Help analyzing the now i lay prayer?

Question

now i lay me down to sleep

i pray the lord my soul to keep

if i should die before i wake

i pray the lord my soul to take

thoughts?

Answer 1

This is based on a traditional (and perhaps still valid) view of child psychology.  Children are naturally afraid of certain things.  Adults figure out ways to make children less afraid, to teach them that these things are nothing to be afraid of.

One of the things kids are afraid of is going to sleep!  They're sometimes afraid of the dark, but also they're afraid of drifting off to sleep--losing control, losing consciousness.  It's just a natural fear, like the fear of spiders.  So for centuries, parents have told their kid stuff to make them less afraid--like there are guardian angels sitting by their beds watching them  and guarding them while they sleep.  

Think about the age-old ritual of children saying prayers before bed!  It might originally have been meant to reassure children that God is with them and watching over them and protecting them while they sleep.

Answer 2

This prayer was created by jews who believed that Jesus would come in their sleep and take their souls into h**l.

Answer 3

It seems pretty straightforward to me - Lord please keep my soul as I sleep and if I die in my sleep, please take my soul (to heaven).

It apalled me, as a child, to have to consider, right before bed, that I might actually DIE???  during the night?

Answer 4

^TRUTH^

Answer 5

Now I lay me down to sleep

I pray the Lord my soul to keep

And if I die before I wake

Then sleeping was a big mistake.

Answer 6

Can you provide some context?  Are you analyzing this from the perspective of poetry, theology, psychology etc?