Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1881-11-02
FACTS ABOUT SLEEP.


Sir Philip Sidney calls sleep the
poor mans wealth, and he might have
added, it is every mans health. Men
have often, according to their own no
tions, attempted to limit or extend the
hours of sleep. Thus, the "immortal
Alfred" Of England, divided the day
into three portions OF eight hours each,
assigning one for refresbment and the
health OF the body, by sleep, diet and
exercise; another for business, and the
third for study and devotion. Bishop
Taylor considered three hours, and
Richard Baxter tour hours sleep, suf.
ticlent for any man.
"Nature requires Eve,
Custom gives seven,
Laziness takes nine
And wickedness eleven
The error into which these and 9TH
ers have fallen, arises not only from
the fact that in this, as well as ia other
things, every man is law to himself
but from the varying amount required
in each individual case at different
times, depending upon the amount Of
renovation required by the nervous
and muscular systems.
John Wesley, the distinguished
founder of Methodism, who attained
the age of eighty-eight, and who com.
manded sleep on horseback, says very
properly in some curious remarks he
has left on sleep, that no one measure
will do for all, nor will the same amount
of sleep suffice even for the same per-
son at all times.
A person debilitated by sickness re.
quires moro of "tired natures sweet
restorer," than one ip vigorous health.
More sleep is also necessary when the
strength and spirits are exhausted by
hard labor or severe mental efforts.
Whatever may be the case with some
few persons OF a peculiar constitution,
1t is evident that health and vigor can
scarcely be expected to continue long
without six hours sleep in the four aud
twenty. Wesley adds that during his
long life be never knew any individual
who retained vigorous health for a
whole year, with less quantity of
sleep than this.
There are some remarkable cases on
record Of deviations Tor the customary
amount OF sleep. Many persons have
reached an advanced age without ever
having had more than one or two
hours sleep out Of twenty.four. There
is one case of man. who, throughout
bis whole life never slept more than
fifteen minutes at one time.
Frederick, of Prussia, and Napoleon,
as a general thing, only devoted three
or four hours to sleep,
The influence Of habit in promoting
or preventing sleep is remarkable
Some persons can only sleep in the
dark. We knew q woman who slept
habitually with u candle burning in
her bedroom and who invariably
awoke If the light went out. We have.
heard Of a boiler-maker who could 90
to sleep in boiler while the workmen
WIZ NohoAShNll huululNlluH Nut IlNtAs.
Couriers on long journeys nap on
horseback, and coaohmen on the boxes.
Franklin is said 70 have slept nearly
an hour swiming on his back.
The following calculation is interest.
ing Suppose one hoy, aged ten years,
determines to rise at five o'clock the
year round. Another, of the same
age, indolent and of case, rises at eight
every morning. If they both live to
be seventy years old, the one will have
gained over the other, during the in.
tervening period of sixty years, sixty.
five tbousandseven hundred and forty
five hours, which is equal to two
thousand, seven hundred and thirty
nine and one third days, or just seven
and a half years. If a similar calcu-
lation were applied to the whole coun
try, how many millions of years Of in.
dividual usefulness would il prove to
be lost to society p GledHings for the
Curious.