You do not need to read all seven. Pick the one that fits your evening, read it once to understand it and a second time to pray it. If a single line stays with you, that is enough to carry into sleep.
1. Psalm 4 — the evening psalm
Psalm 4 moves from distress to quiet. David asks to be heard, tells himself to “commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still”, and ends in rest.
1Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness: thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress; have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer. 2O ye sons of men, how long will ye turn my glory into shame? how long will ye love vanity, and seek after leasing? Selah. 3But know that the LORD hath set apart him that is godly for himself: the LORD will hear when I call unto him. 4Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah. 5Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the LORD. 6There be many that say, Who will shew us any good? LORD, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us. 7Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased. 8I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety.
2. Psalm 23 — the Shepherd
The best-loved psalm of all, and a gentle one to fall asleep with. Notice the pace: green pastures, still waters, a restored soul, and a table prepared even in hard places.
1The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. 3He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. 4Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. 5Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. 6Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.
3. Psalm 91 — under the shadow
For nights when fear is the problem. Psalm 91 names “the terror by night” and answers it with the image of shelter under God’s wings.
1He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. 2I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. 3Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. 4He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler. 5Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; 6Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.
4. Psalm 121 — he that keepeth thee
A short psalm with one repeated idea: you are kept. The God who watches over you “shall neither slumber nor sleep”, so you can.
1I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. 2My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth. 3He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber. 4Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. 5The LORD is thy keeper: the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand. 6The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. 7The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul. 8The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.
5. Psalm 131 — like a weaned child
Only three verses, and perfect for an exhausted night. It is a psalm about letting go of things too great for us and settling like a child with its mother.
1LORD, my heart is not haughty, nor mine eyes lofty: neither do I exercise myself in great matters, or in things too high for me. 2Surely I have behaved and quieted myself, as a child that is weaned of his mother: my soul is even as a weaned child. 3Let Israel hope in the LORD from henceforth and for ever.
6. Psalm 139 — the darkness is not dark to thee
For anyone who finds the dark unsettling. These verses say there is nowhere, not even the night, where God is absent.
7Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? 8If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. 9If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; 10Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. 11If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me. 12Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.
7. Psalm 62 — my soul waiteth
Two verses for the end of a draining day, when you need to stop striving and wait.
1Truly my soul waiteth upon God: from him cometh my salvation. 2He only is my rock and my salvation; he is my defence; I shall not be greatly moved.
How to read a psalm before bed
- Dim the room first. Read by a low lamp or a printed page rather than a bright screen if you can.
- Read it twice. The first time to follow it, the second time slowly, as your own prayer.
- Stop at the line that catches you. Repeat it as you breathe out and let the rest go.
- End with a short prayer. Our bedtime prayers for adults are written to follow a psalm.
For single verses rather than whole psalms, see our Bible verses for sleep.
Questions
Which psalm is best to read before sleep?
Psalm 4 is traditionally read as an evening psalm and ends with “I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep”. Psalm 121 and Psalm 91 are also traditional night-time psalms because they speak of God keeping watch.
Is Psalm 91 a psalm for protection at night?
Yes. Psalm 91 speaks directly of not being afraid “for the terror by night” and of resting under the shadow of the Almighty, which is why many people read it at bedtime.
How long does it take to read a psalm at bedtime?
Most of the psalms here take one to three minutes to read slowly. Psalm 131 is only three verses long, which makes it ideal on a very tired night.
Can I listen to the psalms instead of reading them?
Yes. The Bible Bedtimes app includes calm narrated episodes built around Psalm 23 and Psalm 91 for Premium listeners, alongside three complete Bible stories that are free.