Go to bed early, get up early—this is wise.
—Mark Twain (1835–1910) American Humorist
Everything is un-American that tends either to government by a plutocracy or government by a mob. To divide along the lines of section or caste or creed is un-American. All privileges based on wealth, and all enmity to honest men merely because they are wealthy, are un-American-both of them equally so. The things that will destroy America are prosperity-at-any-price, peace-at-any-price, safety-first instead of duty-first, the love of soft living and the get-rich-quick theory of life.
—Theodore Roosevelt (1858–1919) American Head of State, Political leader, Historian, Explorer
Methought I heard a voice cry Sleep no more,
Macbeth does murder sleep the innocent sleep,
Sleep that knits up the ravelled sleave of care
The death of each day’s life, sore labour’s bath
Balm of hurt minds, great nature’s second course,
Chief nourisher in life’s feast.
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616) British Playwright
Man needs a day of rest from the cares, toils, and trials of the six days of work in the material realm. He needs to reflect, meditate, contemplate, and to turn his eyes inward, as it were, rather than outwards.
—Anonymous
Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep.
—Unknown
Now blessings light on him that first invented this same sleep: it covers a man all over, thoughts and all, like a cloak; ‘Tis meat for the hungry, drink for the thirsty, heat for the cold, and cold for the hot. ‘Tis the current coin that purchases all the pleasures of the world cheap; and the balance that sets the king and the shepherd, the fool and the wise-man even. There is only one thing that I dislike in sleep; ‘Tis that it resembles death; there’s very little difference between a man in his first sleep, and a man in his last sleep.
—Miguel de Cervantes (1547–1616) Spanish Novelist
What all men are really after is some form, or perhaps only some formula, of peace.
—Joseph Conrad (1857–1924) Polish-born British Novelist
Fatigue is the best pillow.
—Benjamin Franklin (1706–90) American Political Leader, Inventor, Diplomat
There must be quite a few things that a hot bath won’t cure, but I don’t know many of them.
—Sylvia Plath (1932–63) American Poet, Novelist
Friends, I beg you do not shirk your daily task of indolence.
—Don Marquis (1878–1937) American Humorist, Journalist, Author
No one can work and achieve efficiently with a pack of worries on his back. People who enjoy life and radiate their happiness fear nothing. Fear never has led, and never will lead, a man victoriously in any phase of life … . A cheerful frame of mind, reenforced by relaxation, which in itself banishes fatigue, is the medicine that puts all Ghosts of fear on the run! So, get fun out of what you do—and you will do much, and be glad that you are alive.
—George Matthew Adams (1878–1962) American Columnist, Journalist
Men, for the sake of getting a living forget to live.
—Margaret Fuller (1810–50) American Feminist, Writer, Revolutionary
If you can attain repose and calm, believe that you have seized happiness.
—Julie de Lespinasse (1732–76) French Salon Hostess, Writer
There is more to life than increasing its speed.
—Mohandas K. Gandhi (1869–1948) Indian Hindu Political leader
Come, Sleep! O Sleep, the certain knot of peace,
The baiting-place of wit, the balm of woe,
The poor man’s wealth, the prisoner’s release,
Th’ indifferent judge between the high and low.
—Philip Sidney (1554–86) English Soldier Poet, Courtier
For fast-acting relief, try slowing down.
—Lily Tomlin (b.1939) American Comedy Actress
I finally figured out the only reason to be alive is to enjoy it.
—Rita Mae Brown (b.1944) American Writer, Feminist
It is a delicious moment, certainly, that of being well nestled in bed and feeling that you shall drop gently to sleep. The good is to come, not past; the limbs are tired enough to render the remaining in one posture delightful; the labor of the day is gone. A gentle failure of the perceptions creeps over you; the spirit of consciousness disengages itself once more, and with slow and hushing degrees, like a mother detaching her hand from that of a sleeping child, the mind seems to have a balmy lid closing over it, like the eye—it is closed—the mysterious spirit has gone to take its airy rounds.
—Leigh Hunt (1784–1859) British Poet, Essayist, Journalist
Health is the first muse, and sleep is the condition to produce it.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
Let us read and let us dance – two amusements that will never do any harm to the world.
—Voltaire (1694–1778) French Philosopher, Author
Thou driftest gently down the tides of sleep.
—Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807–82) American Poet, Educator, Academic
Each day, and the living of it, has to be a conscious creation in which discipline and order are relieved with some play and pure foolishness.
—May Sarton (1912–95) American Children’s Books Writer, Poet, Novelist
Give your stress wings and let it fly away.
—Terri Guillemets
O bed! O bed! Delicious bed! That heaven on earth to the weary head.
—Thomas Hood (1799–1845) English Poet, Humorist
Like water which can clearly mirror the sky and the trees only so long as its surface is undisturbed, the mind can only reflect the true image of the Self when it is tranquil and wholly relaxed.
—Indra Devi (1899–2002) Russian-American Yoga Teacher
There may be those on earth who dress better or eat better, but those who enjoy the peace of God sleep better.
—Thomas L. Holdcroft
No one can get inner peace by pouncing on it.
—Harry Emerson Fosdick (1878–1969) American Baptist Minister
Sleep … peace of the soul, who puttest care to flight.
—Ovid (Publius Ovidius Naso) (c.43 BCE–c.18 CE) Roman Poet
Man is so made that he can only find relaxation from one kind of labor by taking up another.
—Anatole France (1844–1924) French Novelist
Sleep, Silence’s child, sweet father of soft rest, Prince whose approach peace to all mortals brings, Indifferent host to shepherds and kings, Sole comforter to minds with grief oppressed.
—William Eugene Drummond (1876–1946) American Architect
Unless each day can be looked back upon by an individual as one in which he has had some fun, some joy, some real satisfaction, that day is a loss.
—Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890–1969) American Head of State, Military Leader
No matter what looms ahead, if you can eat today, enjoy the sunlight today, mix good cheer with friends today, enjoy it and bless God for it. Do not look back on happiness—or dream of it in the future. You are only sure of today; do not let yourself be cheated out of it.
—Henry Ward Beecher (1813–87) American Clergyman, Writer
It’s fun to get together and have something good to eat at least once a day. That’s what human life is all about—enjoying things.
—Julia Child (1912–2004) American Cook, Author
That one who does not get fun and enjoyment out of every day in which he lives, needs to reorganize his life. And the sooner the better, for pure enjoyment throughout life has more to do with one’s happiness and efficiency than almost any other single element.
—George Matthew Adams (1878–1962) American Columnist, Journalist
Sleep is the golden chain that ties health and our bodies together.
—Thomas Dekker
He enjoys true leisure who has time to improve his soul’s estate.
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–62) American Philosopher
And we should consider every day lost on which we have not danced at least once. And we should call every truth false which was not accompanied by at least one laugh.
—Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900) German Philosopher, Scholar, Writer
Sleep is the most blessed and blessing of all natural graces.
—Aldous Huxley (1894–1963) English Humanist, Pacifist, Essayist, Short Story Writer, Satirist
The time to relax is when you don’t have time for it.
—Sydney J. Harris (1917–86) American Essayist, Drama Critic
There is only one thing people like that is good for them; a good night’s sleep.
—E. W. Howe (1853–1937) American Novelist, Editor
It is a common experience that a problem difficult at night is resolved in the morning after the committee of sleep has worked on it.
—John Steinbeck (1902–68) American Novelist, Short Story Writer, Journalist
Come, let us give a little time to folly … and even in a melancholy day let us find time for an hour of pleasure.
—Bonaventure (1221–74) Italian Christian Scholar, Theologian, Philosopher
Every now and then go away, have a little relaxation, for when you come back to your work your judgment will be surer. Go some distance away because then the work appears smaller and more of it can be taken in at a glance and a lack of harmony and proportion is more readily seen.
—Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519) Italian Polymath, Painter, Sculptor, Inventor, Architect
He that can take rest is greater than he that can take cities.
—Benjamin Franklin (1706–90) American Political Leader, Inventor, Diplomat