--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The things that help you sleep all the…" description: "\"“The things that help you sleep all the way through it. Back-breaking labor might do it; or liquor. Surely a body -- friendly if not familiar -- lying ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a20/toni-morrison-271_reassurance_the-things-that-help-you-sleep-all-the-w_2616878.jpg" --- # The things that help you sleep all the way through it… ![“The things that help you sleep all the way through it. Back-breaking labor might do it; or liquor. Surely a body -- friendly if not familiar -- lying next to you. Someone whose touch is a reassurance, not an affront or a nuisance. Whose heavy breathing neither enrages nor disgusts, but amuses you…” quote by Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a20/toni-morrison-271_reassurance_the-things-that-help-you-sleep-all-the-w_2616878.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a20/toni-morrison-271_reassurance_the-things-that-help-you-sleep-all-the-w_2616878.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a20/toni-morrison-271_reassurance_the-things-that-help-you-sleep-all-the-w_2616878.jpg) > ““The things that help you sleep all the way through it. Back-breaking labor might do it; or liquor. Surely a body -- friendly if not familiar -- lying next to you. Someone whose touch is a reassurance, not an affront or a nuisance. Whose heavy breathing neither enrages nor disgusts, but amuses you like that of a cherished pet.”” [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Comfort can be found in intimate, familiar presence, even if it’s unconventional or unexpected. **In simple terms:** Close, familiar contact can soothe us. Key Takeaway Seek safe, supportive connections. Themes comfort intimacy solace humanity vulnerability Mood calm intimate Type reflective inspirational When to use this quote - nighttime anxiety - loneliness - stress relief - grief coping Key Concepts psychology relationships emotional health Questions to Reflect On - Who provides you true comfort? - When does comfort become a crutch? A Different Perspective Comfort may become codependent if boundaries blur. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Body Friendly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/body-friendly-2074648/) [Help Sleep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/help-sleep-354490/) [Lying Touch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lying-touch-2074649/) [Reassurance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reassurance/) [Touch Reassurance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/touch-reassurance-2074647/) ## Related quotes > [...a habit that had become one of those necessary things for the night... surely a body-friendly if not familiar-lying next to you. Someone whose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/a-habit-that-had-become-one-of-those-necessary-things-for-the-night/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [Aromatherapy is extremely useful. If you want to go to sleep at night, and you have an aroma that calms your mind, it will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/aromatherapy-is-extremely-useful-if-you-want-to-go-to-sleep-at-night/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [“Neither could really help the other find sleep. But sometimes it was better just to know you weren't the only one awake.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-stiefvater/neither-could-really-help-the-other-find-sleep-but-sometimes-it-was/) [Maggie Stiefvater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-stiefvater/) > [If your guidance is your ego, don't rely on luck for help. you sleep during the day and the nights are short. By the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumi/if-your-guidance-is-your-ego-don-t-rely-on-luck-for-help-you-sleep/) [Rumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumi/) > [“We don't need to have sex. There are other things i can do to help you sleep.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-mcgarry/we-don-t-need-to-have-sex-there-are-other-things-i-can-do-to-help-you/) [Katie McGarry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-mcgarry/) > [Never work just for money or for power. They won't save your soul or help you sleep at night.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marian-wright-edelman/never-work-just-for-money-or-for-power-they-won-t-save-your-soul-or/) [Marian Wright Edelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marian-wright-edelman/) > [It's crazy how internet can keep you up all night, but it can't help you go to sleep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tee-shepard/it-s-crazy-how-internet-can-keep-you-up-all-night-but-it-can-t-help/) [Tee Shepard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tee-shepard/) > [“And at 3am you sit near the window and wonder if there is magic... because all you need are some fairies to take your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sanhita-baruah/and-at-3am-you-sit-near-the-window-and-wonder-if-there-is-magic/) [Sanhita Baruah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sanhita-baruah/) > [“Whatever you need to call yourself to help you sleep at night, that's fine. Just as long as you know you're sleeping next to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-j-klune/whatever-you-need-to-call-yourself-to-help-you-sleep-at-night-that-s/) [T.J. Klune](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-j-klune/) > [Nick: "Don't you think maybe a drink would help you to sleep?" Nora: "No, thanks." Nick: "Maybe it would if I took one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dashiell-hammett/nick-don-t-you-think-maybe-a-drink-would-help-you-to-sleep-nora-no/) [Dashiell Hammett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dashiell-hammett/) > [It's late but I'm out on the creep. It's been a while since I heard you speak. Hard to rest when I've been on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/big-krit/it-s-late-but-i-m-out-on-the-creep-it-s-been-a-while-since-i-heard/) [Big Krit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/big-krit/) > [Books are important. They help you sleep at night.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-bush/books-are-important-they-help-you-sleep-at-night/) [Laura Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-bush/) > [“Mike…you awake?” “What is it with hospitals?” I asked with my eyes closed. “You keep giving me sedatives to help me sleep, tell me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-tufo/mike-you-awake-what-is-it-with-hospitals-i-asked-with-my-eyes-closed/) [Mark Tufo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-tufo/) > [I'd thought once, actually, of taking your mind, if you asked. I'd thought I could help you fall asleep at night." He opened his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristin-cashore/i-d-thought-once-actually-of-taking-your-mind-if-you-asked-i-d/) [Kristin Cashore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristin-cashore/) > [Now narcolepsy is really hard though because they're very tired during the day, they're sleepy during the day and it's managed mostly with medications.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shelby-harris/now-narcolepsy-is-really-hard-though-because-they-re-very-tired/) [Shelby Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shelby-harris/) ## More by Toni Morrison > [Perhaps that's what all human relationships boiled down to: Would you save my life? or would you take it?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/perhaps-that-s-what-all-human-relationships-boiled-down-to-would-you/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [There, in the center of that silence was not eternity but the death of time and a loneliness so profound the word itself had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/there-in-the-center-of-that-silence-was-not-eternity-but-the-death-of/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [In times of dread, artists must never choose to remain silent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/in-times-of-dread-artists-must-never-choose-to-remain-silent/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [“Not know it was hard;knowing it was harder”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/not-know-it-was-hard-knowing-it-was-harder/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [“Didn’t everything on God’s earth have or acquire defense?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/didn-t-everything-on-god-s-earth-have-or-acquire-defense/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [If you can't count, they can cheat you. If you can't read, they can beat you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/if-you-can-t-count-they-can-cheat-you-if-you-can-t-read-they-can-beat/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [“You looked at them and wondered why the were so ugly; you looked closely and could not find the source. Then you realized that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/you-looked-at-them-and-wondered-why-the-were-so-ugly-you-looked/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [All she saw, down in the cellar well beneath the stoop, was a light yellow feather with a tip of green. And she had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/all-she-saw-down-in-the-cellar-well-beneath-the-stoop-was-a-light/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [For me, Art is the restoration of order. It may discuss all sort of terrible things, but there must be satisfaction at the end.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/for-me-art-is-the-restoration-of-order-it-may-discuss-all-sort-of/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [“To Sethe, the future was a matter of keeping the past at bay”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/to-sethe-the-future-was-a-matter-of-keeping-the-past-at-bay/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [“Hate does that. Burns off everything but itself, so whatever your grievance is, your face looks just like your enemy's.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/hate-does-that-burns-off-everything-but-itself-so-whatever-your/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [“You know how a star is supposed to twinkle? We say twinkle because that is how it looks, but when a star feels itself,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/you-know-how-a-star-is-supposed-to-twinkle-we-say-twinkle-because/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [“There is no bad luck in the world but whitefolks”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/there-is-no-bad-luck-in-the-world-but-whitefolks/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [My father saw two black men lynched on his street in Cartersville, as a child. And I think seeing two black businessmen - not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/my-father-saw-two-black-men-lynched-on-his-street-in-cartersville-as/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [“She was fierce in the presence of death, heroic even, as she was at no other time. Its threat gave her direction, clarity, audacity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/she-was-fierce-in-the-presence-of-death-heroic-even-as-she-was-at-no/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) [Explore all 774 Toni Morrison quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) ## More Reassurance quotes > [“We never figured out whether I need to be more reassuring or if he just needs reassurance too much. We both try to readjust…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/we-never-figured-out-whether-i-need-to-be-more-reassuring-or-if-he/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [The day has the color and the sound of winter. Thoughts turn to chowder...chowder breathes reassurance. It steams consolation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clementine-paddleford/the-day-has-the-color-and-the-sound-of-winter-thoughts-turn-to/) [Clementine Paddleford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clementine-paddleford/) > [Having limits to push against is how you find out what you can do. I have always been full of contradictions. I am shy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvie-guillem/having-limits-to-push-against-is-how-you-find-out-what-you-can-do-i/) [Sylvie Guillem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvie-guillem/) > [Often, instead of offering empathy, we have a strong urge to give advice or reassurance and to explain our own position or feeling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-b-rosenberg/often-instead-of-offering-empathy-we-have-a-strong-urge-to-give/) [Marshall B. Rosenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-b-rosenberg/) > [I was the first in my peer group to get pregnant. All I craved was reassurance. I needed someone to tell me that all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heidi-murkoff/i-was-the-first-in-my-peer-group-to-get-pregnant-all-i-craved-was/) [Heidi Murkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heidi-murkoff/) > [Ask before offering advice or reassurance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-b-rosenberg/ask-before-offering-advice-or-reassurance/) [Marshall B. Rosenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-b-rosenberg/) > [Any loss of identity prompts people to seek reassurance and rediscovery of themselves by testing, and even by violence. Today, the electric revolution, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-mcluhan/any-loss-of-identity-prompts-people-to-seek-reassurance-and/) [Marshall McLuhan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-mcluhan/) > [As artists, are we quasi psychiatrists who mend the soul? Do we provide the consolations, escapes, and reassurances which enable us to survive? Or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-sherman/as-artists-are-we-quasi-psychiatrists-who-mend-the-soul-do-we-provide/) [Russell Sherman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-sherman/) > [“The thought gave me reassurance for a split-second - until I saw the danger in it. The power to make me feel better also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-morgenroth/the-thought-gave-me-reassurance-for-a-split-second-until-i-saw-the/) [Kate Morgenroth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-morgenroth/) > [Yes, my mind was wandering. I wished I were there with someone who could bring peace to my heart someone with whom I could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/yes-my-mind-was-wandering-i-wished-i-were-there-with-someone-who/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [There is a primal reassurance in being touched, in knowing that someone else, someone close to you, wants to be touching you. There is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-butcher/there-is-a-primal-reassurance-in-being-touched-in-knowing-that/) [Jim Butcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-butcher/) > [Dogs, bless them, operate on the premise that human beings are fragile and require incessant applications of affection and reassurance. The random lick of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-mcgrory/dogs-bless-them-operate-on-the-premise-that-human-beings-are-fragile/) [Mary McGrory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-mcgrory/) > [“I needed reassurance from the doubts that were beginning to surface in my mind since I'd first given voice to them in conversation with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-sanderson/i-needed-reassurance-from-the-doubts-that-were-beginning-to-surface/) [Catherine Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-sanderson/) > [When a man takes a woman for granted, he still looks for reassurance that she is still right there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherry-argov/when-a-man-takes-a-woman-for-granted-he-still-looks-for-reassurance/) [Sherry Argov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherry-argov/) > [I see you. I have seen some of the battles you have fought, I see the ones you fight today. Please take assurance in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deri-isaac/i-see-you-i-have-seen-some-of-the-battles-you-have-fought-i-see-the/) [Deri Isaac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deri-isaac/) [Browse all 178 Reassurance quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reassurance/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The things that help you sleep all the way through it. Back-breaking labor might do it; or liquor. Surely a body -- friendly if not familiar -- lying next to you. Someone whose touch is a reassurance, not an affront or a nuisance. 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