Where in the Bible can I find the "now I lay me down to sleep" prayer?

Though likely inspired by scripture, the classic children's bedtime prayer that begins "Now I lay me..." does not appear in the Bible. Although its origins are uncertain, the prayer can be found in books from the 18th century. It was included in the 1777 edition of the "New England Primer."

The final authorship of the prayer is unclear. A devotion with some resemblance to the prayer is found in a 1711 article by Joseph Addison, but differences between the two texts are clear. The verse with the closest similarity to the invocation is Psalms 4:8. It reads, "In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety."