Sleep in Peace is a twelve-topic Christian Growth Course designed to help believers understand sleep as organic humans created by God, support the body’s natural rhythms, quiet the nighttime mind, release spiritual and relational sleep blocks, recognize concerns requiring professional care, and develop a Christ-centered pattern of rest.

Course Description

Taught by Rev. Henry Reyenga and Attorney/Pastor Brian DeCook and presented by Haley Steiner, the course brings biblical theology, practical sleep science, embodied care, and fellowship with the Holy Spirit into one whole-person approach.

Participants begin by examining sleep through the biblical movements of creation, fall, redemption in Jesus Christ, and life in the presence of the Holy Spirit.

They learn that sleep is part of God’s creaturely design and that human beings are embodied souls—not machines, detached minds, or spiritual problems to be fixed.

Sleep and the Body

The course explains how circadian rhythm, sleep pressure, light, movement, food, caffeine, alcohol, temperature, physical health, emotions, relationships, work schedules, and sleeping environments can influence the night.

Sleep Is Received, Not Forced

A major strength of the course is its emphasis that sleep is received, not forced.

Participants explore how clock-checking, fearful predictions, perfectionism, sleep tracking, bitterness, shame, unresolved conflict, grief, trauma, loneliness, caregiving, and fear of sleeplessness can increase nighttime vigilance.

Practices Introduced in the Course

Male and Female Sleep Across the Life Span

The course gives careful attention to organic male and female sleep across the life span.

Participants consider hormonal transitions, pregnancy, postpartum life, menopause, aging, pain, sleep apnea, caregiving burdens, work strain, and other bodily or social patterns without turning general differences into stereotypes.

Touch, Connection, and Intimacy

One topic explores safe self-soothing touch, affectionate connection, marriage intimacy, sexual release, differing needs, travel, health changes, and appropriate physical space.

Nightmares and Frightening Nighttime Experiences

Participants also learn how to respond to nightmares, anxious dreams, sleep paralysis, and spiritually frightening nighttime experiences without fear-driven speculation.

Scripture, prayer, Psalms, hymns, and adult lullabies may support peace, but they are not presented as magical formulas.

The course centers spiritual confidence on the victory, authority, and presence of Jesus Christ while encouraging pastoral, medical, sleep, or trauma-informed care when appropriate.

Real-World Sleep Conditions

The course addresses real-world sleep conditions, including shift work, parenting, caregiving, poverty, heat, noise, crowding, shared sleeping spaces, unstable housing, and limited access to professional services.

Each topic includes realistic no-cost or very-low-cost practices that can be adapted across cultures, households, schedules, and economic conditions.

How the Course Works

Each topic includes three videos, two research-informed readings, a Growth Story, a private worksheet, a Bible study, and a learning quiz.

Throughout the Course

Throughout the course, participants learn to receive their creaturely design, examine patterns without shame, support bodily rhythms, tell the truth about sleep blocks, welcome Scripture and the Holy Spirit, release the demand to force sleep, and engage wise help when needed.

Sleep in Peace Portfolio

By the end of the course, each participant will complete a private Sleep in Peace Portfolio and create a Ninety-Day Sleep in Peace Rule of Life.

This personal plan brings together morning rhythms, daytime body care, nighttime practices, Scripture-shaped sentences, relationship wisdom, real-world adaptations, medical referral awareness, and a grace-based response to difficult nights.

Suitable Settings

Sleep in Peace is suitable for individual study, small groups, churches, Soul Centers, chaplaincy, Christian life coaching, caregiving, marriage ministry, and other ministry settings.

It offers a biblical and immediately practical framework for helping Christians prepare wisely, release what cannot be solved tonight, receive appropriate help, rest without condemnation, and wake in hope.

Assignments

1. Read the online articles for each unit.
2. Listen to online video lectures.
3. Take the online quiz for each unit. Once a quiz starts, you must finish it and you can retake it one time. Your highest grade will be recorded. So be ready ahead of time. Each quiz covers readings and video lectures for that unit. While taking the quiz, you may use your notes and refer to articles and other materials.

Grading Scale

A 94-100%    A- 90-93%    B+ 87-89%    B 83-86%    B- 80-82%    C+ 77-79%    C 73-76%    C- 70-72%    D+ 67-69%    D 63-66%    D- 60-62%    F 0-59%

Professors

Rev. Henry Reyenga and Attorney/Pastor Brian DeCook