A theme that will recur in these pages is that of sleep and rest both of which seem for many people to be in permanent deficit. This description of perfect rest was written by Ann Warder in 1786.

I liked the triple level of comfort: the ‘best bed’ in a ‘room large’ and a ‘house spacious’, showing that the immediate context of a comfortable bed can be reinforced by the room beyond the bed and the house beyond the room, even when your eyes are closed and you are apparently unaware of your surroundings.

‘I rested well in mother’s best bed, the room large and the house spacious.’

Source: Ann Warder (1786), quoted in George Myerson, A Private History of Happiness: ninety-nine moments of joy from around the world  (London: Head of Zeus Ltd, 2012), p. 71

Photo credit: Annie Spratt at unsplash.com