Someone asked me the other day, “Do you sleep easily?” Answer “Yes.” “Yes?” they questioned, “with all that is going on, the world in chaos, crime, border, legal, politics, Iran, China?” I said, “I think when I am awake, then sleep.” They said, “And how … do you sleep?” So, this is how.
While not a doctor, so wholly unqualified to offer sleep advice, my friend was right. The world qualifies as a mess. That is disappointing, but the world has always been a mess, and many periods of history far worse.
I am putting in mind the past hundred years, WWI, the Great Depression, WWII, fear and heartache in Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq, assassinations, riots rocking cities for years, the Cold War, Cuban Missile Crisis, later 9-11. We survived.
I am reminded of how Winston Churchill responded when asked how he slept during the deafening Battle of Britain, his whole country’s existence in question.
Actually, his wife Clementine was the one who spilled the beans, explaining how Churchill got through it. Beyond confidence in freedom, God, the RAF, and those on the front lines; beyond clever comments about scotch, cigars, and walks, “he just gets into bed, and says, ‘bother the world,’ falls fast asleep.”
Her answer, while likely true, is entertaining if unsatisfying. How, after all, did he find it possible to sleep with bombs dropping, chaos unleashed, world war afoot?
Truth is, whether chaos is international, national, local, or internal, the level of worry, cortisol in the system, rises. In any context, that can be paralyzing, can create ambivalence and overthinking, and make sleep hard. Yet Churchill did it.
Years ago, I learned you can throw your cards in, surrender to worry, keep the brain revving all the time, use up your fuel going nowhere, or take a different path, conserve your fuel, and apply those same energies to something other than worry.
Some will say, do yoga, meditate, and medicate, others will say – my preferred option – rely on faith, prayer, history, exercise, work, and distraction from what vexes you.
So, how did Churchill manage to sleep? How do those under great stress? Churchill would nap, for up to two hours. He took solace in what he called loosely faith, knew “The Almighty” was with him, and then “slept the sleep of the saved.” Those were his words, not Clementine’s or mine.
That was especially true once the US joined the cause in battle. Which brings me to our good fortune. One reason to sleep well is – whatever ails us – we live in the strongest, most self-correcting, unabashed garrison of freedom in human history.
We have our troubles, internal and external. We face threats to liberty, and national and personal security, from ignorance and ideology to external adversaries. But we also have a distinguished history of coming to our senses and putting things right.
So, on that practical question, of how one sleeps, and keeps peace of heart, another story. Years ago, traveling India by train and jeep, life and death were raw, sleep uneasy.
My solution, after sufficient exhaustion, was to breathe deeply, just trust God had my back, even on a crowded all-night train, or jeep in Naxalite (Marxist) Orrisa or a forgotten village – just relax face to toes, think a good thought, worry not – in Churchill’s words, “bother the world.” Thus, did it happen, I won no wars, except mine with myself, but sleep did come. Think when you are awake, think not asleep.
Robert Charles is a former Assistant Secretary of State under Colin Powell, former Reagan and Bush 41 White House staffer, attorney, and naval intelligence officer (USNR). He wrote “Narcotics and Terrorism” (2003), “Eagles and Evergreens” (2018), and is National Spokesman for AMAC.
My solution is very simple – I practice the popular quote by Niebuhr, a Lutheran theologian- “Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.” Every day, after I meditate, my goal is to keep things simple, humorous, and inspirational. Stay optimistic, full of hope, and never stop dreaming. Thank you, Robert, for your thoughts and advice.
Worry is very costly! Back Oct. ’23 I had said, “My emails made me sick.” 95% of my emails come from Christians; 95% of them “warn” readers about biden, woke left, etc. They report-repeat news which hasn’t been good, wanting us to pray about these. But when we concentrate too much on those bad news reports, they can be destructive. After the above I experienced an “incident”. A retired nurse said she thought I came just short of a stroke. So yes worry, fear, dread, anxiety & the like cost WAY TOO MUCH! Treat yourself better. Pray. Find clean things to laugh about or concentrate on. Have a great day!
I can sleep because I have no contro over anything but my own life. It also helps to know history and realize this is not the worst time, and life goes on. If it doesnt, theres nothing we can do about the world in turmoil.
Thinking about the exploration that is involved in sleep – it can be eventful, sometimes it has the feeling of being in a very different place than what we are familiar with when awake, and at times it is definitely recognizable. The circumstances that we bring with us when going on the sleep journey – probably influence a great many of the things that contribute to the experience. The expression ” garrison of freedom ” that you used Robert, that is a good one , and should be kept in mind by more people here in the United States for the strength and confidence it describes. This is a topic that has many ways of considering the experience of sleep ,Well done with what you wrote Robert, it should improve the spirit of how to approach challenges that are part of life and give meaning to how people view their responsibilities.
Good reminder Of how important sleep is To recharge the brain… Be well My friend. I sleep well every night And spend most days with hope and faith Always happy when I wake on the right Always happy when I wake on the right side of the grassside!