The saint most Catholics turn to for sleep is St. Joseph, the husband of Mary, who heard God’s messages in his dreams, and the Seven Sleepers of Ephesus, the young martyrs of an ancient legend, are the traditional patrons of those who suffer from insomnia. Pope Francis made the image of the “Sleeping St. Joseph” famous by keeping one on his desk and slipping his worries under it. Below are the patron saints of sleep and insomnia, the Church’s own night prayer, and Catholic prayers for a peaceful sleep.
A short prayer for sleep, written for this page:
St. Joseph, you rested in God’s care even while you slept.
Quiet my mind, calm my worries, and let me sleep in peace tonight,
trusting that God watches over me and those I love. Amen.
St. Joseph, patron of sleep
Four times in the Gospels, God spoke to St. Joseph in a dream: telling him to take Mary as his wife, to flee to Egypt with the Child, to return to Israel, and to settle in Galilee. Each time Joseph woke and did what God asked. The first dream (Matthew 1:20–21):
But while he thought on these things, behold the angel of the Lord appeared to him in his sleep, saying: Joseph, son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife, for that which is conceived in her, is of the Holy Ghost.
And she shall bring forth a son: and thou shalt call his name JESUS. For he shall save his people from their sins.
Because Joseph rested in God and listened to Him even in sleep, Catholics ask his help for a restful night and for trust that lets them sleep. In 2015 Pope Francis told families that he keeps a statue of the sleeping St. Joseph on his desk and, when he has a problem, writes it on a note and puts it underneath, “so that he can dream about it.” Statues of the Sleeping St. Joseph have since become a popular gift. See the St. Joseph prayer.
The Seven Sleepers of Ephesus, patrons of insomnia
According to a legend told in Greek, Latin and Syriac from the fifth century, seven young Christians of Ephesus fled the persecution of the emperor Decius (about 250) and hid in a cave on a mountain outside the city, where they fell asleep while praying. The emperor had the cave sealed. Nearly two hundred years later, under the Christian emperor Theodosius II, the cave was opened and the young men awoke, thinking they had slept one night, and their waking was taken as a sign of the resurrection of the body. The Roman Martyrology remembers them on July 27, and they are invoked by people who cannot sleep.
The 1913 Catholic Encyclopedia treats the story as a legend; its message is that the faithful who “fall asleep” in Christ will wake to new life.
Other saints for sleep
- St. Dymphna, patron of those with anxiety and nervous disorders, for worries that keep people awake. See the St. Dymphna prayer.
- St. Vitus, invoked, curiously, against oversleeping. See St. Vitus.
- The Guardian Angel, whom children ask to watch over them through the night. See the Guardian Angel prayer.
The Church’s prayer before sleep
The Psalm of Compline, the Church’s night prayer, which the Church has prayed before sleep for centuries (Psalm 4:9–10, Douay-Rheims):
In peace in the selfsame I will sleep, and I will rest:
For thou, O Lord, singularly hast settled me in hope.
And the traditional closing prayer of Compline, asking God to guard the house through the night:
Visit, we beseech Thee, O Lord, this habitation, and drive far from it all the snares of the enemy: let Thy holy angels dwell herein, to keep us in peace, and may Thy blessing be always upon us. Through Our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen.
See Compline and Catholic night prayers.
Catholic prayers for sleep
Written for this page.
For a peaceful sleep
Lord Jesus, you slept in the boat while the storm raged, because you trusted the Father.
Calm the storms in my mind tonight.
I give you my worries, my plans and the people I love.
Watch over us while we sleep, and wake us refreshed to serve you tomorrow. Amen.
For insomnia
Lord, it is late and I cannot sleep.
If sleep will not come, let me rest in you.
Help me to stop counting the hours and to pray instead,
and if it is your will, give me the sleep my body needs. Amen.
For a child who cannot sleep
Holy Guardian Angel, watch over my child tonight.
Chase away bad dreams and fears, and give my little one sweet and peaceful sleep. Amen.
Frequently asked questions
Who is the patron saint of sleep?
St. Joseph, who received God’s messages in his dreams, is the saint most often invoked for sleep.
Who is the patron saint of insomnia?
The Seven Sleepers of Ephesus, whose legend tells of young martyrs who slept for nearly two centuries.
What is the Sleeping St. Joseph?
An image of St. Joseph lying asleep. Pope Francis made it popular by putting notes with his worries under his statue.
More night prayers
- Catholic night prayers
- Compline
- St. Joseph prayer
- Guardian Angel prayer
- Patron saints of mental health
- Patron saints of healing
Texts and sources
- Matthew 1:20–21 and Psalm 4:9–10 (Douay-Rheims).
- Compline prayer “Visit, we beseech Thee, O Lord”: traditional text as given on our Compline page.
- Catholic Encyclopedia (1913), “Seven Sleepers of Ephesus,” by Adrian Fortescue, public domain (Wikisource).