Prayer before bedtime

After a busy, stressful day, it's sometimes hard to find the calm and peace to fall asleep. Reciting an evening prayer, entrusting your worries to God, is the best way to free your heart and mind from what's tormenting you, and to regain serenity. Here are a few prayers to place ourselves under the benevolent and powerful protection of the Lord's angels, and to surrender with confidence to our most loving Father.

Updated on 31/03/2026|Reading time : 6 min


Two evening prayers for a good night's sleep

Prayer to my guardian angel before going to sleep

"Angel of God, you who are my faithful guardian, and to whose care I have been entrusted by Supreme Goodness, deign, during this night, to enlighten me, guard me, lead me and govern me. Amen. ".

Prayer to Saint Michael before going to sleep

"O benevolent Archangel, your power is so great over the heart of God that he has never refused you anything, and your charity for us is such that all who invoke you are assured of your perpetual help. Full of confidence in your protection, I come to humbly state my needs. Dispel my darkness, lead me in the way, heal my wounds and protect me from evil temptations. So be it. "

Psalm of protection before the night (Psalm 90 (91))

.
 2 I say to the Lord, 'My refuge and my fortress, My God in whom I trust!
 3 For it is he who delivers you from the fowler's net, From pestilence and its ravages.
 4 He will cover you with his feathers, And you will find refuge under his wings; His faithfulness is a shield and a breastplate.
 5 You shall not fear the terrors of the night, Nor the arrow that flies by day,
 6 Nor the pestilence that walks in darkness, Nor the contagion that strikes at high noon.
 7 Let a thousand fall at thy side, And ten thousand at thy right hand; Thou shalt not be afflicted;
 8 With thine eyes only shalt thou look, And shalt see the recompense of the wicked.
 9 For thou art my refuge, O LORD! You make the Most High your refuge.
 10 No evil shall befall you, No plague shall come near your tent.
 11 For he shall command his angels to keep thee in all thy ways;
 12 They shall bear thee on their hands, lest thy foot dash against a stone.
 13 Thou shalt tread upon the lion and the asp; Thou shalt tread upon the young lion and the dragon.
 14 Because he loves me, I will deliver him; I will protect him, because he knows my name.
 15 He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and glorify him.
 16 I will satisfy him for many days, And show him my salvation."

If it's good to end your day by turning to the Lord, beginning it by entrusting it to God with a prayer on waking is also the promise of many graces!

Other prayers for sleepless nights and insomnia

There are many other prayers to help us combat the dark thoughts and ideas that prevent us from finding calm:

With Hozana, rediscover the joy of peaceful, restorative sleep through prayer.

On Hozana, find retreats or prayer communities to help you move towards the peace and joy of God.

Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

Which psalm should I read before going to bed?

Psalm 4 can be recited before bedtime. Its last verse, in particular, invites us to surrender ourselves trustingly into God's arms during the night: "In peace I will lie down and fall asleep, for you alone, Lord , make me secure." (Psalm 4:9).


There are other psalms to help us fall asleep more serenely, depending on what we've experienced during the day: psalms of thanksgiving to thank God for his blessings, like psalm 137 (138), psalms to taste God's rest, like psalm 22 (23), especially if the day has been difficult...

When I pray in the evening, I fall asleep; what can I do?

Sometimes it's hard to pray in the evening without falling asleep. Here are three tips to help you enjoy this special moment with God at the end of the day:

  • Choose a posture that helps you stay awake. Avoid lying in bed, preferring to kneel or sit.
  • Keep prayer short. It's not the length of a prayer that makes it worthwhile. Our regularity, our faithfulness to this appointment and our desire to end the day by turning to God is what matters most.
  • Anchoring our attention with our senses. Looking at a holy image, an icon or holding a rosary in our hands can channel our attention and help us stay focused in our prayer.

What evening prayer should we say as a family?

Here's a pretty, short prayer that can be recited in the evening with young children:

"When the sun falls from sleep and falls asleep,
 We take shelter under your golden wing.
 Chicks huddled in the warmth of your love,
 Little, little, we're not afraid of anything."

(prayer taken from the book "Mon petit livre de prières", published by Bayard Jeunesse)

Find a prayer to recite as a family, adapted to the age of the children, young and old alike.

How to meditate in the evening?

In the evening, we may wish to take time for a more meditative prayer. After the hustle and bustle of the day, this time of interiority turned towards the Lord helps us to find calm and reassurance. The Christian tradition is rich in meditative practices.

In the evening, we can meditate on a passage from the Bible, a psalm or simply a Bible verse. It can also be an opportunity for silent prayer, as practiced by Saint Teresa of Avila.

Once we've settled down to a quiet moment, we can take a few seconds to let go of the day's tensions, with - for example - a short relaxation exercise, and then present ourselves to God. Let's not hesitate to confide in him whatever worries or ruminations are preventing us from being fully present at this meeting.

Then we listen to him: in silence or by welcoming his Word.

(Discover a guided Christian meditation for the evening)

Sources

1 Traduction Bible Association Épiscopale Liturgique pour les pays Francophones : https://www.aelf.org/
2 https://site-catholique.fr/