Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1861-09-27
We Sleep too little.

III nlSht, anu HoJ udy, Is thc 'iho I
sleep, then it may be said that the gener
al principle prevails that the amount o
sleep should be regulated by the dividing
line between light and darkness and tha
this view may be accepted as the correc
one, is determinablc from analogy; it be
ing true that animals accept it, and ac
upon it in the temperate latitudes, which
arc supposed to be the most favorable to-
the development of the human organism
in its highest proportions.
Take the year together, day and nigh
arc about equal and were mankind with
in these ATTITUDES to live according to th'
laws OF life and health in other directions
they would sleep while darkness is on thu
face of the earth, and be active only du
ring the period in which light was abun
dant. As a habit and fashion with oul
people, we sleep too little. 1t is admit
ted by all those who are competent tt
speak on the subject, that the people o
the United States, from day to day dc
not get sufficient rest.
BY the prcpondcrance OF the nervous
over the vital temperament, they need al
the recuperating benefits which sleep cat
offer during each nj ght as it passes.
a far better rule would be to get al
least eight hours, and, including sleep
ten hours of incumbent rest. 1t is a sad
mistake that some make, who suppose
themselves qualified to speak on the sub
jcct, in affirming that persons of highly
wrought nervous temperament nccd--as
compared with those Of Emphatic, OF
stolid organization--lcss sleep. The truth
is, that where power is expended with
great rapidity, by u constitutional law, ii
is re-gathcred slowly-thc reactions after
a while demanding much more time for
the gathering up of the new force, thar
the direct effort demands in cxpendiug
that force.
Thu, man of the nervous tcmpcra'
ment, after he has established habit Of
OVERRIDING, RECEIVERS from the effect of such
overaction much more slow y than mar
of different temperament would, II the
balance between his power to do and hi
power to rest is destroyed. As bctweer
the nervous and the lymphatic tempcra.
ment, therefore, where excess OF work +
demanded, it will always be seen that al
the close of the days labor, whether i
has been of muscle or thought, the MAJ
Of nervous temperament, who is tired
finds it difficult to fall asleep, sleeps per
turbcdly, wakes up cxcitedly, and is more
apt than otherwise to resort TO stlmulant
to place himself in conditions of pleasur
able activity; while a man of lymphat
temperament, when tired, falls asleep
sleeps soundly and uninterruptcdly, an'
wakes mp in the morning new man.
The facts are against the theory tina
nervous tempcramcnts recupcratc quickl.
from fatigues to which their possessor
are subjected Three-fourths of on
drunkards are from the ranks of the ner
vous temperament. Almost all the OPT
um caters in our country-and their nam
is Legion-are persons of the nervous o
nervous sanguine temperament. Almos
all the men in the country who becom
victims of narcotic drug medication ar
of the nervous or of the nervous >angdn
temperament. That the general habit o
dependence upon stimulants, or stimulan
narcotics, is almost entirely confined t
persons of the nervous temperament
shows that the taxations to which the
subject themselves are not readily rcacte
from, and that under their methods Of liz
ing they find it difficult 10 depend upo
the natural force, to make good their loss
cs within the time they alot for that pul
pose.
The rule, therefore, should be the othc
way from that which it is supposed to be
that persons OF highly wrought ncryou
organizations need but little sleep.
should be the habit with such persons t
sleep largely, and to Insist upon sue
freedom from exercise, both of bod
and mind, and such external condition
of rcposc as gradually to bring the brai
to acknowledge such relations to the GEL
cral structures as well as to enable it, OF
cans to become 50 refreshed that the
may, when duty is resumed, perform
with accustomed yet healthy yigor.-D
Jackson.