bed or repeat the words of songs which take
my mind off stressful thoughts.”
 A husband says that when he awakens in the night he goes through the letters of the alphabet repeating names
or characteristics of God.
 At last count he was working with some 324 names and attributes of God. For instance, his A’s include
Alpha, All Powerful, All Knowing, Author, Altogether Lovely, Advocate, Almighty, Awesome, the Amen,
Architect. Sometimes he may get only to the letter F—words such as Faithful, Foundation, Forever Friend,
Forgiver, before the words begin to blend into his dreams.
 Others picture some restful story from the Bible and dramatize in their thoughts the feelings of those who
were involved. Find a plan that works for you.
 Some just get up, take some calcium pills, do some things they enjoy doing for an hour or so, then read a
book until their eyes start closing, close the book, turn over on their side, and fall asleep.

More than sleep—rest

PowerPoint© Slide 19
“And [Jesus] said unto them, Come… apart into a desert place, and rest a while.”
Mark 6:31 KJV

Sleep and rest are essential for health and safety’s sake. If your body has had a strenuous physical workout during
the day, rest may mean getting sleep or relaxation. If the activity has been mental exertion, rest may call for having
physical exercise.

If you’ve spent the day rushing around doing office work, rest may be quietly relaxing alone or talking with family
about the day’s events.
 It can be walking around the block or in the park, or sitting in a hot tub bath with a fragrant candle scenting
the air while gentle music is playing.
 Even the scented soap bubbles floating around help you relax from the day’s busy activities.
 Tell yourself, Forget the day of work. I’m not going there, and enjoy the moments of total relaxation.

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Rest recharges our mental batteries, revives energy, brings healing and restoration, improves our immune system,
stimulates growth hormones in children, helps to keep the blood pressure down, and keeps us functioning at an
optimal level. Wow! It has positive, dynamic power! Rest is a gift of God—a miracle renewal package.

Try to schedule moments of rest and relaxation into your daily life.
 You can walk the stairs to deliver a paper, take a brisk walk in the sunshine during the lunch hour, go to your
favorite nature spot, or wrestle with the little one on the carpet when you get home.
 By changing activities, we relax and have restful moments.

Our bodies need more than just sleep. The rush of work and daily life leaves millions fatigued, impacting the health
and the soul. It’s good that we have the example of Jesus. He understood what it was like to be human.

He warned His companions not to be overcome by “the cares of this world [anxiety and rushing], the deceitfulness
of riches [materialism], and the desires for other things [more, more, more].” 15

On a certain occasion, life got very hectic around Jesus and His disciples. “And He said unto them, Come . . . apart
into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to
eat.”16 Someone has remarked, “If we don’t come apart, we may fall apart.”

A newly married couple decided to schedule a weekly time to deepen their relationship and meet each other’s needs.
They both had full-time jobs, and it seemed that life was “run, run, run.” This weekly date was like an oasis in life
that they both looked forward to. The dates included walking on the beach of a nearby lake, eating at a new
restaurant, visiting friends, making vacation plans, getting a massage, feeding the homeless, or doing something they
had never done before.

Burnout

PowerPoint© Slide 20
Burnout

Tiredness and fatigue characterize our world. Fatigue impedes concentration and prevents creative, clear thinking. It
decreases efficiency and decision-making skills. Fatigued persons may seem apathetic, distractible, and often
depressed. They are more prone to negativity, impatience, and anger. Homes are breaking up because husbands,
wives, and kids are just plain tired out.

Sue wasn’t going to let that happen to her marriage. Jim was a professional counselor. Hour after hour, he listened to
people’s problems. His wife Sue noticed that he was worn out and seemed to be carrying the weight of the world on
his back. Gone were the sparkle in his eye and the spring in his step.

Sue, his good wife, took things into her own hands. She found Jim’s appointment book, rescheduled his clients for
the next five days, and made reservations for him at a lovely mountain camp retreat. The first three days he spent by
himself. Jim walked the mountain trails, listened to the melody of the streams as the water cascaded through the
rocks, and heard the singing of the birds. It seemed as though God and the angels were speaking to him. He
meditated and refocused his thoughts. On the weekend Sue joined him. Together they celebrated life’s blessings. Jim
had been suffering from a common ailment today—burnout. Now he felt like a new man and could return with
energy to help others in need.

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WOW! A weekly day of rest—a gift of God

PowerPoint© Slide 21
Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have a 24-hour day of rest when you didn’t have to do any
work? Well, you have it!

Exodus 20:9–11 says,

Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your
God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor
your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. For in six days
the Lord made the heavens and the earth.

It is a spiritual day off from work, a day to really rest from labor: stressful assignments, deadlines, following the
orders of others, rushing to work early in the morning and rushing back to work at home. God knew what He was
doing. He doesn’t want us to overwork and wants us to have extra time for Him. He said “Remember the Sabbath”
because He thought we might forget and keep laboring when we didn’t need to, and then we wouldn’t have any time
with Him.

The word rest in the commandment means, “stop!” Stop all work. Set it apart as a holy day. God knew that we
would need rest, and He set aside a full day every week for us to relax, to be out in nature and enjoy a relationship
with Him and with our family and friends. At Creation, God also rested or stopped work, and He sanctified the
Sabbath as a holy day, which starts on Friday at sunset and ends Saturday evening. He specified, “In it you shall do
no work.”17 His prescription was complete rest from gainful employment and even from mundane tasks at home that
can be done during the week. God says to us, “You don’t have to work on this day—enjoy it! I give you
permission.”

PowerPoint© Slide 22 - God’s Day of Rest

Genesis 1 and 2 says, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” in six
days and He rested, blessed the 7th day, and set it apart as a memorial of creation.

The Sabbath, a day of rest, was not going to be simply a cessation of activities; it was going to be a different kind of
activity. Since Adam and Eve were created on Friday afternoon, they had not “worked” before the Sabbath day. So
that first Sabbath to them was not so much a rest from labor as it was a celebration of God’s work. Genesis 1:1 says,
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” In six days God made the earth and then He rested,
blessed the seventh day, and set it apart as a memorial of creation.

PowerPoint© Slide 23 - Sabbath – A Gift of God

Genesis 2:2 says, “On the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and
He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done.”

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 PowerPoint© Slide 24 - Sabbath – A Gift of God
Genesis 2:3 says, “Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He
rested from all His work which God had created and made.”

On that first seventh day, God and His two newly created beings, Adam and Eve, stopped to enjoy what He had
made. At sundown Friday evening, they celebrated the arrival of the Sabbath day together—not just by refraining
from work, but by honoring God for His finished work.

By the gift of the Sabbath, God established Himself as the Creator. It was His mark of authority. The modern
calendar has the day beginning and ending at midnight when we’re usually asleep. God’s plan was better. Like
Adam and Eve, we see God paint the western skies in beautiful colors as the Sabbath day begins at sunset, and then
twenty-four hours later we enjoy seeing the first stars appear. We pause at sunset evening worship time to thank God
for His holy day and begin our new week.

PowerPoint© Slide 25
The Sabbath was a love gift to us, and when we keep it sacred for Him, it shows that
we love Him and that we belong to Him.

When Jesus came to this earth, He honored the rest day. “As His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the
Sabbath day” and read from the scroll of the prophets. 18 He healed the sick and set the captives free on the day of
rest. The Sabbath is God’s day and your day. So enjoy it!

PowerPoint© Slide 26 - St. Augustine prayed

"You have made us for yourself, and our hearts are restless until they find rest in You."

God is not a hard taskmaster who cracks the whip and says, “Work harder! Work longer!” He offers us rest.

PowerPoint© Slide 27
In the Gospels Jesus says, “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I
will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28-30.

PowerPoint© Slide 28 - Prayer

Creator God, thank You for Your promise, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are
heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Thank You for giving us a day of rest from our
weekly stresses and labors. You had us in mind when You told us not to work seven
days a week.

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PowerPoint© Slide 29 - Prayer
Help us to enjoy the day off, this special day with family, friends, and You. Thank You
that when our daily burdens are heavy, with too much to do and activities too big for
us, that You encourage us to rest from the days of work. In Jesus’ name, amen.

PowerPoint© Slide 30 - Reflect/Discuss

1. Why did God plan a weekly day of rest for us from work? How can you better
enjoy it? What do the words “Sabbath rest” mean to you?

PowerPoint© Slide 31
2. Think of different ways of spending the hours of the seventh day—the Sabbath—
starting on Friday evening at sundown, which will renew you spiritually and
physically in preparation for another busy week.

PowerPoint© Slide 32
3. During the six days of the work week, what activities will refresh you at the end of
a busy day when you have worked hard physically, or when you have worked hard
mentally?

PowerPoint© Slide 33
4. Are you satisfied with the amount of sleep you get at night? What seems to rob you
of your sleep? If you have someone to dialog with, brainstorm on sleep robbers and
solutions to sleep deprivation.

PowerPoint© Slide 34 - Personal Reflections

1. Have you developed the discipline of releasing your daily, unfinished business,
your concerns about the future, and any relationship stresses into God’s hands?

PowerPoint© Slide 35 - Personal Reflections

2. Think of different ways of spending your Sabbath time with God, family, and
friends. Will this help you to recharge your battery in preparation for another
week?

PowerPoint© Slide 36
3. If keeping the seventh-day Sabbath is a new concept to you, how would you like
to spend your first Sabbath day of rest with God?

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 PowerPoint© Slide 37 - Intentionality
 I choose to get sufficient rest breaks in the day and adequate sleep each night.

PowerPoint© Slide 38 - Intentionality

 I will record my sleep hours for two weeks on the chart provided and will work at
living a more simplified life so that I can get sufficient sleep and relaxed moments
during the day for self-care.

PowerPoint© Slide 39 - Intentionality

 I like God’s plan for making the Sabbath a spiritual day with God, family,
relatives, and friends.

PowerPoint© Slide 40
 I choose to keep the Sabbath as a holy day.

Prescription: 8 to 8 ¼ Hours of Sleep for Adults

My Sleep Record

Sun Mon Tues Wed Thurs Fri Sat

Week 1
Week 2

If your sleep chart indicates insufficient sleep time, what can you do to increase your sleeping hours?

Parents, make a chart for your children. Then discuss the importance of sleep time with them and share how sleep
affects health, moods, and the ability to do our best work at school and home.

Dr. Eve Van Cauter suggests children need about ten hours of sleep per night, those aged twelve to twenty-one require
about nine hours, and adults need eight or more hours per night.

HANDOUTS

Sleep Enhancers

These sleep suggestions promote rest and a good night of sleep.

 Be active. Exercise by gardening, walking, running, swimming, biking, or aerobic activities for at least

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 thirty minutes a day, but not too close to bedtime.
 Research says that if you want to live to a hundred, keep moving!
 Avoid caffeine in coffee, tea, and sodas. Avoid smoking and alcoholic beverages.
 Avoid sleeping pills. Some people benefit from one or two tablets of calcium citrate to help them sleep.
 Consider taking a supplement of vitamin B complex, or if doctor prescribes, B-12 shots.
 Short naps of 15–20 minutes may be helpful. Late afternoon naps may interfere with night sleep.
 Eating a light evening meal without protein and spicy foods three to five hours before bedtime will give
the stomach rest and improve sleep. A fruit plate or light soup is excellent. You will sleep better.
 Seniors awakening early in the morning, unable to sleep longer, can consider rising to have devotions
and other meaningful activities. After being up several hours, go back to bed and finish getting your
eight hours of rest.
 Drink liquids before 5:00 p.m. to avoid frequent wake-up trips to the bathroom.
 For a special pre-bedtime calming after a stressful day, take a warm Epsom salts bath.
 Turn TV off early in the evening. Have no TV, cell phone, or computers/office equipment in bedroom.
The bedroom is for sleeping and for enjoying your spouse.
 Have your bedroom noise free, cool, dark, ventilated, and clean, with a comfortable bed.
 Do not continue the work of the day into the evening. A change of pace in the evening is refreshing and
allows the mind to wind down.
 Put your problems aside when you go to bed. Enjoy pillow talk. No problems, please!
 Plan for a regular bedtime between 9:00 and 9:30 p.m. Sleep before midnight is more restoring than
sleep after midnight. “Early to bed, early to rise, makes a woman or man healthy, wealthy and wise.” Try
to go to bed every night at the same time and get up at the same time.
 If you have trouble nodding off, try listening to a CD of soothing, relaxing music or nature sounds, or
read a non-professional storybook like a biography or travelogue.
 For sleep apnea, try sleeping on your side. Get treatment in a sleep disorders clinic.
 As you go to bed, thank God for His blessings. Try the A–Z blessing plan. “A for ‘I was Able to finish
my assignment,’ B for ‘Thank you for letting me see the bluebird’s beauty in our tree,’ ” and so on.

Hints for how to enjoy a happy Sabbath

1. We prepare for the Sabbath’s arrival all week long. We “remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy” all
week, so that when it arrives, all is ready.
2. Plan to have clothing ready, time-consuming baking and cooking completed, and all regular mundane work
finished or laid aside before the Sabbath arrives Friday at sundown. Then what is done is done, and what is
undone is undone.
3. As the sun is setting on Friday evening, gather your family or friends and have sunset worship with reading
from God’s Word, prayer, singing, and praising God for the blessings of the past week. Some parents have
children light a Sabbath candle indicating the beginning of the
Sabbath.
4. On Sabbath morning it is a privilege to rise early and go together to a shared worship experience.
5. Since you are meeting with heavenly royalty, have special Sabbath clothes—neat, trim, and modest.
6. Enjoy a delicious meal with a Sabbath treat.
7. Plan some special family time like a hike in the woods or by a lake. Nature is God’s second book. Enjoy it
with family or friends.
8. Plan to do something as a family for those less fortunate than you are; take flowers to a shut-in or a food
basket to the poor. We call it a “Sabbath do-good activity.”
9. If you have children at home, devote time to reading an inspirational book with them. Or read a Bible story
while the children draw it. Have them act out Bible stories, or play a Bible game.
10. Some families have a “Blessing Book” in which they record the blessings of the past week. Everyone
contributes to the book.

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 11. You can light the candle again some time before the close of the Sabbath and then have a child blow it out
at sunset time.
12. Close the Sabbath at sundown with prayer and song. Wish each other a happy and blessed new week. 19

For more complete REFERENCING see text and endnotes for chapter 22 in book Finishing Strong.

14
1
. Charles A. Lindbergh, The Spirit of St. Louis (New York: Avon, 1953). Short quotations are from pp. 278, 317, 321, 332,
333.
2
. Spiegel et al, “Impact of a sleep debt on metabolic and endocrine function,” 1435–1439.
3
4. Amy R. Wolfson and Mary A. Carskadon, “Sleep schedules and daytime functioning in adolescents,” Child
Development 69, no.4 (August 1998): 875–887.
4
5. Ian M. Colrain and Fiona C. Baker, “Changes in sleep as a function of adolescent development,” Neuropsychology
Review 21, no. 1, 5–21. doi:10.1007/s11065-010-9155-5.
5
7. Jacquelyne Froeber, “Suicidal thoughts, high blood pressure associated with insomnia,” CNNhealth.com, April 3, 2009,
quoting Alexandros N. Vgontzas, director of the Center for Sleep Disorder Medicine at Penn State University. http://www-
cgi.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/04/03/sleep.suicidal.thoughts/index.html.
6
. Kenneth MacDonald, “Night shifts spark cancer pay-out,” BBC News online, March 15, 2009.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/7945145.stm.
7
. Allison Weiss; Fang Xu, Amy Storfer-Isser, Alicia Thomas, Carolyn E. Ievers-Landis, Susan Redline, “The association of
sleep duration with adolescents’ fat and carbohydrate consumption,” SLEEP 33, no. 9: 1201–1209.
http://www.journalsleep.org/ViewAbstract.aspx?pid=27900.
8
. P. O. Haraldsson and T. Akerstedt, “Drowsiness—greater traffic hazard than alcohol. Causes, risks and treatment,”
Lakartidningen 98, no. 25 (June 20, 2001): 3018–3023.
9
. “Driver Fatigue: Are you impaired?” A & R Driving School online.
http://www.ardriving.com/Site/Articles_of_Interest_files/Driver/20Fatigue.pdf.
10
. “Driver fatigue is an important cause of road crashes,” Smartmotorist.com, http://www.smartmotorist.com/traffic-and-
safety-guideline/driver-fatigue-is-an-important-cause-of-road-crashes.html. A study conducted by the Adelaide Centre for
Sleep Research, Australia.
11
. Narelle Haworth, “Fatigue and fatigue research: The Australian experience,” paper presented to 7th Biennial
Australasian Traffic Education Conference, Brisbane, February 1998.
http://www.monash.edu.au/muarc/reports/papers/fatigue.html.
12
. Jane C. Stutts, Jean W. Wilkins, and Bradley V. Vaughn, “Why Do People Have Drowsy Driving Crashes,” report, AAA
Foundation for Traffic Safety, 1999, www.aaafoundation.org/pdf/sleep.pdf.
13
. Psalm 127:2.
14
. Proverbs 3:24.
15
18. Mark 4:19.
16
. Mark 6:31, KJV.
17
. Exodus 20:10.
18
. Luke 4:16.
19
. Millie and John Youngberg, Family Sabbath Traditions to Bless Your Heart and Home: Filling the Sabbath Hours With
Joy (Nampa, ID: Pacific Press. 2001), 45–46.