--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We term sleep a death, and yet it is…" description: "\"We term sleep a death, and yet it is waking that kills us, and destroys those spirits that are the house of life.\" — Thomas Browne" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0dc/thomas-browne-2006_death_we-term-sleep-a-death-and-yet-it-is-waki_2755807.png" --- # We term sleep a death, and yet it is waking that kills us… ![“We term sleep a death, and yet it is waking that kills us, and destroys those spirits that are the house of life.” quote by Thomas Browne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0dc/thomas-browne-2006_death_we-term-sleep-a-death-and-yet-it-is-waki_2755807.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0dc/thomas-browne-2006_death_we-term-sleep-a-death-and-yet-it-is-waki_2755807.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0dc/thomas-browne-2006_death_we-term-sleep-a-death-and-yet-it-is-waki_2755807.png) > “We term sleep a death, and yet it is waking that kills us, and destroys those spirits that are the house of life.” [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. He likens sleep to death, yet warns that neglecting wakefulness destroys the spirit of life. **In simple terms:** Sleep is death; wakefulness kills spirit. Key Takeaway Balance rest and awareness. Themes philosophy biology spirituality Mood contemplative serious Type philosophical health When to use this quote - modern sleep science - wellness routines - spiritual practice Key Concepts life cycles mindfulness health Questions to Reflect On - How to honor rest without losing vitality? - What rhythms sustain spirit? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on wakefulness may cause burnout. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Sleep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sleep/) [Spirit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spirit/) ## Related quotes > [“... as we travel again between life and death, Waking and dream, blinking, while layers within layers, None better, none worse, unravel and knit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-woodman/as-we-travel-again-between-life-and-death-waking-and-dream-blinking/) [Jay Woodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-woodman/) > [And the dreams so rich in color. How else would death call you? Waking in the cold dawn it all turned to ash instantly.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/and-the-dreams-so-rich-in-color-how-else-would-death-call-you-waking/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [“The process of dying is falling asleep. The process of death is waking up.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-adam-snyder/the-process-of-dying-is-falling-asleep-the-process-of-death-is-waking/) [J.Adam Snyder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-adam-snyder/) > [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/) > [Sleep is a death, O make me try By sleeping, what it is to die, And as gently lay my head On my grave,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-browne/sleep-is-a-death-o-make-me-try-by-sleeping-what-it-is-to-die-and-as/) [Thomas Browne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-browne/) > [Sleep and Death, who are twin brothers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/homer/sleep-and-death-who-are-twin-brothers/) [Homer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/homer/) > [Sleep is death without the responsibility.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-lebowitz/sleep-is-death-without-the-responsibility/) [Fran Lebowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-lebowitz/) > [“Some would rather fall into the sleep of death than wake up to the truth of life”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-cavanagh/some-would-rather-fall-into-the-sleep-of-death-than-wake-up-to-the/) [Dean Cavanagh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-cavanagh/) > [“To sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub; For in that sleep of death what dreams may come?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/to-sleep-perchance-to-dream-ay-there-s-the-rub-for-in-that-sleep-of/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Sleep is cousin-german unto death: Sleep and death differ, no more, than a carcass And a skeleton.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-traherne/sleep-is-cousin-german-unto-death-sleep-and-death-differ-no-more-than/) [Thomas Traherne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-traherne/) > [Sleep and death, two twins of winged race, Of matchless swiftness, but of silent pace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-pope/sleep-and-death-two-twins-of-winged-race-of-matchless-swiftness-but/) [Alexander Pope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-pope/) > [“To die, - To sleep, - To sleep! Perchance to dream: - ay, there's the rub; For in that sleep of death what dreams…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/to-die-to-sleep-to-sleep-perchance-to-dream-ay-there-s-the-rub-for-in/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Let no man fear to die, we love to sleep all, and death is but the sounder sleep.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-beaumont/let-no-man-fear-to-die-we-love-to-sleep-all-and-death-is-but-the/) [Francis Beaumont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-beaumont/) > [“Ageing. We laugh about it, and we groan about it. We resist it, but we cant't stop it. 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 Death quotes > [“He wondered how it was fair that your dying should depend so much on when you were born.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/he-wondered-how-it-was-fair-that-your-dying-should-depend-so-much-on/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [What sets worlds in motion is the interplay of differences, their attractions and repulsions. Life is plurality, death is uniformity. By suppressing differences and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavio-paz/what-sets-worlds-in-motion-is-the-interplay-of-differences-their/) [Octavio Paz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavio-paz/) > [Most of us are convinced that we are our egos, which is who we think we are. The ego is part of our incarnation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ram-dass/most-of-us-are-convinced-that-we-are-our-egos-which-is-who-we-think/) [Ram Dass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-dass/) > [I do not want to live at the cost of the life even of a snake. I should let him bite me to death…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/i-do-not-want-to-live-at-the-cost-of-the-life-even-of-a-snake-i/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [“It was beautiful. He thought he had never seen anything so beautiful in all his life; that, having seen it, he could die content,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mira-grant/it-was-beautiful-he-thought-he-had-never-seen-anything-so-beautiful/) [Mira Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mira-grant/) > [Retirement? You're talking about death, right?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-altman/retirement-you-re-talking-about-death-right/) [Robert Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-altman/) > [With multiplayer, permanent death, and an ever-changing world to explore and conquer, 'A Valley Without Wind' might be the place you're looking for if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-manuel/with-multiplayer-permanent-death-and-an-ever-changing-world-to/) [Rob Manuel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-manuel/) > [“What did you see?” she asked gently. His brow furrowed, as if he could not understand the question. Then his eyes turned to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-anthony-torino/what-did-you-see-she-asked-gently-his-brow-furrowed-as-if-he-could/) J. Anthony Torino > [Those whose life is long still strive for gain, and for all mortals all things take second place to money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophocles/those-whose-life-is-long-still-strive-for-gain-and-for-all-mortals/) [Sophocles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophocles/) > [“I practice Dying--every night-- But have not learned to, still-- Though Talented--by Mortal bones-- For such a common Skill.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-w-powers/i-practice-dying-every-night-but-have-not-learned-to-still-though/) Alan W. Powers > [“You must understand the pain and grief of losing someone is nothing more than a function of survival.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-cooper/you-must-understand-the-pain-and-grief-of-losing-someone-is-nothing/) [Steven Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-cooper/) > [I am not a depressive person at all, but I reflect a lot on my life, and life in general, from the perspective of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/i-am-not-a-depressive-person-at-all-but-i-reflect-a-lot-on-my-life/) [Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/) > [“Death is a reality that calls the rest of life and all of our assorted strivings into sharp relief.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/death-is-a-reality-that-calls-the-rest-of-life-and-all-of-our/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) > [I love life. I love life to death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmanuelle-riva/i-love-life-i-love-life-to-death/) [Emmanuelle Riva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmanuelle-riva/) > [I think when you’re dying you start looking for important things in the corners. You can’t let anything that seems even semi-important pass, because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-crutcher/i-think-when-you-re-dying-you-start-looking-for-important-things-in/) [Chris Crutcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-crutcher/) [Browse all 39,127 Death quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We term sleep a death, and yet it is waking that kills us, and destroys those spirits that are the house of life.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Thomas Browne" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-browne/we-term-sleep-a-death-and-yet-it-is-waking-that-kills-us-and-destroys/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Death" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-browne/we-term-sleep-a-death-and-yet-it-is-waking-that-kills-us-and-destroys/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0dc/thomas-browne-2006_death_we-term-sleep-a-death-and-yet-it-is-waki_2755807.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0dc/thomas-browne-2006_death_we-term-sleep-a-death-and-yet-it-is-waki_2755807.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0dc/thomas-browne-2006_death_we-term-sleep-a-death-and-yet-it-is-waki_2755807.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We term sleep a death, and yet it is waking that kills us, and destroys those spirits that are the house of…” — Thomas Browne", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Thomas Browne", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-browne/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "We term sleep a death, and...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-browne/we-term-sleep-a-death-and-yet-it-is-waking-that-kills-us-and-destroys/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-browne/we-term-sleep-a-death-and-yet-it-is-waking-that-kills-us-and-destroys/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```