Dua for Insomnia
3 Ways to Find Rest at Night
A restless night, when sleep will not come and the mind will not settle, can leave a person weary and low. The dua for insomnia draws on the supplication the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) taught for lying down to sleep, placing one’s body and soul in the care of Allah, asking for His mercy if the soul is taken in the night and His protection if it is returned. It settles the heart by handing the night and the self entirely to Allah, the keeper of every soul.
بِاسْمِكَ رَبِّي وَضَعْتُ جَنْبِي وَبِكَ أَرْفَعُهُ، إِنْ أَمْسَكْتَ نَفْسِي فَارْحَمْهَا، وَإِنْ أَرْسَلْتَهَا فَاحْفَظْهَا بِمَا تَحْفَظُ بِهِ عِبَادَكَ الصَّالِحِينَ
Bismika rabbī wada‘tu janbī wa bika arfa‘uh, in amsakta nafsī farhamhā, wa in arsaltahā fahfazhā bimā tahfazu bihi ‘ibādakas-sālihīn.
“In Your name, my Lord, I lay down my side, and by You I raise it. If You take my soul, have mercy on it, and if You release it, protect it as You protect Your righteous servants.”
This guide explains the dua for insomnia, the meaning of placing one’s soul in the care of Allah, and three ways to find rest at night, so that the believer who struggles to sleep may settle their heart in trust, turning the night over to Allah while also caring for their rest as the body needs.
The Meaning of the Dua for Insomnia
The dua for insomnia is the supplication the Prophet (pbuh) taught for lying down to sleep, in which the believer declares that they lay down their side in the name of Allah and by Him they will rise. They then place their soul in His hands: asking for His mercy if He takes it during the night, and His protection if He returns it. The dua acknowledges a profound truth, that sleep is a kind of small death in which the soul is held by Allah, and that the believer entrusts their very self to Him each night.
For the one who struggles to sleep, this dua brings deep comfort. Insomnia often comes with a restless, anxious mind that cannot let go, but this supplication hands the night and the self entirely to Allah, the keeper of every soul. By placing themselves in His care, the believer releases the worry that keeps them awake, settling the heart in trust that whatever happens through the night, they rest in the hands of Allah.
Three Ways to Find Rest at Night
The Prophet (pbuh) taught ways to settle the heart for sleep. These three help the restless find rest at night.
- Place your soul in the care of Allah with this dua, releasing the worry that keeps you awake.
- Recite the bedtime adhkar, such as Ayat al-Kursi and the Three Quls, settling the heart.
- Care for your rest, keeping a calm routine and seeking help if sleeplessness persists.
وَهُوَ الَّذِي جَعَلَ لَكُمُ اللَّيْلَ لِبَاسًا وَالنَّوْمَ سُبَاتًا
Wa huwal-ladhi ja‘ala lakumul-layla libasan wan-nawma subata
And it is He who made for you the night as a covering and sleep for rest
Settling the Heart for Sleep
When sleep will not come and the mind will not rest, the believer settles the heart by turning the night over to Allah. The dua for insomnia places body and soul in His care, releasing the worry that keeps a person awake and resting in the trust that they are held by the keeper of every soul. Joined with the bedtime adhkar and a calm routine, this dua brings peace to a restless night, while the believer also cares for their rest as the body needs, seeking help if sleeplessness persists.
This supplication pairs naturally with the dua against nightmares recited before sleep, and the dua for mental peace. Together they settle the heart for sleep, placing the night and the self in the care of Allah.
Sleep is a small death in which the soul is held by Allah, so the believer hands the night to Him. Learn the healing duas with us on YouTube, where the supplications are recited aloud, on Facebook for a reminder to settle the heart for sleep, and on X where readers share how they find rest by trusting in Allah.
Frequently Asked Questions
The dua for insomnia is Bismika rabbi wada‘tu janbi wa bika arfa‘uh, the supplication for lying down to sleep that places one’s soul in the care of Allah. The Prophet (pbuh) taught it for going to sleep.
Say it when lying down to sleep, especially when sleep will not come, placing your body and soul in the care of Allah. It releases the worry that keeps a restless mind awake.
It hands the night and the self entirely to Allah, the keeper of every soul, releasing the anxious thoughts that keep a person awake. Settling the heart in trust brings rest.
Reciting the bedtime adhkar such as Ayat al-Kursi and the Three Quls, keeping a calm routine, and turning the night over to Allah all help. The believer also cares for their rest and seeks help if sleeplessness persists.
The Quran and the Prophet (pbuh) describe sleep as a state in which Allah takes the soul and returns it, making it a kind of small death. This is why the believer entrusts their soul to Allah each night.
The dua against nightmares is recited before sleep, and the dua for mental peace calms a troubled mind. Together with the dua for insomnia, they settle the heart for rest.