Using the rosary as a sleep aid?

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Erica_Rae

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Hi all!

This is kind of a strange question, but I thought someone out there might have an opinion.

Sometimes, when I’m having trouble falling asleep, I’ll grab my rosary, knowing that I’ll be asleep before I finish all five decades (it works every time!).

Is there anything wrong with doing this? Am I disrespecting the rosary by using it as a means to an end, rather than as an end in itself?

And just as a side note, I don’t “count” a bed-time rosary as an “official” rosary if I’m doing a novena or if I’ve committed to praying the rosary everyday for a specific reason/cause.

Thanks!
 
My mother used to say (and this was evidently what her mother told her) that if you fall asleep saying the Rosary that the angels will finish it for you.

Now I’m not so sure saying the Rosary with the intent of falling asleep is the best one but it is certainly a worthwhile use of one’s time when one is not able to sleep. So I say think of some worthwhile reason to pray the Rosary. If you finish it great. If you get some sleep, also great.
 
Hi Erica,

I’m currently attending RCIA and haven’t seriously started saying the rosary yet. I have one picked out and have a few books. As soon as it arrives I do plan to start.

But I wanted to say that I’ve been praying before bedtime for many years. I try to get all the important stuff up front, 😉 but will often just continue my prayer (it really then turns into a lengthy ramble). But I find this completely relaxes me and most times I never know when I’ve fallen asleep. I almost always wake up in the middle of the night and will just roll over and right back to sleep.

There have been other times that I don’t do this. I find those nights to be difficult to fall asleep, stay asleep and quickly get back to sleep.

Others may have different opions…But I think what you are doing is just fine.

Jerry
 
Well, I don’t say any prayers with the intent of falling asleep, but very often if I pray lying down with my eyes closed, I will fall asleep. That’s why I usually kneel to pray if at all possible.
 
I haven’t used the Rosary as a sleep aid but I do say it each and every day – the first two decades I say with my first cup of coffee – the next two decades I say sometime during the day, sometimes taking a walk around our beautiful Golden Gate Park – and the last decade before I do try to go to sleep. So far it hasn’t put me to sleep but it’s an absolutely beautiful way to end my day. Also I do belong to the Legion of Mary in our Parish and get together with Legion members one night a week and we say the Rosary. I can’t advise anyone strongly enough to make the Rosary an important part of your day.
 
I’m hoping to fall asleep every night for the rest of my life praying the Holy Rosary. Sometime I get through it sometimes I don’t.
 
I started praying the rosary recently. Sometimes I will say a decade or two and fall asleep. I find so much peace when I pray the rosary and very relaxed.
 
I usually pray the Rosary about 9:00 AM, when there’s nothing going on at work. However, if I’m having trouble sleeping, sometimes I start doing the OF/HM/GB triple over and over, until I can turn my mind off whatever’s keeping me awake.

For when I want to say the Rosary in bed, Miss Bonnie made me a Rosary whose beads slide along two plastic strings and stay put, so that if I fall asleep, I can find my place and pick up where I left off.

DaveBj
 
Thanks to everyone who replied! I’m glad I’m not the only one who does this!🙂
 
SMHW said:
My mother used to say (and this was evidently what her mother told her) that if you fall asleep saying the Rosary that the angels will finish it for you.
Click to expand...
I can’t remember by who exactly, but I’ve heard this often repeated in my family too.

We’ve used the Rosary to help us fall asleep for years and years. It works. IMO, it’s only bad if you can say that it’s ever really bad to pray and meditate on Our Lord’s life and Passion. Which is to say, it’s never bad. 🙂

Now I’m not so sure saying the Rosary with the intent of falling asleep is the best one but it is certainly a worthwhile use of one’s time when one is not able to sleep. So I say think of some worthwhile reason to pray the Rosary. If you finish it great. If you get some sleep, also great.
 
SMHW said:
My mother used to say (and this was evidently what her mother told her) that if you fall asleep saying the Rosary that the angels will finish it for you.
Click to expand...
I can’t remember by who exactly, but I’ve heard this often repeated in my family too.

We’ve used the Rosary to help us fall asleep for years and years. It works. IMO, it’s only bad if you can say that it’s ever really bad to pray and meditate on Our Lord’s life and Passion. Which is to say, it’s never bad. 🙂
 
I have at times suffered from insomnia, because I am a terrible worrier, and never more so that when the light goes out and I am alone at night with my worries. Praying the rosary is an immense help whenever I have this problem - it calms me, and meditating on the mysteries usually helps with whatever is bothering me. Once I have started, I usually try to stay awake for five decades, but perversely, the moment I stop trying to get to sleep and attempt the opposite, I can hardly stay awake 🙂
 
Nothing wrong with it at all. Is prayer an end in itself? Or a means to holiness?
The Irish have an old belief that if you fall asleep saying the rosary your guardian angel will finish it for you.So no need to remember where you were. You can just start a new rosary.
 
Erica_Rae said:
Hi all!

This is kind of a strange question, but I thought someone out there might have an opinion.

Sometimes, when I’m having trouble falling asleep, I’ll grab my rosary, knowing that I’ll be asleep before I finish all five decades (it works every time!).

Is there anything wrong with doing this? Am I disrespecting the rosary by using it as a means to an end, rather than as an end in itself?

And just as a side note, I don’t “count” a bed-time rosary as an “official” rosary if I’m doing a novena or if I’ve committed to praying the rosary everyday for a specific reason/cause.

Thanks!
Click to expand...
While you wouldn’t want to look at it as a “sleeping pill” saying a rosary will put your mind more at peace so you can fall asleep. What better way!!!
The Irish have an old belief that if you fall asleep saying the rosary your guardian angel will finish it for you.So no need to remember where you were. You can just start a new rosary.
Click to expand...
This is true. My Priest says that since Priests all have more than one guardian angel (Satan is after them more than most of the rest of us) ALL of his Guardian Angels finish his.
 
I say the Rosary daily, usually in the morning right after saying the morning LOTH. But, at night, when I’m having a hard time sleeping I will begin the Rosary again, with the intention of Our Blessed Mother helping to ease what’s keeping me awake and helping me to offer up my suffering. Often times I’m asleep before I finish the Apostles Creed, so that must be a good sign right? But there have been times when I’ve prayed one entire set of mysteries, and have started on the next before I fall asleep. 😊 At any rate, I think it’s wonderful! 😃
 
James_Miller said:
Nothing wrong with it at all. Is prayer an end in itself? Or a means to holiness?
The Irish have an old belief that if you fall asleep saying the rosary your guardian angel will finish it for you.So no need to remember where you were. You can just start a new rosary.
Click to expand...
We thank our gaurdian Angel and all the Holy Angels for looking out for us always, our hope is that one of these days we will get to know all when they carry us home on their wings.:angel1::angel1::angel1::heaven: Carlan:)
 
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