Falling asleep in Adoration

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Carmelite1983

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I go to Adoration in the morning, sometimes at lunch, and usually after work.
In the afternoon, I often can’t help falling asleep. I feel awful!
I know I’ve seen other older folks come close to falling asleep in Adoration, and even my priest says he has a hard time staying awake.
Is falling asleep okay to do?
What tricks have you used to stay awake?
Thanks!
 
A sweet nun I knew used to fill in those overnight hours when no one showed up. The next person would often find her asleep, Sister would say “I was just taking a little nap with Jesus”.
 
That’s sweet 🙂
I’d end up snoring and drooling on myself on the floor tho 😃
 
Don’t feel awful about having a little sleep-over at Jesus’ house. 😴 I’m certain that He loves the fact that you bothered to show up. 😘
 
Personally I would go home if I was struggling to stay awake and then start a Rosary when I went to bed. I don’t think I’ve ever finished a single Rosary in my whole life going to bed but it is such a beautiful way to drift off.
 
I can think of no place better to rest than with Our Lord. Also, St. Joseph communicated very deeply with God through dreams. Maybe you just pray like St. Joseph
 
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I need to start back going to Adoration. Used to go from 1am to 3am once a week until I started working and stuff. I admire what you’re doing and thank you for your good example.

I think it goes to intention. If you go to Adoration to nap, then I’d suspect there’s a problem, but if you go to visit the Lord, then that’s different. You must have many graces in your life. 😃

My two cents…
 
I also have fallen asleep in Adoration before and I have seen many others do the same thing. Jesus knows we are there. I certainly don’t sleep the entire hour. Maybe 10 minutes or so. I think Jesus understands.
Maybe drink some coffee before you go.
 
The perks of working at a Catholic school with a church attached 🙂
 
@Carmelite1983


1) i guess it’s the noon day devil who puts us to sleep Psalam 91:6 or DRB Psalms 90:6 Of the arrow that flieth in the day, of the business that walketh about in the dark: of invasion, or of the noonday devil.

Acts 20:7-12 On the first day of the week, when we met to break bread, Paul was holding a discussion with them; since he intended to leave the next day, he continued speaking until midnight. 8 There were many lamps in the room upstairs where we were meeting. 9 A young man named Eutychus, who was sitting in the window, began to sink off into a deep sleep while Paul talked still longer. Overcome by sleep, he fell to the ground three floors below and was picked up dead. 10 But Paul went down, and bending over him took him in his arms, and said, “Do not be alarmed, for his life is in him.” 11 Then Paul went upstairs, and after he had broken bread and eaten, he continued to converse with them until dawn; then he left. 12 Meanwhile they had taken the boy away alive and were not a little comforted.

2)we are weak humans, at times we are physically tired probably need rest at times to catch-up on sleep

Matthew 26:40 Then he came to the disciples and found them sleeping; and he said to Peter, “So, could you not stay awake with me one hour?

3) its a holy sleep like st Joseph’s grace to rest in the Lord.

Genesis 28:16 Then Jacob woke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place—and I did not know it!”

Matthew 1:24 When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife

1 Thessalonians 5:10 who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep we may live with him.
Psalm 4:8 I will both lie down and sleep in peace; for you alone, O Lord, make me lie down in safety.
 
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Carmelite1983 said:
I go to Adoration in the morning, sometimes at lunch, and usually after work.
In the afternoon, I often can’t help falling asleep.
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When you waken up thank the Lord for the sleep you had in His presence !

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I went to a retreat some years ago and the only places where my head quieted down was in the church and in the adoration chapel. On the last night the thought actually crossed my mind to bring a pillow and blanket to adoration and “go to bed there”. I wish I had as I had yet another night that I didn’t sleep for more than a couple of hours.

There is something nicknamed “food coma” in the afternoon after having lunch.

Don’t feel bad about falling asleep. The disciples had a very hard time staying awake when Jesus went to pray.
 
I dont think you need any tricks to keep you awake. You probably need to get more sleep or rest more… perhaps God is telling you, you are overdoing things in life and you need some rest? Or it may just be the after lunch slump some people get… is the chapel full of people? could you walk around reverently and quietly of course so that you dont feel so sleepy, maybe just at the back. If not try going for a stroll first before coming into adoration or even a little jog 😉 . Also ask God to keep you awake if it is His will and if not to direct your heart while you sleep like the psalm. “I will bless the Lord who gives me counsel, who even at night directs my heart.” Psalm 16:7
 
If there’s a particular time of day when you get sleepy (for me it tends to be around 3 pm) then try to go at another time.

I have occasionally felt sleepy when I go in the wee hours of the morning. When I plan to do that, I take a nap earlier in the evening and drink coffee before I go in to spend the hour.
 
Adoration can be intense or peaceful depending on your approach. But humans don’t have infinite energy or concentration. Eventually, naturally if we’re exhausted, we’ll nod off. I don’t see anything wrong with that.
 
I have heard of a priest author who wrote that he used to fall asleep after work when he sat down to pray his rosary, so instead went on a ‘Rosary Walk,’ (went walking outside in the fresh air and said his rosary while walking, in the evenings.) So he was refreshed spiritually and also got some cardio into his daily timetable too,

If the evening doesn’t suit you for praying, maybe get up earlier, or go on a ‘Rosary Walk’,
 
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St Teresa of Avila use to often fall asleep at the Divine Office.

If you fall asleep, it’s because you need it. God understands

Jim
 
I thought of this thread last night when I was at Adoration. I was rather tired myself because it had been a long day, then a lady came in who regularly does the last evening hour of Adoration at that church on Wednesdays. She sat right up in front of Jesus, I was some rows behind. A few minutes later I saw her starting to nod off and then waking back up with a start. We’ve all been there.

HeDa, I think it would be so nice to be able to take a nap with God in the Eucharist watching over you. I have been considering putting a live adoration video on my laptop monitor before I go to sleep, as it’s the closest I can get to the real thing.
 
The problem is that Jesus wasn’t really happy with them falling asleep. He said, “Could you not watch one hour with me?” I sympathize with them since they had just eaten a big heavy fatty meal of lamb and bread and wine and also didn’t really understand that Jesus was about to be arrested, but still, one wants to be the one who stays awake for the hour.

Having said that, I have seen in Europe where there are a lot of adoration chapels open during the day, people who are sound asleep in front of the Eucharist, making no attempt to hide it really, just sat down and put their head down and out like a light. I always suspect they are traveling or homeless or something and needed a place to pause and sleep so they went into the chapel because it was open. It doesn’t bother me, I just think it’s interesting that they feel so calm about doing that. I also saw a homeless person in USA asleep on the floor in the back of a cathedral once.
 
BoomerangToo said:
Don’t feel awful about having a little sleep-over at Jesus’ house. 😴 I’m certain that He loves the fact that you bothered to show up. 😘
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When my husband and I would go during the day together, he would usually doze off during our time in Adoration.

I would ask him what happened, and he told me that he felt so comfortable and relaxed and peaceful being in the church during that time, that that is what would end up happening to him.

He said that he would be praying, and then the next thing that he knew, he would be asleep for a little while.
 
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