There is this saying that there is no difference between sleep and death. This view must have emanated from the apparent look between a sleeping person and dead person.
Both can be said to be unconscious. By that, i mean both are unaware of the things around them or their surroundings.
But sleep cannot be equated or elevated to the same status as death. Someone sleeping will wake up if given dirty slap, pinched, poured water on, etc. A dead person, if thrown into fire wont react. In fact a dead person's lack consciousness in its totality.
There is another saying in Africa that death should not be compared with sleep. Death means the end of worldly affairs. It is a stop to every aspirations, dreams. Once someone dies, everything ends.
Some have argued that another journey begins after death but since it is not on planet earth, i will not bother myself about that.
Sleep on the other hand, is a short break from worldly affairs. A sleep can occur for few or several hours. While sleeping, the nervous system is inactive, the eyes are closed, postural muscles are relaxed, and consciousness practically suspended. This suspension is one of the differences between these two.
The suspended consciousness can be activated again and the person will come back to life. Such person can still dream and aspire things.
Circumstances surrounding death are many. It should be noted that as one can die from accident or sickness, one can also die from sleep. Some have argued that it is the most peaceful of all deaths.
Whether that is true, it is a question for those who died from sleep to answer.
But for an individuals, sleep is something we crave for. After daily activities, the next thing we want to do is relax. We want to sleep and regain our energy.
But did you know that there is a thin line between sleeping and dying. That one sleeps comfortably at home does not mean one will wake, let alone comfortably at home.
Sleep can be luxury and something one must had safely. Have you considered how the powerful men sleep? Do they sleep with their eyes open or closed?
We know that no matter how powerful you are, once you sleep, you are like a lifeless leaf wandering about in the street.
The powerful men know that these two (sleep and death) are connected so they make sure they have their most trusted aids around to watch over them before they sleep.
A sleeping man does not know if a knife is coming towards his throat or a gun is reaching for his head. Similarly, a dead man knows nothing about things around him. The only difference is you cannot kill someone who is already dead but you can kill someone who is sleeping.
These two are our realities. While sleep is daily (as nature demands), death is once and final.
We need to take a cue from the above two realities that once we sleep, we are not so different from those who are dead. The only thing we have is breath.
The fact that we wake doesn't mean we have the power to do it, neither does it mean our alarm is so powerful that it wakes us up. It just shows that death will be the end of man one day and sleep is a reminder of that day which no man has any knowledge on when it will come and how it will be.
Live right and be reminded that life can end any moment.