Ben Knew

Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.

Benjamin Franklin
US author, diplomat, inventor, physicist, politician, & printer (1706 - 1790)

Ben Franklin, one of the wisest Americans, got it:  Sleep is good!  If you have read our previous blogs, you would see us promoting regular sleep patterns, and getting enough sleep. 

It was easier in the 1700's, the electric light bulb didn't exist.  TV didn't exist.  The Internet didn't exist.  There were no smart phones.  Life was a bit less hectic.  When the sun went down, most people went to sleep.  Oh there was Paul Revere who rode at night, and there was some activity.  But that activity was put in perspective.  The important things in life were just that, and sleep was important.  Let's dissect this saying.

Early to bed:  To make sure you get the proper amount of sleep, and remember, with no electricity, there were no clock radios, they would arise when their bodies were ready, or a noise would startle them.  Going to bed early insured that they would get enough sleep.

Early to rise:  Because they went to bed early, they would naturally wake with the sun.  Having a full days sunlight insured maximum productivity.  Maximum productivity could help move their lives along, out performing others who did not get up so early.

Makes a man Healthy:  Yes sleep does influence health.  In our modern day we have looked at sleep deprivation and found some of its detrimental effects on our bodies.  The stress caused by too little sleep can cause obesity, lower immune function and lower productivity.  Proper amounts of sleep reverses this, and we find ourselves more likely to exercise, less sick time, and higher productivity.

Wealthy:  Yes, its still true today.  Productivity is tied directly to wealth.  The most productive people in our society generally will also be the wealthiest.  It is simple economics, of course talent is important, but having the proper amount of sleep will make us....

Wise:  With wisdom comes ability.  Wisdom allows us to work smarter, like tying a key to a kite and exploring science of electricity.  It is wisdom that ties back to productivity and produces wealth.  Wisdom is something most of our founders had in abundant amounts.

In our hectic 24 hour world, we have sometimes forgotten that sleep is important.  Sometimes we even raise people up on a pedestal who can sleep less.  Less sleep will not insure higher productivity.  Less sleep can harm our career paths.  Less sleep can hurt our pocket book.  Not to mention that America today has an obesity problem, we wonder if it is because we don't sleep enough.  We are living longer today.  In the 1700's life expectancy was just 35 years, medicine has expanded that considerably.  And now its our turn, by taking care of ourselves, we can enhance the quality of that life.  Its the only wise thing to do.

Sleep Well!