Wise Form

“I should say that a man who performs hard physical labor needs seven to eight hours of rest to recuperate, not necessarily eight hours of sleep. I myself sleep only two hours out of twenty-four. This does not mean that I may not assume a recumbent position, but my mind continues to work out its problems. I have often, during such apparent periods of rest, worked out my most difficult problems. In my younger days, I probably slept three to four hours.

“When I sleep, I sleep profoundly. To sleep deeply, profoundly, is an art like deep breathing that must be learned. It is one of the secrets of the East. I think that I have discovered the secret. After a profound sleep, no matter how short, I feel so much refreshed that even now, when I am near eighty, I must perform gymnastic feats to subdue my new-gained vitality.”

–Nikola Tesla