Sleep is important and research has shown that a lack of sleep can have a wide range of negative health effects both emotionally and physically.

Just losing one night’s sleep can impact a person, causing confusion, delirium, and even headaches and nausea. Going without sleep for 72 hours can actually result in a person having hallucinations.

If it goes on for an extended period, it can actually increase a person’s risk of having heart issues, or diabetes. It can also contribute to memory loss and impact your immune system.

So sleep is vital.

The lack of sleep is a problem in today’s modern society, as studies have shown that 34% of adults between the ages of 18 and 64 do not receive the required seven hours of sleep a night. Studies also reveal that increasingly people, including children, are taking medication to help them sleep.

So what is behind this?

Recently, researchers in Finland have found a connection between having a good night’s sleep and having a clean conscience, the Daily Mail reports.

In their 11-year study, they tracked the emotional well-being and sleep habits of over 1,000 young adults.

They found that more compassionate people tended to have better sleeping habits than those who didn’t. Among other things, they had fewer bouts of insomnia.

“Though compassionate people are often prone to staying up late and losing sleep as they worry about not calling home or accidentally saying something rude, the findings suggest that those with a clean conscience may sleep better,” writes Emily Joshu in her article for the Daily Mail.

The Apostle Paul gave similar advice in his letter to the Ephesians when he wrote about his prescription for a good night’s sleep:

²⁶ Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, (Ephesians 4:26 NASV)

In this verse, Paul connects unresolved anger issues with sleep, and in the process, he actually uses two Greek words for anger.

The first, “be angry and yet do not sin”, is ‘orgizō’ and refers to the idea of being provoked into anger.

Many fall into the trap of believing that anger is a sin. It isn’t. Anger is an emotion and a natural reaction to things happening around us and to us.

We know from the Gospels that Jesus was angered several times by what He saw happening.

He was angry at how the priests had turned the Temple into a den of thieves (Matthew 21:13).

Though people were allowed to bring their own animals or birds to the temple for sacrifices, they needed to be checked over by the priests to make sure they were pure as commanded in the law.

Invariably, they found flaws, but wouldn’t you know it, the priests had previously inspected animals for sale at the Temple in case of such emergencies, at a premium price, of course.

I think you are getting the gist of this. It was a racket and this angered Jesus.

So getting angry is not a sin, but staying angry is, which leads to Paul’s second admonition, ‘Do not let the sun go down on your wrath.’

And he uses a different word for anger here, ‘parorgismos’, which is translated as wrath. It refers to a prolonged anger that seeks revenge for the wrong done.

Paul warns that we must deal with our anger before it turns into wrath. If we are starting to be consumed with thoughts on how we will get back at those who have offended us, then we have entered the wrath and sin stage.

To stop this from happening, we must deal with our anger quickly, before we fall asleep. We can only do this by forgiving those who have offended us.

Not only does this act of compassion provide us a better night’s sleep, but it also prevents a root of bitterness from developing in our hearts (Hebrews 12:15).