Early to Bed

"Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise." This famous rhyming proverb has long been used to teach children the value of good sleep habits. While often associated with the early days of American printing, the saying has much older origins in historical English literature.

Origins

Although popularized by Benjamin Franklin in his publication Poor Richard's Almanack in 1735, the proverb predates his work by centuries. The earliest recorded variation appears in print in 1496 in The Treatise of Fishing with an Angle, where it was already described as a traditional saying. It also appeared in its familiar modern phrasing in 1639 in a collection of proverbs compiled by British schoolmaster John Clarke.

Meaning & Interpretation

The verse delivers a straightforward moral lesson: maintaining a disciplined sleep schedule leads to physical health, financial success, and intellectual wisdom. In agricultural societies, waking up early was necessary to maximize daylight hours for farming. This practical advice was wrapped in a simple, memorable rhyme so that children could easily remember and practice it.

Did Benjamin Franklin invent the phrase "Early to Bed"?

No, Benjamin Franklin did not invent the phrase. It was already a well-established English proverb when he included it in Poor Richard's Almanack in 1735. Franklin used his almanac to share existing wisdom and moral lessons, helping to popularize the saying in the American colonies.

Where was the proverb first printed?

The proverb was first printed in England in 1496. It appeared in a book about fishing, which was published as part of a larger compilation of sporting treatises. This indicates the saying was already a common piece of folk wisdom in fifteenth-century England.