Sacred Rest: Why Better Sleep Can Ease Your Pain and Bring You Peace

From the “Pain & Peace” Series

Assalamu Anlaikum wa rahmatullah dear sister,

Welcome back to another episode or if you’re reading, another heartfelt blog from our Pain & Peace series, created for you: the strong, resilient Muslim woman navigating chronic pain.

Today, we’re talking about something we often underestimate something so simple, yet so powerful that it can completely change your pain experience.

Sleep.

Yes, sleep.

We know it’s important, right? But if you live with chronic pain, chances are, your relationship with sleep is… complicated. Maybe you:

- Can’t fall asleep because of discomfort or racing thoughts.

- Wake up multiple times a night, stiff and aching.

- Feel just as tired in the morning as you did the night before.

And here’s the hard truth: when your sleep suffers, your pain gets worse.  

But there’s good news too when your sleep improves, your pain softens.

Let’s talk about how… and why it matters so much.

1. Sleep and Pain: A Two-Way Relationship

Think of sleep and pain like a seesaw.  

When one goes down, the other goes up.

Poor sleep = increased pain sensitivity  

Better sleep = improved pain tolerance and healing

When you’re sleep-deprived, your body produces more inflammatory chemicals and your brain becomes more sensitive to pain signals. That means:

- What felt like a 3/10 pain yesterday might feel like an 8/10 today.

- Your emotional resilience drops.

- Your body’s ability to recover, repair, and self-soothe gets weaker.

It’s not just about how tired you feel it’s about how your nervous system and immune system react to the world when they don’t get rest.

And if you’re already dealing with musculoskeletal pain in your back, joints, shoulders, hips then sleep becomes even more important. It’s not optional. It’s essential to your healing.

2. What Sleep Does for Your Body

Let’s break down the magic that happens during good sleep:

- Tissue Repair: Your muscles, joints, and bones recover most during deep sleep. It's when the body repairs damage from inflammation, wear and tear, or stress.

- Nervous System Reset: Sleep regulates your nervous system, calming down the pain signals and reducing sensitivity.

- Hormonal Balance: Sleep helps regulate cortisol and insulin — two hormones that can directly impact inflammation and energy.

- Emotional Healing: Your brain processes emotions, stress, and trauma in sleep. That’s crucial when you’re managing the emotional toll of chronic pain.

Sister, Allah designed your body with wisdom. And part of that divine system is the need for sacred, uninterrupted sleep.

3. The Spiritual Side of Sleep

Islam honors rest.  

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) encouraged us to take care of our bodies, including getting proper sleep. He would:

- Rest after Isha

- Wake early for Tahajjud and Fajr

- Take midday naps (qaylulah) for renewal

Sleep in Islam isn’t laziness it’s worship when done with the right intention. It’s a mercy.

It’s a recharge.

When we neglect it especially due to stress, scrolling, or guilt we’re not doing ourselves any favours. We’re making our pain harder to live with.

So if you’ve ever told yourself, “I don’t have time to rest” remind yourself: rest is not wasted time.

It’s your body obeying Allah’s natural design.

4. How to Sleep Better With Chronic Pain

Now I know you might be thinking: “I want to sleep. I try. But my pain won’t let me.”

I hear you.

So here are a few gentle, practical, faith-aligned strategies that can help:

1. Build a sacred wind-down routine

- After Isha, limit screen time.

- Do gentle stretching or slow breathing with dhikr.

- Listen to Qur’an or recite short surahs before bed.

2. Optimize your sleep environment

- Keep your bedroom dark, cool, and quiet.

- Use extra pillows or body cushions to support your joints.

- Try wearing soft cotton clothes and use fragrance-free sheets to avoid sensory triggers.

3. Anchor sleep to salah

- Treat Isha as your cue to begin “unwinding.”

- Intend your sleep as an act of ibadah: “Ya Allah, I rest this body to serve You better tomorrow.”

4. Nap with intention (qaylulah)

- Even a 20-minute rest in the early afternoon can improve your energy, mood, and focus.

5. Inside The Peaceful Path: How We Support Sleep + Pain Healing

In my ACT-based group coaching program The Peaceful Path we treat sleep as a pillar of healing.

We work together on:

- Breaking the thought spiral that happens at bedtime (“What if I can’t sleep again?”)

- Practicing mindfulness and breathwork to calm the nervous system

- Reducing guilt and self-judgment around needing more rest

- Honoring sleep as a tool for spiritual, emotional, and physical renewal

Because when sleep improves, everything else becomes easier:

- Your pain feels more manageable.

- Your mood lifts.

- Your body has more strength to do what matters.

Final Words: You Deserve Rest, You Deserve Peace

Dear sister, if no one has told you this lately:

You are allowed to rest. You are worthy of rest.  

And you don’t need to earn it by “doing enough” or “being perfect.”

Rest is your birthright. It’s your healing space. It’s your mercy.

If you’re ready to gently reclaim that part of your life not just sleep, but true, restorative sakoon

I’d love to walk that journey with you inside The Peaceful Path.

Click here to learn more and join the group your body, your mind, and your soul will thank you.  

Let’s bring back your rest… and your peace.