The REM Sleep of the Soul

Not too long ago, I was listening to someone talk about the different stages of sleep. I was already familiar with REM sleep—Rapid Eye Movement—the deep stage of sleep when our bodies restore themselves, our brains process what we’ve experienced, and true healing happens. Scientists will tell you it’s not just the length of sleep that restores us, but the depth. You can be in bed for hours and still wake up exhausted if you never reach that deep, restorative rest.

Then the speaker said something that really stuck with me.

He said, “Sabbath rest is the REM of the soul.”

He was talking about more than just resting from our work one day a week. He was talking about a deeper kind of rest—a soul-level rest that comes from trusting God completely. The kind of rest that doesn’t depend on everything being finished, fixed, or figured out.

I thought about those nights when sleep won’t come because our minds are spinning. Worries about family, finances, health, or the future keep us tossing and turning. Our bodies are still, but our souls are wide awake. We’ve all been there.

Sometimes, those moments reveal something important about our faith.

It’s one thing to say we believe in God. It’s another thing to hand Him our worries and actually rest—to trust that He is working even when we aren’t. That kind of peace doesn’t come from having all the answers. It comes from knowing Who holds them.

Sabbath rest—the REM of the soul—isn’t about doing nothing. It’s about releasing control. It’s choosing to pause, breathe, and remember that we were never meant to carry everything on our own. When we do, our souls finally reach that deep place where restoration happens.

Maybe true spiritual rest isn’t measured by how much time we stop, but by how deeply we trust.

And maybe the most faithful thing we can do some days… is rest. Truly rest. Trusting that He’s got it.

“In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety.” Psalm 4:8 (NIV)

January 13, 2026 Morning Brew

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