📝 Worksheet 1.4: My Starting Sleep in Peace Inventory

Private Participant Worksheet

This worksheet is for your personal reflection.

You are not required to upload it, show it to a ministry leader, or disclose private medical, relational, or trauma information. Share only what you freely choose to share.

This is not a diagnostic test. It will not determine whether you have insomnia, sleep apnea, anxiety, trauma, depression, or another medical or mental-health condition.

The purpose is to notice your present sleep experience without shame and create a starting point for your private Sleep in Peace Portfolio.

You do not need perfect answers.

You are simply beginning to tell the truth about your nights before God.

Movement One: Pause and Pray

Become Present Before God

Place both feet on the floor or allow your body to rest in a comfortable position.

Notice that the ground, chair, or bed is supporting your weight.

You do not need to force your breathing to change. Simply notice that you are breathing.

Allow your shoulders, hands, and face to be as they are.

Then pray:

Lord Jesus, I come before you as an organic human created in your image.

Help me notice my sleep experience without fear, shame, exaggeration, or denial.

Show me what I can receive, what I can release, what I should address, and where I may need wise help.

Holy Spirit, guide me into truth and grace.

Amen.

My Present State

Complete these sentences gently.

Right now, my body feels:

Right now, my thoughts feel:

Right now, my emotions feel:

When I think about sleep, the strongest feeling I notice is:

☐ Peace
☐ Hope
☐ Frustration
☐ Fear
☐ Pressure
☐ Sadness
☐ Anger
☐ Helplessness
☐ Confusion
☐ Shame
☐ Exhaustion
☐ Another feeling: ___________________________________________

I give myself permission to complete this worksheet without solving everything today.

☐ Yes

Movement Two: Notice and Name

Part A: My Present Sleep Experience

Answer according to your general experience rather than one unusual night.

My Main Sleep Opportunity

My main sleep period usually begins around:

I usually rise around:

My schedule is generally:

☐ Fairly regular
☐ Somewhat irregular
☐ Very irregular
☐ Determined by shift work
☐ Determined by caregiving
☐ Determined by parenting
☐ Determined by illness or pain
☐ Difficult to predict
☐ Other: _________________________________________________

Falling Asleep

I usually experience:

☐ Sleep arriving without much struggle
☐ Occasional difficulty falling asleep
☐ Frequent difficulty falling asleep
☐ Strong pressure to make myself sleep
☐ Fear when sleep does not come quickly
☐ Repeated clock-checking
☐ Repeated calculations about hours remaining
☐ Uncertainty because I do not monitor the time
☐ Another pattern: __________________________________________

During the Night

I usually experience:

☐ Few remembered awakenings
☐ Brief awakenings that do not concern me
☐ Repeated awakenings
☐ Long periods of wakefulness
☐ Awakening because of caregiving
☐ Awakening because of children
☐ Awakening because of pain
☐ Awakening because of temperature
☐ Awakening because of noise
☐ Awakening because of bathroom needs
☐ Awakening with worry or racing thoughts
☐ Awakening with nightmares
☐ Awakening while choking or gasping
☐ Awakening for a reason I do not understand
☐ Another pattern: __________________________________________

In the Morning

When I wake, I often feel:

☐ Rested
☐ Somewhat restored
☐ Tired but able to function
☐ Very tired
☐ Unrefreshed despite enough time in bed
☐ Anxious about how I slept
☐ Eager to check a clock, application, or wearable device
☐ Condemned or ashamed
☐ Grateful to begin a new day
☐ Different from day to day
☐ Another experience: _______________________________________

Part B: Sleep Opportunity and Sleep Outcome

Sleep opportunity is the time and setting I make available for sleep.

Sleep outcome is what actually happens during that opportunity.

What I Can Sometimes Influence

Place a check beside the areas you may be able to influence at least a little.

☐ The time I begin preparing for sleep
☐ The time I rise
☐ My exposure to morning or daytime light
☐ Some of my caffeine timing
☐ Some of my evening stimulation
☐ My phone or screen use
☐ My sleeping environment
☐ My response to clock-checking
☐ My nighttime self-conversation
☐ Writing down unfinished concerns
☐ Seeking relational support
☐ Seeking medical or professional help
☐ None of these feel controllable right now
☐ Other: ___________________________________________________

What I Cannot Directly Control

Place a check beside the outcomes you cannot command.

☐ The exact moment I fall asleep
☐ Whether I awaken during the night
☐ The precise amount of sleep I receive
☐ Whether another person interrupts my sleep
☐ Whether pain or symptoms appear
☐ Whether noise or danger occurs
☐ How my body responds to hormonal or life-stage changes
☐ Every thought that enters my mind
☐ Every circumstance affecting my household
☐ Other: ___________________________________________________

Complete this sentence:

I can prepare for sleep by ______________________________________

but I cannot guarantee __________________________________________

Part C: My Present Sleep Blocks

A sleep block is any spiritual, relational, mental, behavioral, environmental, circumstantial, or bodily factor that may interfere with sleep.

This inventory is not an accusation.

Place a check beside anything that may be part of your present experience.

Thoughts and Emotions

☐ Worry about tomorrow
☐ Fear of not sleeping
☐ Replaying conversations
☐ Catastrophic predictions
☐ Shame
☐ Guilt
☐ Loneliness
☐ Grief
☐ Anger
☐ Bitterness
☐ Fear
☐ Nighttime overthinking
☐ Pressure to sleep perfectly
☐ Another thought or emotion: ________________________________

Relationships and Responsibilities

☐ Unresolved conflict
☐ Concern for a family member
☐ Marriage strain
☐ Parenting responsibilities
☐ Caregiving responsibilities
☐ Work pressure
☐ Ministry responsibilities
☐ Financial pressure
☐ Fear of disappointing people
☐ Difficulty setting boundaries
☐ Unsafe or threatening relationship
☐ Another burden: ___________________________________________

Daily Rhythms and Habits

☐ Irregular waking time
☐ Shift work
☐ Limited daylight
☐ Limited movement
☐ Late caffeine use
☐ Alcohol use near bedtime
☐ Heavy or uncomfortable evening eating
☐ Screens or stimulating media
☐ Working until bedtime
☐ Long or late naps
☐ Repeated sleep tracking
☐ Constant searching for sleep solutions
☐ Another pattern: __________________________________________

Body and Health

☐ Pain
☐ Breathing difficulty
☐ Loud snoring
☐ Witnessed breathing pauses
☐ Choking or gasping during sleep
☐ Restless or uncomfortable legs
☐ Frequent bathroom needs
☐ Medication concerns
☐ Substance concerns
☐ Pregnancy-related changes
☐ Postpartum changes
☐ Perimenopause or menopause
☐ Temperature discomfort
☐ Illness
☐ Recurrent nightmares
☐ Unusual daytime sleepiness
☐ Another bodily concern: ___________________________________

Environment and Circumstances

☐ Noise
☐ Heat
☐ Cold
☐ Light
☐ Shared sleeping space
☐ Crowding
☐ Uncomfortable sleeping surface
☐ Unstable housing
☐ Neighborhood danger
☐ Limited electricity
☐ Irregular employment
☐ Limited access to healthcare
☐ A household member’s schedule
☐ Another circumstance: _____________________________________

The three sleep blocks that seem most important right now are:

One sleep block I may need to understand more carefully is:

Part D: My Nighttime Self-Conversation

Complete the sentences that sound most like your nighttime thoughts.

When sleep does not come, I tell myself:

When I awaken during the night, I predict:

When morning comes after a difficult night, I tell myself:

I sometimes measure my worth, discipline, health, or faith by:

Place a check beside the statements that sometimes appear in your thinking.

☐ I must sleep now.
☐ Tomorrow will be ruined.
☐ Something is wrong with me.
☐ I should be able to control this.
☐ A faithful Christian should not struggle with sleep.
☐ I have already lost too much sleep.
☐ I must solve this problem tonight.
☐ I must force myself to relax.
☐ I cannot function unless I sleep perfectly.
☐ God must be disappointed with me.
☐ Another sentence: _________________________________________

Which sentence creates the most pressure?

What fear or belief may be underneath that sentence?

Part E: Creation, Fall, Redemption, and Fellowship

Creation

God created me as an organic human with limits, rhythms, bodily needs, relationships, and dependence on him.

The creaturely limit I find hardest to receive is:

☐ I cannot remain productive continually
☐ I cannot control every outcome
☐ I cannot solve every problem tonight
☐ I need help from other people
☐ My body has limits
☐ My sleep needs may differ from someone else’s
☐ I cannot remain vigilant forever
☐ Other: ___________________________________________________

Fall

The brokenness most affecting my nights right now may involve:

☐ Fear
☐ Sin or guilt
☐ Conflict
☐ Bitterness
☐ Grief
☐ Trauma
☐ Pain or illness
☐ Overwork
☐ Economic pressure
☐ Unsafe circumstances
☐ Harm caused by another person
☐ Bodily or hormonal change
☐ Other: ___________________________________________________

Redemption in Christ

The grace of Christ I most need to receive is:

☐ Forgiveness
☐ Freedom from condemnation
☐ Courage to confess
☐ Strength to make repair
☐ Permission to establish a boundary
☐ Freedom from revenge
☐ Hope in grief
☐ Grace for bodily limitations
☐ Courage to seek help
☐ Assurance that Christ is present
☐ Other: ___________________________________________________

Fellowship With the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit may be inviting me to:

☐ Pray honestly
☐ Lament
☐ Confess
☐ Receive forgiveness
☐ Practice gratitude
☐ Remember Scripture
☐ Release an unfinished matter
☐ Establish a boundary tomorrow
☐ Seek medical care
☐ Ask for practical support
☐ Stop using prayer as a sleep performance
☐ Other: ___________________________________________________

Movement Three: Welcome Scripture and the Holy Spirit

Choose a Scripture for This Season

Read the following passages slowly. Choose one that speaks truth into your present experience.

Psalm 4:8

“In peace I will both lay myself down and sleep, for you alone, Yahweh, make me live in safety.”

Psalm 121:3–4

“He who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.”

Psalm 127:2

“It is vain for you to rise up early, to stay up late, eating the bread of toil, for he gives sleep to his loved ones.”

Matthew 11:28

“Come to me, all you who labor and are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest.”

Romans 8:1

“There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 4:6–7

“In nothing be anxious, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus.”

1 Peter 5:7

“Casting all your worries on him, because he cares for you.”

The Scripture I choose is:

This Scripture does not guarantee that I will:

This Scripture reminds me that:

My Scripture-Shaped Night Sentence

Rewrite one pressuring nighttime sentence with truth and grace.

Example

Pressuring sentence:

“Tomorrow will be ruined unless I fall asleep now.”

Scripture-shaped sentence:

“Tomorrow may be difficult, but I do not know that it will be ruined. Christ will be present, and I can take the next faithful step.”

My Sentence

The pressuring sentence I want to answer is:

My truthful, Christ-centered response is:

Keep the response realistic.

Do not promise yourself perfect sleep.

Do not deny pain, danger, conflict, or medical concerns.

Welcome truth without turning the sentence into another demand.

A Prayer of Release

Complete any lines that are helpful.

Lord, tonight I am carrying:

Something I cannot solve tonight is:

I entrust this person or concern to you:

Something I may need to address tomorrow is:

Something for which I need forgiveness is:

Something I may need to forgive or release from personal revenge is:

A boundary I may need to consider is:

A bodily or medical concern I may need to discuss with a qualified professional is:

Holy Spirit, help me receive this truth:

Movement Four: One Faithful Step

Do not choose ten changes.

Choose one realistic step.

Your first faithful step should support your organic life without becoming another sleep test.

My One Sleep-Support Step

Choose one.

☐ Rise at a reasonably stable time when my circumstances permit
☐ Seek safe morning or daytime light
☐ Include some appropriate daytime movement
☐ Consider my caffeine timing
☐ Create a gentler evening transition
☐ Reduce one source of unnecessary stimulation
☐ Turn the visible clock away
☐ Stop checking my sleep score first thing in the morning
☐ Write down one unfinished concern
☐ Practice my Scripture-shaped night sentence
☐ Ask someone for practical support
☐ Plan a wise daytime conversation about a conflict
☐ Make a medical appointment
☐ Speak with a qualified mental-health professional
☐ Discuss a medication concern with a physician or pharmacist
☐ Ask a pastor, chaplain, or Christian life coach for non-clinical support
☐ Take an immediate safety step
☐ Another faithful step: ______________________________________

My chosen step is:

I plan to practice or complete it:

This step is realistic because:

If the step does not immediately improve my sleep outcome, I will remind myself:

My Starting Organic-Human Sleep Statement

Use the prompts below to create a brief statement for your private Sleep in Peace Portfolio.

You may use the sample statement or write your own.

Sample Statement

I am an organic human created by God. I am an embodied soul with spiritual and physical life before him. I was created for rhythms of activity and rest, but the fall has affected my body, thoughts, relationships, surroundings, and nights. My sleep difficulty is not proof of weak faith or personal worthlessness. Jesus Christ meets me without condemnation, and the Holy Spirit remains with me in sleep and wakefulness. I can prepare wisely without forcing sleep, tell the truth about my sleep blocks, seek appropriate help, release unfinished matters, and wake in hope.

My Personal Statement

I am an organic human created by God who:

My present sleep experience includes:

The sleep blocks I most need to understand are:

In Jesus Christ, I want to remember:

With the help of the Holy Spirit, I will:

My complete organic-human sleep statement is:

My Topic 1 Portfolio Asset

Place the following in your private Sleep in Peace Portfolio:

☐ My completed Starting Sleep in Peace Inventory
☐ My personal organic-human sleep statement
☐ My Scripture-shaped night sentence
☐ My one faithful sleep-support step

My Scripture-shaped night sentence:

My one faithful step:

Date begun:

Optional review date:

Help and Referral Reminder

This worksheet provides Christian reflection and general sleep support. It does not diagnose or treat a sleep disorder, medical condition, trauma condition, or mental-health concern.

Consider qualified medical or professional evaluation when you experience concerns such as:

• Loud, persistent snoring

• Witnessed pauses in breathing

• Choking or gasping during sleep

• Severe daytime sleepiness

• Drowsy driving

• Persistent sleep difficulty with daytime impairment

• Uncomfortable urges to move the legs

• Recurrent nightmares or trauma-related awakenings

• Dangerous sleepwalking

• Acting out dreams

• Persistent pain

• Sudden or unexplained changes in sleep

• Medication or substance concerns

• Significant pregnancy, postpartum, or menopausal concerns

• Severe or worsening mood symptoms

• A greatly reduced need for sleep with unusual energy, agitation, impulsivity, or risky behavior

Do not stop prescribed medication, change medication timing, discontinue a prescribed device, or begin or stop a supplement solely because of this worksheet.

When suicidal intent, self-harm danger, severe breathing difficulty, chest pain, seizure, dangerous confusion, violence, abuse, or immediate danger is present, seek emergency assistance and follow applicable safety and reporting procedures.

Seeking wise help is not defeat.

It is one way an organic human receives care before God.

Closing Prayer

Lord Jesus,

Thank you for meeting me honestly and graciously.

You know my body, thoughts, responsibilities, relationships, surroundings, fears, and hopes. Nothing about my nights is hidden from you.

Help me receive my creaturely design without shame. Show me which patterns I can influence and which outcomes I must release.

Where sin is present, lead me to confession and repair. Where harm is present, give me truth and wise boundaries. Where grief is present, receive my lament. Where my body needs care, give me courage to seek help.

Holy Spirit, bring Scripture into my nighttime self-conversation without turning faith into another performance.

I will prepare wisely, but I will not demand that sleep prove my worth or your love.

Whether sleep comes quickly or slowly, remind me that I belong to Jesus Christ.

Help me take one faithful step and wake in hope.

Amen.