Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1869-08-30
SLEEPLESSNESS.

toll have but few yigls, while the active brain
worker, who needs sleep even more than the
weaIied laborer, often woos slumber i'm VAN
Inc cause OF this Is that in perfect sleep
mere Is iessened flow Of blood through the
brain When the brain is most in action. IN
atracs 10 itself most blood, and sIeepIessn ess
Is the result, even after the mental effort has
ceased, because when the brain has been once
stimulated to activity it requires in most Der.
sons some time before the circulation of blood
through II regains the balance which IL main.
tanned In a state of repose. Any intellectual
effort immediately before retiring to rest is sure
TO be followed in such persons by a sleepless
night and If the circulation in the brain ia
haoitually kept at an unnatural tension, the
dimeulty with which it returns TO the state
necessary for sleep Is nightly increased.
In such case the sufferer must have
rest, or loss of reason will result
writer IN Good Health for September, ON this
suoJect, says that the effects Of protracted
wakefulness sooner or later SHOW themselves
IN the strongest constitution. The person be-
comes gloomy, irritable and pesvish The
memory Is defective and the thoughts CON-
fused In some instances 1t leads the way to.
and even seems 70 be the cause Of, insanity.
Newton's mind was impaired by 1t in his later
years Southery's insanity was preceded by IL.
After recapitulation OF the causes of sleep.
lessness, mental and physical, 1--WE have con.
nned ourselves only to one mental cause
probably the most common,) the writer gives
various hints as to the promotion OF sleep in
cases where IL is wanting.
Without reference to the use OF drugs which
should never be taken without the advice of
physician, we will mention q few of ths
simple remedies suggested for waksfulness.
II Is generally essential in the sufferer to give
up the use of tea and coffee, and IL is sometimes
necessary Leave n
should take care thar he does not 20 to bed
either with cold feet, or with a stomach that
has been long empty. Many de vices for nduc-
ing somnolence have been practised with more
or less success; one of these is combing the hair
which has a very soothing eff CT on some per.
sons Another Is to have the feet gently sham.
posed. Walking about the bedroom in ones
night-dress, so as to get what DIR. Franklin
called an air bath, is q good plan, and the cold.
water bath just before retiring 70 rest. by virtue
OF Its stimulating action, often successful
In more refractory cases the warm bath may
be uied,-it acts by Withdrawing the blood
from the brain. On the same principle, the up.
right position, by fayorIng the return of blood
from the head, is sometimes useful. Ii is,
indeed, no uncommon thing TO meet people
who sleep with great facility when sittingIua
carIl2ge, but who sleep with difficulty when
lying down IN bed.
lac Oc>t OcN 70 upon Is a n1ir mattress,
and the worst of all is that made of feathers
People "a rule go to sleep most easily when
lying on the right side. Proper ventilation of
the bedroom Is indispensable for sound sleep
and for health. Sufficient outdoor exercise
should IN every instance be taken, and those
who are strong enough should carry il 10 a
sense of fatigue.
Nothing Is more important in or der TO secure
sleep than TO diminish the Intensity OF thought.
njer favorable circumstances this can gen.
orally be effected By the will. In other in
stances, however, the more the will is exer-
Clsed against it, the more attention is given
10 the uusnt thought At length the will,
borne down BY the torrent of ideas. give, way
altogether, and prolra cted sIesplessness results
Ii hardly necessary TO repeat here that such
al active state of brain implies thar the circu-
laiIon through il Is active, and that II is the
opposite OF this condition which prevails 10
sleep. One of the must effsc:ual modes Of coua-
teractIrg this state OF things Is to force upon
the attention some monotonous tram CT thou yht,
and TO tire The brain by Its constant repetition
Reading dull book on a heavy SUBJECT some
INES answers. Repeating short verses over
and over, or counting backwards, Is often sue
Cessiul. Monotonous sounds act in this way
Boerhaave ordered for a sleepless patient that
water should be so arranged as to drop con.
stan'ly on metal pan. Tue whole chance OF
success lies in compelling the md by a strong
effort Of the Will to give mp the train Of ideas
by which IT has been occupied and 70 take up
perceptions presented to It.