THE SCIENCE OF HAPPINESS 



of the ever present guardian, Habit. In determining 

 just what minute this shall be, each individual must 

 experiment upon himself. 



Having fixed upon an hour for retiring, you must 

 next determine at what hour you will arise. Remem- 

 bering that very few people indeed can get along to ad- 

 vantage with less than six hours' sleep, and that very 

 many require fully eight, you may perhaps as well be- 

 gin with seven. If experiment, lasting through a 

 period of at least two weeks, shows this to be too short 

 a period of sleep, the time must of course be lengthened. 

 If, on the other hand, it proves fully sufficient, the period 

 may be shortened tentatively; but most persons will 

 find that about seven hours is their minimum require- 

 ment, at any rate until they have learned to sleep very 

 soundly indeed. 



The test as to whether one has had sufficient sleep 

 of^the right kind is to awaken refreshed and full of energy 

 for the day's work, and to carry this energy, making 

 reasonable allowance for the healthful fatigue of ener- 

 getic action, throughout the period of waking. 



Passing quickly through that period of reverie that 

 precedes the full inflowing of consciousness on awaken- 

 ing, one should feel suffused with a sense of well-being, 

 a vitalising consciousness of being "awake for all day," 

 and should find himself impelled to the duties of the 

 hour with eager enthusiasm, not dragged with reluc- 

 tance as poor sleepers usually are. 



Yet I suppose the mass of humanity never learn even 

 to get out of bed properly and easily, notwithstanding 

 daily practise. The seductive morning doze almost 



