The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1848-11-17
VOL. lX.:-NO. H..
Sleep.

Man isso constituted, that after engaging
either III physical or mental labor Tor n GER
tain number OF hours every day a feeling Of
fatigue is induced and he sinks into a state
OF Inconsistencies for number of ho,,rs,
and then awakes with "nature refreshed"
and ready to toll on again for profit or plea
sure. tits necessary part ui our existence
to enjoy sleep, and the more uninterrupted
the sleep, the more refreshing il is. tits
during the honrs of sleep that the electric
battery OF the nervous system is replenished
with invigorated powers. 1t is therefore O
matter of no little consequence TO examine
into means which will tend TO refreshing re.
pose. The state of the body before going
to bed, the kind of bed, clothes and veniila-
tim must all be taken into account. A full
meal before going TO bed generally gives
rise TO unpeasing night visions and broken
sleep; therefore such things should be avoid
ed. 1t is not so refreshing for person TO
lie on the back as on the side and the right
side is the best, although many from habit
feel no 'iheasiness from lying Oh the back,
or on the left side.
IN regard to the kind of beds most sua.
Bile for refreshing slumber, there are differ.
ences OF opinion-some are advocates for
soft, and Others for hard beds. The differ.
ence between the twois this, sthe weight Of
the body Oh soft bed presses on a larger
surface than on hard bed, and consequent.
ly more comfort is enjoyed Children should
never be allowed to sleep on hard beds, aud
parents errwho suppose that such beds con.
tribute to health, hardening and developing
the constitution Of their children. Wehave
read accounts Of few quilts being good
beds Tor children in summer, others "a corn
husk mattiass,' or "a pine board with piece
of WOODEN laid upon it, The latter kind Of
bed is gross violation of the laws for the
preservation of health. Eminent physi.
clans, DIR. Darwin among tie number, state
that 'hard beds have frequently proven in
furious 10 the shape Of inian.s.' Birds Gov
er their nests for their tender offspring, with
The softest down or the most vclvetty moss.
The softness of bed, is no evidence of it
being unhealthy, and they have but poor
understanding Of the laws Of nature who
think otherwise. TO render sleep refresh
ing in warm weather, the body should be
balbed every night and the bed room should
be OF large dimensions, not the life. destroy-
ing box named 'bed.rooms,' for which our
cities are famous, owing 10 the value Of city
property. From correct statistics, il has
been observed that the deaths of children Of
the poorer classes nnderten years of age are
in proportion to the children of the higher
classes as ten to FIVE. Poor beds is one
cause of this mortality. Above all things
however, it should never be overlook ed, that
cleanliness tends more to healthy sleep than
anything else. In warm weather night
clothes should be light, and a thin blanket
isPerhaps the best covering that can be used,
but many assert that cotton sheet is pre-
ferable, and il the clothing products Of warm
climates are any data whereby we may form
sound opinion, the latter covering must be
The best. tits all nonsense TO suppose that
stronger frame, and can bear more faticne
than the civilized man, owing TO his soualid
bed and what is called 'ihe hardy manner
in which he is reared.' The civilized man
has better constitution, If he is a man of
temperate habits, and he has also stronger
frame and can endure more fatigue. The
officers of Napoleon's army at the retire at
from Moscow, endured the fatiaues far BET.
ter than the common soldiers, and there arc
abundant evidences 10 prove, that a gener.
Gus rearing tends to produce nobler phys.
ical and mental constitution, than 10 be rear.
ed amid poverty and stunted with hardship.
Those who point TO the advantages of bar.
barrie life can use no good argument for bet.
tering the condition of the poorer classes.
1t is an old exploded doctrine, that the chill.
dren of the poor are healthier and stronger
than the children Of the rich. If this was
'intuc, poverty surely were blessing. We
u Nnclude by saying that good, soft and clean.
t DC beds for children and adults, will tend
ndrea'ly TO promote health by producing re-
onfeshing slumbrr, especially 10 the weary
)eYorkman.- Scientific dmericdn.
md