Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1873-09-18
Ghildreu's department.
lOriginal.]
SLEEP.

By the ancients, sleep and death were called
twin brothers. Between the two there are
some striking resemblances; but in many
other respects they bear no likeness to each
other. In sleep there is suspension of those
organs of the body that are under the control
of the will, so that they do not, for the time,
discharge their functions. In sleep the
eyes are not only shut, but the power of see
ing is suspended. Were the eyes of the sleep
er opened, he would remain as though he were
blind until awakened The same is true with
regard to the other senses So far as the
senses are concerned, we are partially dead
during sleep. In sleep, however, the heart
continues to beat, the blood to circulate, and
the breathing goes on just as. it does when
we are awake. 1t is the body and not the
mind that sleeps. The muscles become tired
or weary and need that rest which is afforded
by sleep. Children require great deal of
sleep. For the first six months of their exis-
tence, they are asleep nearly all the time.
No person can do we'll on much less than
eight hours sleep. Many do not take near
this amount Of time to sleep; but they do
themselves real injury. The individual
who will not take time to sleep, in the end, is
a great loser. His muscles become weak,
h;s nervous system becomes deranged and
his general health fails, and the result is he
becomes prematurely old, and either dies be-
fore old age comes upon him, or drags out
an old age of infrmity. The individual who
denies himself sufficient quantity of sleep,
cheats himself out of health and strength,
both of body and mind.
The proper time for grown people to sleep
is night. In health no young man or woman
should indulge in even nap during the day.
If young person is unwell nap may be ia
ken as cure. With children and old persons
it is different. The former are weak because
the muscles are not mature; and the latter
are weak because the whole system is gradu'
ally giving away.
The first part of the night is more favora-
BILE for sleep than the latter part. 1t was a
saying of Franklin, that 'early to bed and
early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy
and wise" This is not absolutely true, but
it is, in the msip, correct. The student that
trims the midnight lamp is not always wise.
He would do better to 60 to bed early and
rise soon in the morning and 60 to work when
fresh and strong. Sometimes students sit up
till late in the night and then lie in bed until
the sun is away up in the sky. This may
secure for student the reputation Of being
studious, but that is about all the poor fellow
will get for his selfdenial.
To a sick man a good sound sleep is worth
more than all the drugs in the best supplied
apothecary shop. Deprive we'll man of
sleep for short time and he will get sick.
Without sleep the sane man will 60 crazy.
All that some crazy persons need to restore
them to sanity, is good sound sleep.
In order to enjoy the blessing of a refresh
ing sleep, we should not 60 to bed with our
stomachs crammed with strong food. One
reason, and the principal one too, why chill
dren sleep so badly is that they have eaten
too much Immediately before going to bed.
Overloaded stomachs are the mothers of
nightmares, frightful dreams, groups, colics,
worm spasms and host Of other ailments in
children. Men who eat heavy meat suppers
know very little about the luxury ofa sound
sleep. The great promoter of sound sleep in
men is clear conscience. The conscience of
some men will not let them sleep. They
spend the day in folly and vice and the night
in bitter reflections.