When Sleep Won’t Come — a practical Christian guide to sleeplessness by Matt Rehrer

# What this book covers

# How Rehrer approaches sleeplessness

He explains sleep physiology clearly: how rhythms and sleep stages work and how those patterns change with age, yielding more light sleep and more night wakings. He connects common causes of poor sleep — stress, environment, food and drink timing, and untreated medical problems — with practical remedies and when to seek testing or treatment.

Rehrer also treats sleeplessness as an experience that can carry spiritual messages. He suggests that restless nights can: prompt repentance for past actions if thoughts recur, surface worries that call for trust and prayer, and remind believers that human work has limits and rest is part of dependence on God.

# Practical tools and suggestions

The book offers actionable guidance on creating a better sleep environment, adjusting habits around eating and caffeine, and ordering tests or treatments when appropriate. Rehrer lays out both behavioral steps readers can try immediately and medical avenues for persistent problems. He emphasizes a holistic response that includes physical care and spiritual practices like Scripture meditation and directed prayer during nights awake.

# Reader response and credibility

The reviewer of the book reports finding many familiar pieces of medical information but also several clarifying insights, such as the age-related shift to lighter sleep. The reviewer appreciated the balance between medical clarity and compassionate spiritual framing and rated the book 4 out of 5 stars. Rehrer's dual role as clinician and church leader is central to the book's perspective.

# Who will benefit

This book is aimed at Christians who struggle with sleep and want both practical medical guidance and spiritual resources to manage nights awake. It may be especially useful for readers who want concrete steps they can test at home alongside theological reflection on what sleeplessness might reveal or require spiritually.

# Concise summary

Come is a brief, mixed-method guide: it explains how sleep functions and fails, offers environmental and behavioral fixes, outlines when to pursue medical care, and proposes spiritual practices to shape how a believer responds to sleeplessness. The reviewer found it helpful and practical, noting useful new insights about sleep across the lifespan.