Let Them Sleep: Rethinking Rest in Sacred and Secular Spaces
A video recently surfaced of a pastor disciplining a churchgoer for falling asleep during service. Some laughed. Others justified it. But in the shadows of viral outrage lies a quieter truth: we are a sleep-deprived society, and we’ve grown hostile to rest.
Whether it’s a person living with narcolepsy, chronic fatigue, or simply someone worn thin by life — our intolerance toward rest is cultural. It’s systemic. And it’s unsustainable.
This conversation isn’t just about one viral clip. It’s about a world that glorifies overwork, undervalues sleep, and shames vulnerability.
We live in a 24-hour economy — one of shift work, back-to-back gigs, red-eye flights, and side hustles. Rest has become a luxury. Napping in public is seen as lazy. Falling asleep in a place of worship is called disrespectful.
But sleep is not a moral failure. It’s a biological need. And in some cases, a medical condition. Disorders like narcolepsy, sleep apnea, insomnia, and delayed sleep phase syndrome affect millions — often invisibly.
At the same time, lifestyle-related non-communicable diseases (NCDs) like diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and obesity are on the rise — all of which are deeply intertwined with poor sleep quality. Chronic sleep deprivation isn’t just an inconvenience; it’s a silent contributor to long-term health decline. Addressing sleep isn’t optional anymore — it’s critical for prevention, healing, and public health.
World Sleep Day reminds us each year: quality sleep is a pillar of health, just like diet and exercise. Yet we continue to mock or dismiss those who struggle with it.
What would it look like if we normalized rest in our public spaces? In churches? In schools? In workplaces?
What if we trained ourselves to ask, not “Why are they sleeping?” but “What are they carrying?”
Whether they live with a condition or are simply worn by the weight of life — we owe each other grace.
Let sacred spaces, and all spaces, become places of restoration. Not ridicule.