May 5, 2026|י"ח אייר ה' אלפים תשפ"ו The Most Powerful Sleep Aid You May Not Be Using
Print Article
You may know the feeling: you climb into bed exhausted, convinced you’ll be out in minutes, and then suddenly it’s an hour later and you’re still staring at the ceiling. You flip your pillow, shift positions, check the clock (and instantly regret it), and try to quiet a mind that only seems to grow louder as the night deepens.
For millions of people, this isn’t occasional, it’s routine. About one in three adults report struggling with sleep, whether it’s lying awake long after lights out or jolting awake at 3 a.m., body tired but mind wide open. In those moments, it’s tempting to reach for something, sleeping pills, melatonin, a late-night scroll, even a l’chaim, anything that might take the edge off and finally bring sleep.
But for many, these fixes don’t work, don’t last, or don’t make sense long term. Pills can leave you foggy or simply aren’t healthy to rely on. Scrolling keeps your brain switched on. And the harder you try to force sleep, the more it slips out of reach. Night after night, for so many, it becomes a familiar cycle: exhaustion, effort, and a frustrating kind of wakefulness that feels impossible to escape.
Recently, in our Living with Emunah shiur, we explored a sleep strategy, one that doesn’t cost money, doesn’t require a prescription, and not only has no negative long-term effects but may actually carry positive ones.
In his sefer Shaarei Tefillah, Rav Dovid Avuchatzeira points to a sentence from Tehillim that we repeat three times as part of Krias Shema al Ha’Mita, the nighttime Shema:
הִנֵּה לֹא־יָנוּם וְלֹא יִישָׁן שׁוֹמֵר יִשְׂרָאֵל
“See, the Guardian of Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps.”
Rav Dovid suggests that Chazal chose this pasuk, and encouraged us to repeat it specifically at night, because it can serve as a profound sleep aid. Just before we close our eyes, Hashem is, in a sense, telling us: “My child, I am your Guardian. I am watching over you, not only now, throughout the night, but always. Whatever you are worried about, whatever is keeping you up, whatever is making your mind race, I am watching over you. Whatever is weighing on you is in My hands. So, My child, close your eyes and sleep well, because I will be up. I neither slumber nor sleep. I am always guarding you. I stay awake so that you can sleep. Now let it go. Cast your burdens onto Me. Allow yourself to fall into a deep sleep, knowing that I remain awake, tending to whatever is on your mind.”
When I first learned this, I found the idea deeply powerful, but I wondered whether it was practical. Could something so simple truly make a difference?
Then I received this email:
Hi Rabbi Goldberg, I hope all is well. I recently started listening to your shiurim and wanted to share something. For over a year, I struggled significantly with sleep. I’m a young woman in my 20s, and sleep had never been an issue for me before. On the contrary, I used to fall asleep easily anywhere when I was tired. But over the past year, that completely changed. I would either take hours to fall asleep or wake up multiple times throughout the night, and I would wake up exhausted in the morning.
I tried many different things, setting a consistent sleep schedule, exercise, melatonin, magnesium, and more. Some of it helped briefly, but the issue always returned.
About two weeks ago, it had gotten particularly bad. I was extremely tired and desperately wanted to sleep, but the moment I lay down, my mind became fully alert and I simply couldn’t fall asleep. I’m not generally an anxious person, so I was confused and frustrated by what was happening.
That week, I was out with a friend and it was getting late. She suggested I go home since I had work the next day. I told her I actually needed to stay out longer so I could become very tired, hoping I might finally sleep better. Shortly after, I drove home and put on one of your shiurim (Living with Emunah, episode #382). I had debated whether to play acapella music or listen to a shiur—I’m so glad I chose the shiur.
In the shiur, you said: “There are people who lie awake in bed all night and can’t fall asleep.” I was instantly taken aback—I had just been speaking about this struggle with friends and family.
You then explained the words from Krias Shema al Ha’Mita: “Hinei lo yanum ve’lo yishan Shomer Yisrael.” It’s as if Hashem is telling us: I neither slumber nor sleep. Shomer Yisrael. You can go to sleep, because I am staying awake. I am guarding you. I am watching over you. Sleep comfortably. Sleep well. Whatever is keeping you up—just sleep. Don’t worry. I am guarding you.
As you repeated these words, I actually had to pull over and just listen in disbelief. It felt as though Hashem was speaking directly to me through your shiur. I was in complete awe.
That night, I slept better than I had in over a year. I did not wake up even once. Since then, my sleep has continued to improve significantly, and I hope it continues.
I immediately sent this part of the shiur to my friends and shared it with coworkers I had been complaining to. We were all blown away by the hashgacha, how perfectly tailored that message felt for me.
I wanted to share and thank you, Rabbi Goldberg, for being the shaliach.
It wasn’t the only message. Another email described that after the shiur, and after focusing on this thought before going to sleep, “I slept so much better than usual for the first time in well over a year.” Others have shared that this simple meditation, the image of Hashem saying, “Close your eyes because I keep Mine open. Sleep and rest well because I stay up and watch over you,” has made a profound difference in their nights.
I can’t guarantee this will work for everyone. Someone who needs other aids or forms of help should never feel guilty or ashamed for seeking them. But if you’ve tried everything, and even if you haven’t, consider embracing this pre-sleep practice. You may discover what you’ve been chasing all along: a mind that can finally let go, a soul that feels held, and a night of real, restful sleep.