Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1869-09-07
The Art of Sleeping.
From the Boston Traveller

| sicepluS. 1ney can lie down ana go
to sleep anywhere, and at any time,
and under almost any conceivable
circumstances. They can sleep when
they are sick, end sleep away their
sickness they can sleep when they
are in trouble, and forget all their
cares. They can sleep on soft bed j,
or on hard one with comfortable
pillows under their heads, or without
them. They could lie down ain the
midst of the sea" or "upon the top
of u mast" and sleep-sleep.
And even if they cannot find a
place to stretch themselves, they can
still sleep, bolt-upright, in chair, in
a car, or anywhere their heads
wagging round, to be sure, but their
senses locked up quietly in the.arms
of sloep-sweet sleep. They can do
all this on an empty stomach, and so
forget their hunger and they can do
it equally we'll on full stomach, and
leave nature to take care of its load.
Such people may truly be said to
possess the gift of sleep. Some per-
sons may call them sleepy heads =
yet they contrive to get through the
world very comfortably and though
they may not be lean and hungry
looking, and may even be inclosed
in their own fat, some of them, they
are not necessarily heavy and stupid
when awake. We chance to know
some of this breed of sleeping men
and women, who are a match for
anybody when awake. But sleep to
them is a gift, not an art, nor an ac-
QUESTION.
There is, however, another class
of humans-and much the most nu~
mer0us class too-who are poor
slcepers, light sleepers, dainty sleep
ers with whom isleep-good, sound,
refreshing, continuous sleeps the
exception in their experience, and
net the rule. These people need to
study the art of sleeping. And first
and foremost, they must carefully
guard against the use Of indigestible
TODD and every thing that tends to
the arrangement Of the stomach.
Three quarters of all our sleepless-
ness arises from inquietude of the in.
festival canal. A plentiful, out di-
gestible and simple dinner, light
aud very plain supper taken several
hours before bedtime, a sponge bath
before going to bed, which anybody
can have in his own chamber a well
aired bed room, and not over heavy
bed clothing, rather light to begin
with, with reserve blanket for after
midnight, if needed-are all wise
precautions for tt . ight sleeper.
Light and plea ,ant employments
and enjoyments for some hours be-
fore retiring are also quite desirable.
The diversion of the mind from any
absorbing, and particularly any dis
comforting and troublesome subject
of thought, is also quite necessary.
And then good fair start towards
sleep, when the bed is first reached,
is very important. Every man,
when he gets into bed, should settle
himself quietly at once, and then
say-"Now | lay me down to Sleep"
and suit his actions to the words.
If he once begins 70 turn from side
to sside, it is all over with him. 1t
will be all night with him.
There is more in this getting of a
fair start at once, than most people
are aware of. 1t is like getting a
good start in a race-the inside Of
the ring. After all, however, one
may be beaten. Put the chances
will be greatly in his favor, if in ad-
dition to previous precautions and
preparations, he lays himself down at
once to sleep.
But suppose he wakes out OF his
first sleep, after an hour or two.
Why then he must play 'possum and
pretend sleep, and insist that he is
only half awake at most, and by no
means allow himself to be fully rous~
ed, if he can possibly avoid it. Peo,
pie go to sleep by sections, and they
wake up ordinarily in the same way !;
and if care is used, the whole man
may not be reused, and only part
will have to be quoted again. Yet,
after ALL the sleep>seeker may mis-
erably fail Of his intended rest for
the best device of men and mice will
sometimes gang aWry and then
there is nothing better to do but to
get up for walk round the room, q
draught of water, a quiet rock in an
easy chair, thorough cooling of the
person and the bed, and another at
tempt at sleep.
Above all things avoid getting in
to a fret because of your sleepless.
ness. Don't think it a very grevious
or unusual thing for one to be awake
three or four hours on the stretch.
1t won't kill you. You will soon get
used to the thing, or by patient
painstaking will partially overcome
the restless habit. We know men
who are reasonably hale and hearty,
though approaching their threescore
years and ten, who yet hardly know
from their own experience what an
uninterrupted lights sleep means,
and whole nights are ordinarily bros
ken by hours OF wakefulnesss.
The will has much to do with ones
sleep. By training, the mind and
body may be taught to obey pretty
generally the determinations of the
will. John Wesley learned to go to
sleep when he would, and where he
would, and to sleep as long as he
would. If he had half an hours leis.
ure, and needed sleep, he would
throw himself down and take the re>
quired rest. Daniel Webster, if we
mistake not, had something of the
same power Of going to sleep when
he would. And though everybody
cannot do exactly as Wesley or Web.
ster did, they may approximate
towards thenf by the persistent ex-
ercise of the will in controlling mind
and body and even partial success
viii pay for al the trouble taken.
The father OF deserted wife. OF