The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1883-11-09
The Importance Of Sleep.

That the system may become recuper.
a.ed after the activities and toll Of
everyday life, the vital powers re-cre-
ated that the body may sustain itself. q
rest, the highest form of which we cali
sleep, is an absolute necessity. To Sc
cure this latter type. q comparative
cessation of the functions of the brain,
with diminished activity of all of the
functions of the body, are absolutely
necessary. A similar condition, in
deed. is found throughout the animal
kingdom, to some extent observable in
the vegetable world Many of the flow
ers close at night, about as the glorious
sun. the source of life and activity to
them and mortals, recedes from view,
apparently INDUCING in restful, quiet
sleep.
The fact, also, that these activities
and labors. both physical and mental,
waste vital energies, actually diminish
inc the tissues of the whole body. is sug-
geStive of the necessity for the restora-
ton of these fibrils, ETC., which can not
be effected naturally without sleep,
often in abundance. 1t is probable, in
The general average, that one-third OF
the time is spent in rest and sleep, by
the higher and lower forms of the ami
mate creation, some of the lower devot-
ing far more time to sleep than man.
This is particularly true OF such Great
ures as gorge themselves, taking an
amount Of food nearly, equal to their
own weight, then slU ping for days
and even weeks.
Rest and sleep are alike demanded by
the body, as a whole, the muscular sys-
tenn, the brain and nerves. Indeed, the
brain-workers, those whose nerves are
particularly taxed, both by direct labor
and by cares and anxieties, have q
special need of much sleep, more than
the mere physical toiler, who naturally
sleeps so sweetly, while such repose is
more difficult on account of brain ac-
sivity, as often illustrated in diseases Of
the brain. This class seldom secure a
sufficient amount of sleep, which will
partially account for the fact that they
often break down in early life, are often
the victims of dyspepsia and kindred
affections. There may be poetry on
"burning the midnight OIL" but this
class must soon learn that there u no
safety in violating Gods laws!
The mother, with her many and per-
picking labors. with the increased labor
attendant on sickness, with watchings
and anxieties known only to the moth
er, needs far more sleep than she or
dinarily secures. There is no sufficient
reason why all of these anxieties should
fall only on the mother, while the father
quietly reads his political paper-or
quietly sleeps, as if he had no response
bility in the matter. That sleep may be
the most refreshing and restorative, the
brain should be in its most restful state,
the freest from anxiety and labor.
all of the functions of the body as
restful as possible, laboring at
diminished rate, the stomach in
cluded. 1t is true that digestion does
often proceed when there is much devi-
alton from favorable conditions, IS
matter of habit or necessity, yet the
best sleep is obtained when the stomach
is not laboring hard, or under unfavor-
able circumstances. Unlike the heart
and lungs, laboring at all hours, though
at diminished rate during sound sleep,
the stomach was not made for unceas-
inc tolls. A light supper, therefore.
often its utter omission, when there IS
no appetite-will favor sound and re-
freshinp sleep. / need scarcely TO add
that night, with darkness, IS the best
time for the sleep of human beings 1t
is safe to initiate the habits of the birds
in this regard, sleeping most in the
early part OF the night. Hda'aa-
| ford. IN Golden RaIe.