Our minds and bodies require sleep on a regular basis. We can become weary from physical exertion or mental exertion. Illness can add to our need for sleep. Normally we sleep at routine times, but the pressure that tires us may not be so routine and can come at a time we would not expect. The disciples were under great pressure on the night when Jesus needed them most—and they slept (Matthew 26:40-41).

We all know how happy we are when we are so weary we can hardly function, and just slip into bed (Ecclesiastes 5:12). That is the sleep of a laboring man, but if there are deep concerns as a worried man may have, there never seems to be the right time to sleep. Sleep is so important that we need to take steps to ensure that we are not deprived of it for long. We may have sleepless nights from time to time, but with care, wisdom and thought, we can make those nights rare (Proverbs 3:21-26). Work on good habits for living—they make for a much happier and contented life.