Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1883-12-06
The importance OF Sleep.

That the system may become recup
Grated after the activities and toll Of
everyday life, the vital powers re-cre
ated that the bodies may sustain itself
rest, the highest form of which we call
sleep, is an absolute necessity. To Sc
cure this latter type, a comparative cess
alton of the functions of the brain, with
diminished activity Of all of the fun
ctions of the body, are absolutely necess
airy. A similar condition, indeed, i,
found throughout the animal kingdom
to some extent observable in the veget
able world. Many of the flowers close
at night, about as the glorious sun, the
scource of life and activity to them and
mortals, recedes from view, apparently
indulging in restful, quiet sleep.
The fact, also, that these activities
and labors, both physical and mental,
waste vital energies, actually diminish
ing the tissues of the whole body is sug.
gestive of the necessity for the restora-
ton of these fbrils, etc, which can not
be effected mutually 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 animate
creation, some of the lower deyoting far
more time to sleep than man. This is
particularly true of such creatures as gor-
ge themselves, taking an amount of food
nearly equal to their own weight, then
sleeping for days and even weeks.
Rest and sleep are alike demanded by
the body, as a whole, the muscular sys-
TEN, the brain and nerves. Indeed, the
brain-workers, those whose nerves are
particularly taxed, both by direct labor
and by cares add anxieties, have spec
ial 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 activity, is
often illustrated in diseases Of the brain
This class seldom secure a sufficient a
mount of sleep, which will partially ac-
count 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 is no safety in violating
Gods laws!
The mother with her many and per-
picking labors, with the increase labor
attendant on sickness, with watchings
and anxieties known only to the mother,
needs far more sleep than she ordinarily
secures. There is no sufficient reason
why all these anxieties should fall only
in the mother while the father quietly
reads his political paper-or quietly
sleeps, as if he had no responsibility 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 pos
sible, laboring at "A diminished rate, the
stomach included 1t is true that di-
gestion does often proceed when there is
much deviation from favorable conditions
as a 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, through
at diminishing rate during sound sleep
the stomach was not made for unceas-
ing tolls A light supper, therefore
often its utter omission, when there is
no appetite-will favor sound and re-
freshing sleep. | need scarcely to add
that night with darkness, is the best
time for the Of human being. 1t is safe
to initiate the habits of the bird in this
regard, sleeping most in the early part
Of the night.-Dr. Hannaford, IN cold
en- RRle.