--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Sleep is a death, O make me try By…" description: "\"Sleep is a death, O make me try By sleeping, what it is to die, And as gently lay my head On my grave, as now my bed.\" — Thomas Browne" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/360/thomas-browne-2006_bed_sleep-is-a-death-o-make-me-try-by-sleepi_416919.png" --- # Sleep is a death, O make me try By sleeping, what it is to… ![“Sleep is a death, O make me try By sleeping, what it is to die, And as gently lay my head On my grave, as now my bed.” quote by Thomas Browne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/360/thomas-browne-2006_bed_sleep-is-a-death-o-make-me-try-by-sleepi_416919.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/360/thomas-browne-2006_bed_sleep-is-a-death-o-make-me-try-by-sleepi_416919.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/360/thomas-browne-2006_bed_sleep-is-a-death-o-make-me-try-by-sleepi_416919.png) > “Sleep is a death, O make me try By sleeping, what it is to die, And as gently lay my head On my grave, as now my bed.” [Thomas Browne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-browne/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Sleep resembles death, inviting contemplation of mortality through rest. **In simple terms:** Sleep is like a small death. Key Takeaway Reflect on life's impermanence. Themes mortality sleep philosophy Mood somber thoughtful Type poetic philosophical When to use this quote - nighttime meditation - creative writing - grief counseling Key Concepts existential reflection human condition Questions to Reflect On - How does this view affect your rest? - Can sleep be seen as renewal? A Different Perspective Equating sleep with death may cause anxiety. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bed/) [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Dies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dies/) [Gently Lay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gently-lay-1592136/) [Graves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/graves/) [Lays](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lays/) [Sleep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sleep/) [Sleep Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sleep-death-388447/) [Sleeping Die](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sleeping-die-3704788/) [Try Sleeping](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/try-sleeping-564462/) [Trying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trying/) ## Related quotes > [We term sleep a death by which we may be literally said to die daily; in fine, so like death, I dare not trust…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-browne/we-term-sleep-a-death-by-which-we-may-be-literally-said-to-die-daily/) [Thomas Browne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-browne/) > [Sleep is death's younger brother, and so like him, that I never dare trust him without my prayers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-browne/sleep-is-death-s-younger-brother-and-so-like-him-that-i-never-dare/) [Thomas Browne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-browne/) > [We term sleep a death, and yet it is waking that kills us, and destroys those spirits that are the house of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-browne/we-term-sleep-a-death-and-yet-it-is-waking-that-kills-us-and-destroys/) [Thomas Browne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-browne/) > [Ere thou sleepest, gently lay Every troubled thought away; Put off worry and distress As thou puttest off thy dress; Drop thy burden and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-van-dyke/ere-thou-sleepest-gently-lay-every-troubled-thought-away-put-off/) [Henry Van Dyke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-van-dyke/) > [If you think you are too powerfull, try sleeping with a mosquito..!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-think-you-are-too-powerfull-try-sleeping-with-a-mosquito/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping in a closed room with a mosquito.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paresh-markandeya/if-you-think-you-are-too-small-to-make-a-difference-try-sleeping-in-a/) [Paresh Markandeya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paresh-markandeya/) > [When the leaves fall, the whole earth is a cemetery pleasant to walk in. . . . 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And with the chuckles and wrinkles…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-lucado/ageing-we-laugh-about-it-and-we-groan-about-it-we-resist-it-but-we/) [Max Lucado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-lucado/) ## More by Thomas Browne > [Be substantially great in thyself, and more than thou appearest unto others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-browne/be-substantially-great-in-thyself-and-more-than-thou-appearest-unto/) [Thomas Browne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-browne/) > [Man is a noble animal, splendid in ashes, and pompous in the grave.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-browne/man-is-a-noble-animal-splendid-in-ashes-and-pompous-in-the-grave/) [Thomas Browne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-browne/) > [Not to be content with Life is the unsatisfactory state of those which destroy themselves; who being afraid to live, run blindly upon their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-browne/not-to-be-content-with-life-is-the-unsatisfactory-state-of-those/) [Thomas Browne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-browne/) > [“It is we that are blind, not Fortune: because our eye is too dim to discover the mystery of her effects, we foolishly paint…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-browne/it-is-we-that-are-blind-not-fortune-because-our-eye-is-too-dim-to/) [Thomas Browne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-browne/) > [“That there must be heresies is true, not onely in our Church, but also in any other; even in Doctrines hereticall there will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-browne/that-there-must-be-heresies-is-true-not-onely-in-our-church-but-also/) [Thomas Browne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-browne/) > [Think it more satisfactory to live richly than die rich.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-browne/think-it-more-satisfactory-to-live-richly-than-die-rich/) [Thomas Browne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-browne/) > [Think not thy time short in this world, since the world itself is not long. The created world is but a small parenthesis in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-browne/think-not-thy-time-short-in-this-world-since-the-world-itself-is-not/) [Thomas Browne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-browne/) > [Let him have the key of thy heart, who hath the lock of his own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-browne/let-him-have-the-key-of-thy-heart-who-hath-the-lock-of-his-own/) [Thomas Browne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-browne/) > [“There is a musicke where-ever there is a harmony, order or proportion; and thus farre we may maintain the musick of the spheares; for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-browne/there-is-a-musicke-where-ever-there-is-a-harmony-order-or-proportion/) [Thomas Browne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-browne/) > [Death is the cure for all diseases.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-browne/death-is-the-cure-for-all-diseases/) [Thomas Browne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-browne/) > [Lord deliver me from myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-browne/lord-deliver-me-from-myself/) [Thomas Browne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-browne/) > [The mortalist enemy unto knowledge, and that which hath done the greatest execution unto truth, has been a preemptory adhesion unto authority.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-browne/the-mortalist-enemy-unto-knowledge-and-that-which-hath-done-the/) [Thomas Browne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-browne/) > [To ruminate upon evils, to make critical notes upon injuries, and be too acute in their apprehensions, is to add unto our own tortures,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-browne/to-ruminate-upon-evils-to-make-critical-notes-upon-injuries-and-be/) [Thomas Browne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-browne/) > [That miracles have been, I do believe; that they may yet be wrought by the living, I do not deny; but I have no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-browne/that-miracles-have-been-i-do-believe-that-they-may-yet-be-wrought-by/) [Thomas Browne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-browne/) > [We all labour against our own cure, for death is the cure of all diseases.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-browne/we-all-labour-against-our-own-cure-for-death-is-the-cure-of-all/) [Thomas Browne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-browne/) [Explore all 192 Thomas Browne quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-browne/) ## More Bed quotes > [When man of slender visits you / Nothing on earth that one can do / In well he’ll hide, or watery hole / And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-goldstein/when-man-of-slender-visits-you-nothing-on-earth-that-one-can-do-in/) [Jack Goldstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-goldstein/) > [Your idea of fidelity is not having more than one man in bed at the same time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-raphael/your-idea-of-fidelity-is-not-having-more-than-one-man-in-bed-at-the/) [Frederic Raphael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-raphael/) > [The beginning of love is all about the butterflies, but the end of it is when you can't get out of bed in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-swift/the-beginning-of-love-is-all-about-the-butterflies-but-the-end-of-it/) [Taylor Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-swift/) > [Home is behind, the world ahead, And there are many paths to tread Through shadows to the edge of night, Until the stars are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/home-is-behind-the-world-ahead-and-there-are-many-paths-to-tread/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I wish I had as much in bed as I get in the newspapers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-ronstadt/i-wish-i-had-as-much-in-bed-as-i-get-in-the-newspapers/) [Linda Ronstadt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-ronstadt/) > [ Leave a cavity behind the \[wall\] facings, and on the inside build walls two feet thick, made of red dimension stone or burnt brick… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-vitruvius-pollio/leave-a-cavity-behind-the-wall-facings-and-on-the-inside-build-walls/) [Marcus Vitruvius Pollio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-vitruvius-pollio/) > [Why couldn't Jesus command us to obsess over everything, to try to control and manipulate people, to try not to breathe at all, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/why-couldn-t-jesus-command-us-to-obsess-over-everything-to-try-to/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [“To all the secret writers, late-night painters, would-be singers, lapsed and scared artists of every stripe, dig out your paintbrush, or your flute, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shauna-niequist/to-all-the-secret-writers-late-night-painters-would-be-singers-lapsed/) [Shauna Niequist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shauna-niequist/) > [“In the parking lot, she drove and parked in a dark area with no other cars around. She reclined her seat, and listened to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tao-lin/in-the-parking-lot-she-drove-and-parked-in-a-dark-area-with-no-other/) [Tao Lin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tao-lin/) > [It wasn't really touching to be young; it was touching not to be young, because you had less of life left. Touching to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-macaulay/it-wasn-t-really-touching-to-be-young-it-was-touching-not-to-be-young/) [Rose Macaulay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-macaulay/) > [I have to meditate before I go to bed, always. I have to let the day go and let the eternal in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bellamy-young/i-have-to-meditate-before-i-go-to-bed-always-i-have-to-let-the-day-go/) [Bellamy Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bellamy-young/) > [Sometimes by a woodland stream he watched the water rush over the pebbled bed, its tiny modulations of bounce and flow. 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