To his Niece Sarah Wesley Date: NEAR LEEDS, July 17, 1781. MY DEAR SALLY, Although I did not know what your reason was, I took it for granted you had a reason for not writing. Therefore I did not blame you or love you the less, believing you would write when it was convenient. Without an endeavor to please God and to give up our own will, we never shall attain His favor. But till we have attained it, till we have the Spirit of adoption, we cannot actually give up our own will to Him. Shall I tell you freely what I judge to be the grand hindrance to your attaining it yea, to your attaining more health both of body and mind than you have ever had, or at least for a long season I believe it is (what very few people are aware of) intemperance in sleep. All are intemperate in sleep who sleep more than nature requires; and how much it does require is easily known. There is, indeed, no universal rule, none that will suit all constitutions. But after all the observations and experience I have been able to make for upwards of fifty years, I am fully persuaded that men in general need between six and seven hours' sleep in four-and-twenty; and women in general a little more namely, between seven and eight. But what ill consequence is there of lying longer in bed suppose nine hours in four-and-twenty 1. It hurts the body. Whether you sleep or no (and, indeed, it commonly prevents sound sleep), it as it were soddens and parboils the flesh, and sows the seeds of numerous diseases; of all nervous diseases in particular, as weakness, faintness, lowness of spirits, nervous headaches, and consequently weakness of sight, sometimes terminating in total blindness. 2. It hurts the mind, it weakens the understanding. It blunts the imagination. It weakens the memory. It dulls all the nobler affections. It takes off the edge of the soul, impairs its vigour and firmness, and infuses a wrong softness, quite inconsistent with the character of a good soldier of Jesus Christ. It grieves the Holy Spirit of God, and prevents, or at least lessens, those blessed influences which tend to make you not almost but altogether a Christian.

I advise you, therefore, from this day forward, not trusting in yourself, but in Him that raiseth the dead, to take exactly so much sleep as nature requires, and no more. If you need between seven and eight hours, then, in the name of God, begin! This very night, in spite of all temptation to the contrary, lie down at ten o'clock, and rise between five and six, whether you sleep or no. If your head aches in the day, bear it. In a week you will sleep sound. If you can take this advice, you may receive more from, my dear Sally, Yours most affectionately.