εἰ πάλιν ἔστι γενέσθαι, ὕπνος σ' ἔ̣χει οὐκ ἐπὶ δηρόν, εἰ δ' οὐκ ἔστιν πάλιν ἐλθεῖν, αἰώ̣νιος ὕπνος -> if it is possible for you to be born again, you will fall asleep, briefly; if it is not possible to return — it would be eternal sleep

[spiros]

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εἰ πάλιν ἔστι γενέσθαι, ὕπνος σ' ἔ̣χει οὐκ ἐπὶ δηρόν, εἰ δ’ οὐκ ἔστιν πάλιν ἐλθεῖν, αἰώ̣νιος ὕπνος -> If it is possible for you to be born again, you will fall asleep, briefly;if it is not possible to return — it would be eternal sleep

Funerary inscription in hexameters for (no name), calling death sleep; 2?; found at Smyrna: Fontrier, Mous. I 1873-5, 93, no. 79; Hirschfeld, Monatsber. Akad. Berl. 1875, 9, no. 2; Fontrier, Mous. II 1, 1875-6, 147; Kaibel 304; Nauck, Mél. Gréco-Rom. IV 1880, 652-653 (non vidi); Peek, GV I 1133; *ISmyrna 557 (PH) + II 2 p. 374.  [ ]ISmyrn 557 + II2 p. 374
https://epigraphy.packhum.org/text/255184?bookid=525&location=1694

https://www.academia.edu/12168964/_The_Sleep_of_Eros_in_a_Funerary_Epigram_from_Tomis_Peek_Griechische_Vers-Inschriften_no._1942_Within_the_Circle_of_Ancient_Ideas_and_Virtues._Studies_in_Honour_of_Professor_Maria_Dzielska_red._Twardowska_Salamon_Sprawski_Stachura_Turlej_Krak%C3%B3w_2014

The notion of death as an eternal sleep—an essentially optimistic vision of life and death—could offer some consolation: human life could be viewed as a short of span of waking between two infinite sleeps.
https://www.academia.edu/31720786/Hypnos_y_Th%C3%A1natos_La_Muerte_como_Sue%C3%B1o_en_Consolatio_ad_Apollonium_S._Amendola_G._Pace_and_P._Volpe_Cacciatore_eds._Immagini_letterarie_e_iconografia_nelle_opere_di_Plutarco._Madrid-Universit%C3%A0_di_Salerno_2017_

[billberg23]

A doctor once told me that her boyfriend had died under anaesthesia.  I remarked, stupidly, "At least he died happy."  "Wrong," she responded, "He died unaware.  That's different."  Many people don't like the idea of death as eternal sleep, and struggle through one religion after another in an attempt to convince themselves that it won't happen, that we'll still somehow be "us" after death.  As for me, I find it easy to accept, and think (indeed, hope) it's the case.  That feeling was corroborated when I had major surgery earlier this year.  Under anaesthesia, I had simply "left the building."  I was no more — no feeling, no thought, no dreams, no nothing.  And no complaints, despite the appalling things they were doing to my body.  Sure beats that tiresome heaven/hell expectation that cheats so many of us out of a real life.

[spiros]

Exactly. The non-acceptance of death for what it is, results in the non-acceptance of life for what it is—and not living it as a result.
My experience of anaesthesia has been the same. A return from nothingness. Nothingness is a guarantee for no pain. But one must have known pain to cherish this guarantee.

Milton puts it nicely: Let us seek Death, or, he not found, supply with our own hands his office on ourselves.  Why stand we longer shivering under fears. That shew no end but death, and have the power, Of many ways to die the shortest choosing, Destruction with destruction to destroy?

[billberg23]

The apostle Paul, with his Stoic background, put it nicely when he invoked the εἰρήνη ἡ ὑπερέχουσα πάντα νοῦν, the "peace that surpasses all understanding," as that terminal unconsciousness certainly would be.  But considering his mission, he had to insert τοῦ Θεοῦ after εἰρήνη. 

[spiros]

Humanity is still on a pretty low level of spiritual, scientific and evolutionary development in order to accept its fate, let alone make the best of it. Blatant lies will be the name of the game for a long time to come, whether these come from politicians or religious figures. By now, these lies have been sufficiently internalised through centuries of repetition and general lack of interest in the examined life from the hoi polloi, that they hardly need to make much effort to be convincing.