The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1877-07-14
700 LITTLE SLEEP,

Wnatn necessity Is tnefc Tor DONG eltfef
Our American people are in little dan
ger of trusting out" and such a nerv-
GUS, wiery, restless people may be too
tough to wear out easily. The number
oflong-lived persons to be found in almost
every town would indicate that, as d
people, We are hard to kill. But it is
not so much the loss OF life that is to be
unprecedented from the hurried, energetic
way in which our countrymen rush into
and dash through everything they I'M
dertake as ME wear and tear of the
nervous system,
Too little sleep is an evil injurious to
old and young which is little noticed by
those who should have carefully guarded
the health of those under their influence.
Those who frequent places Of fashionable
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS, balls, theatres or
concerts-are invariably kept up late,
and on reaching heme are wakeful from
the unnatural excitement, the miserable
practice of late suppers, and the tea and
coffee, if nothing stronger, that is pro-
vided. BuSs, though they seek the bed
at most unreasonable hours, if they are
people of business or compelled to at
tend to household cares they cannot
afford to regain lost sleep by late rising;
or if young, and with no cares that are
imperious, a long sleep after the sun is
up is not half so refreshing or healthful
as fit was secured in the night-the
natural time for sleep.
Some foolish king once said, six hours
are enough for a man, seven for a woman,
and eight for a fool" How many moth
ers with young children obtain I'VE
hours of quiet sleep? If by chance they
and many others could secure eight
hours they ought not to be charged with
folly. The amount of sleep supposed to
be necessary to insure good health and
steady nerves depends much upon the
nature of the occupation through the
day, but more still upon the constitution.
Some are 50 seriously active that they con-
slider a few hours rest sufficient; and
ever in sleep they find no respite from
the daily care, but live it all over again
in their dreams. IT one expostulates
with them for giving SO few hours t. rest
and sleep they will assure you that they
need no more, and that they are as fresh
and bright in the early morning and
through the day as they would be if they
had i" wasted" double the time in bed.
Such persons are sure to pay heavily in
later years for the rest of which they
robbed their youth.
A sleep which is but q pretense- half
sleeping, half w~aking-is indicative of
some unnatural strain upon the nerves.
A healthtfs sound sleep, which gives per
feet rest to all the functions of the brain
and the entire nervous system, will re-
store the vigor used up through a day of
active mental r physical labor, and
mind and body thus refreshed and
strengthened during the hours of dark
ness. will spring up elastic with the first
blush of morning light, eager for renewed
work, which, after suchp 4 healthful
sleep, becomes a pleasure.
Infants need all the sleep they can be
induced to take. Sleeping and eating is
all that can be expected of them. Their
rapidly developing bodies demand this,
and if healthy will secure it; and all the
way up from infancy, through childhood,
there is little fear of their sleeping too
much. But when the body is fully ma
tured, from seven to eight hours, accord
ing to the nature of the daily ~avocations,
is a fair supply for good health if taken
at the proper hours for sleep, after the
"early to bed, early to rise" rule. There
are exceptions to this rule, of course, oc-
casionally, after some season of great ex-
element or exhaustion, such as cannot
always be avoided.
Mental labor demands more sleep than
physical labor but from mature youth
past middle age more than eighthours in
bed is facilitating. If some peculiar
temperaments and some %ayocations re-
quire mere than that amount of sleep,
better take a half hour Or an hour ever
in the middle of the day. When old ago
draws near, more sleep will be required,
of course.
AS a general rule if body and mind
have full exercise through the day, ifthe
supper is light, and the evening is spent
in a happy, quiet and sensible manner !;
if n retires to a well ventilated cham
Der, and keeps it SO through the night,
a sound and healthy sleep WILDE the nat
ural result almost as soon as the head
touches the pillow on the, contrary, it
the evenings are spent in work or amuse-
ments that require late hours, the same
excitement which compels that will follow
one to the bed, and fevered itfuI dreams
will be the result, from which one rises
more languid and weary than when he
retired.