Happy Friday! Thanks for stopping by my blog to read this post on practicing self-care.
As part of our self care regimen, Terri and I have been focusing on the quality of our sleep. Turns out, sleep plays a vital role in our wellbeing.
How do you practice self-care?
We often think of sleep as simply the end of our day. It’s a time to crash, shut down, and disappear from the world for a few hours. But I’ve learned over these past several weeks that sleep is one of the most spiritually restorative and physically positive things our body does. I’ve discovered that while I am sleeping, I am healing holistically.
While our eyes are closed and our conscious mind slips into dreaming, our body whispers vital messages to our mind through our breath rate, heart rate, and heart rate variability.
If we listen closely, these different signals reveal whether the sleep we are getting is truly restful or just a temporary pause striving to keep burnout at bay. Yes, the signs of burnout are oftentimes first witnessed in the quality of our sleep.
Let’s take a closer look under the covers.
Breath Rate: The Rhythm of Peace
Our breath is a sort of sacred rhythm, one we rarely notice and usually take for granted. I’ve learned a lot about breathing during my current journey of restoration.
I’m breathing. Check ☑️.
Our breath sustains our every moment. During sleep, our breathing slows down and becomes more regular. This shift tells our body that it is entering a deeper state of rest where healing and restoration can begin.
When we are anxious or overextended, our breath may remain shallow and erratic, even in our sleep. Several months ago, after I finished preaching at one of our weekly Wednesday church services, a coworker came up to me and mentioned that he noticed my breathing seemed very shallow. He was genuinely concerned for my health. At the time, I didn’t think much about it.
A high nighttime breath rate is our body’s whisper telling us that we are carrying too much.
PSALM 46:10 NIV
Be still and know that I am God.
Heart Rate: The Silent Song of Your Body
Our heart is a faithful drum keeping time in our chest. During sleep, our heart rate slows down. At least, it should.
In the deepest stages of sleep, our heart rate may drop to 40–60 beats per minute, serving as a clear sign that our body has entered its genuine rest-and-repair mode.
On the other hand, if our heart rate stays elevated, it might mean we are fighting something: stress, caffeine, pain, or emotional unrest. Our bodies don’t lie. They keep score. Our sleeping heart rhythm may reveal things our waking mind has failed to address.
Heart Rate Variability: The Grace in the Gaps
Heart Rate Variability, or HRV. measures the variation between heartbeats—not how fast the heart beats, but how flexibly it responds.
A higher HRV is good because it means that the nervous system is balanced and adaptable. It is resilient. Calm. Recovered. A low HRV, especially during sleep, signals our nervous system is overworked, overstimulated, or under-rested. It’s the body’s way of saying, “I need a break, not just sleep.”
Like grace, HRV shows up in the gray areas and in-between spaces. You see, not everything needs to be fast or strong. Sometimes what heals us best is how we recover in the quiet.
Why It All Matters
Our world rewards hustle and often hurries past healing. God designed our bodies to need rest. He embedded wisdom in our biology. When we sleep, our breath slows, our heart calms, and our body finds its rhythm again.
Sleep is not weakness. It’s sacred.
Recovery is not retreat. It’s renewal.
Stillness is not absence. It’s presence.
While we are sleeping, our body is telling us the truth about how we truly are down deep. Our bodies keep score.
- How has your sleep felt lately?
- What rhythms in your life need adjusting?
- What honoring your body’s need for restoration look like?
Sleep is sacred, breath is holy, and your body is a temple. Take care of it. Let it rest. Let it heal. Let it speak—and listen.
Sleep well, breathe deep, and keep creating.
Until my next post…
Be salty, stay lit.
Rainer Bantau —The Devotional Guy™
#bgbg2#BibleGateway
The Stigma Stops Here.🛑
#mentalhealthmatters
The Devotional Guy™ 
And the older I get, the score card my body keeps is not a pretty sight!
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It’s a great reminder that returns our focus to God. Thanks for dropping a comment. Blessings 🙏 Dana.
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Psalm 46:10 is my go-to verse to calm myself. “Stillness is not absence. It’s presence,” I love that, thank you!
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Terri and I are both skilled nappers and experienced at falling asleep sitting up. I‘ve learned establishing a good bedtime routine, like the one you shared in your comment, is helpful in preparing for a good night’s rest, Cyndi. But, we must remember our bodies keep score—which is key for those who experience high stress, trauma, illness, or physical injury/pain. This impacts the quality of rest we can achieve, according to what I’ve read about sleep. Thanks so much for stopping by and dropping a comment. Blessings 🙏
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Falling asleep is my super power. Or so my husband says. I think it also helps that I read my section for the day in my One Year Through the Bible right before I go to bed, so I’m ending with good things in my brain. I’m also a really good napper. I’m just following the example of Jesus who took a nap in the boat while the storm raged all around them! 😂
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Thank you for sharing your perspective, Maribelle. I agree that good sleep and breathing properly are foundational to our wellbeing. Thank you for stopping by and reading my post. Blessings.
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Sleep is foundational in my life. If I don’t sleep well, my whole day falls apart.
And people might laugh at “breathe,” but I having a tongue-tie (like I do) can disrupt breathing and sleep quality. Learning to breathe properly is essential 🙌
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