Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1873-03-26
COaxine SIumber.

There is no reason to doubt the fact
that the most wakeful person will find it
easy enoug b to 60 to sleep if he heeds the
words of the scientific people, and sets
about the matter in such a way that
"there shall be an accumulation in the or
ganism of the products Of oxidation, and
mainly of carbonic acid, that accumulation
being favored and controlled by reflex
action of the nervous system, which thus
protects the organism from excessive oxi-
dation, and also allows the organism to
manifest its normal functional activity
throughout succeeding rhythmic period" :"
But as there are persons who might
worry their minds by endeavoring to ar
range matters according to this pro-
gramme, we may as we'll try to consider this
desirable Rhythmic period from simple
point of view.
The matter has been so thoroughly dis
cussed in the journals Of the land, ever
since sleeplessness became national dis
ease, that we do not pretend to offer any
new ideas in regard to it. We will merely
assert, that if We want to 60 to sleep and
find ourselves unable to do so in the ordi-
nary way, it is an excellent plan to fix our
mind upon something uninteresting, and to
keep it there. Here is the gst of nearly
everything that has been said about the
mental processes of inducing sleep
Nearly every one knows of something or
somebody decidedly uninteresting, and
there are those who could afford to furnish
subjects of this nature to their friends.
But it must be admitted that it is hard to
keep ones mind at work upon dull and
unengrossing theme. There is constant
tendency to get interested in something and
so keep awake. Generally it is the fact
that we are awake and ought to be asleep
that occupies our minds, and few subjects
could possess a more painful interest at
the time. In consequence of this tendency.
this affinity of the mind for matters of IN
terest, 1t is often necessary to give color
of pleasurable sensation to the object of
mental contemplation. La this way We
can think of the thing long enough to get
perfectly tired out, and so, unconsciously,
drop off into sumber.
For instance, suppose we imagine that
We are rowing boat. regu arly and
steadily, along quiet and heavily shaded
stream. (This is a most excellent imagin-
alton to 90 to sleep upon. We know a
man who fell into slumber every night for
months thinking upon this fancy, and in oil
that time he never rowed his boat quar-
ter OF mile from the starting place
Well, this idea of boat and pair of oars
may be so extremely uninteresting to some
men, that it would be impossible for them
to produce the proper effect. In such a
case 1t miget be well to put a lady in the
stern of the boat But it is necessary to
be careful here. This female mus: not be
very interesting. We would recommend
lady not too young, some quiet, thoughtful
person, with what is generally known as
- superior mind" There should be but
little conversation, and that Of a nature to
induce somnolent reflection. For instance,
the lady might remark, after a period OF
silence, that she should think that people
living IN COnstantinople would always
feel themselves under the influence Of
spell. Now one might be quite certain
that such a remark, made by thoughtful
woman with a superior mind, would have
in it, and the quiet persistence
necessary to discover the reference of the
remark to the fact that few cities had |
furnished such fertile opportunities for
spelling as -s-t-a-n-t-l-n-o-p-l-e to-
gether with the gentle and monotonous
exercise with the oars, will be almost GER
tain to put one to sleep-if anything can.
Persons who are in the habit of lying
awake in the morning, before it is time to
get up, will often find that if they can but
impress it upon their minds that they
ought to get up Immediately, and that it
is wrong for them to lie still moment
longer, the bed will begin to grow more
attractive, and the gentle stupor that
be-ets people who ought to get out of bed |
but who want to stay there, will steal upon
them. Every one who has wished he cou Id |
be as delightfully."- sleepy on Sunday or
holiday mornings as he is ON days when he
must rise early to his work, will appreciate
this plan.-Frank Stockton =; Scri6ner's
for APRIL