Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-05-25
HOW TO SLEEP.

The question of how to sleep is by no
means an unimportant one. We have here
tofore referred to the enormous increase In
insanity ia this State. The modern Ameri-
can lives at high pressure; he is in conse-
quence unable TO get his proper amount OF
sleep; insomnia develops-it has indeed be-
come one of the settled diseases of the coun-
try.-and it leads to insanity and death. a
timely little book dealing with the subject,
by Dr. Leonard j. Corning, has some useful
suggestions in the matter. The author in
sisls that our national danger now is the in
creasiug excess of waste over repair IN the
tissues of the body and the forces of the
brain. 1t is not that we work too much, but
rest too little, get too little real nutrition, and
so reduce our vital forces and working ca
paciy TO low lovel. lie holds that
the loss of sleep is Que of the prolific causes
of the terrible wear aud tear of modern life
on health; aud the. inability 10 sleep in rest
full way is one of the causes of insanity.
What we call civilization is steadily and in.
sidiously cncrocahng on the province which
naturc made over TO the body for recupera-
ton. For the time of all others for restful
and recupcrative sleep is early after sunset.
The best sleep comes in the first part of the
night. But our modern ways of living en-.
croach dlsastrously on this territory; and
they also excite the nerves and stimulate the
body so that good sleep is seldom got after.
ward. And one physical trouble which MAKE s
sleep difficult if not impossible is that the
brain gets overcharged with blood. The
tendency of blood to the head become chron.
ic at last, and when the person becomes the
victim of cerebral activity there is no way of
stopping 1t seems in some cases as though
the brain would burst the skull, or that the
top of the head would be blown off.
DR.. Corning says that the two things which
are requisite fer good sleep are the exhaus-
ton of the force accumulated in the nerve
centres by work or exercise of some sort,
and large reduction of the blood in the
head. Sleep taken in the daytime, before the
body or nerves have become fatigued, is not
restful nor particularly beneficial, and sleep
when the brain is charged with a-terial blood
is exhaustiny, when possible. The first con-
d;.ien af elaor &c faiignn md tho second is n
cool head, quiet, calm condition OF the
good sleep enough, Dr. Corning says that in
the first place people should have regular
time FOR going to sleep, and il should be as
soon as can well be after sunset. People who
sleep at any time, according to convenience
get less benefit from their sleep than others ;
getting sleep becomes more difficult: there
is a tendency to nervous excitability and de-
rangcmcnt the repair OF the system does
not equal the waste. The more finely or
gained people are the greater the difficulty
and the danger from this cause. The first
thing in order to sleep well is to go to bed at
a regular hour, and make it as early as pos
siblc. The next thing ls to exclude all worry
and exciting subjects of thought from the
mind some time before retiring. The body
and mind must be let down from the high
pressure strain before going TO bed, so that
nature can assert her rightful supremacy af-
terward, Another point is. never TO thwart
the drowsy impulse when 1t comes at the
regular time by special effoits to keep awake
for this drowsiness is the advance guard of
healthy, restorative sleep, Sleep is boon
which must not be tempered with and put
off, for If compelled to wait, it is never so
perfect and restful as if taken in its
own natural time and way. The
right side is the best to sleep on.
except in special cases of disease, and
the position should be nearly horizontal. Fl
nally, the evening meal should be composed
of food most easily digestcd and assmilatcd
so that the stomach will have little hard work
to do. heavy, rich dinner taken 10 the
evening is one of the things that murder
sleep. Late suppers with exciting foods and
stimulating drinks make really restorative
sleep next to impossible. Narcotics are to
be avoided, save as used in cases of disease
by competent physicians. The proper time,
according to DR.. Corning, to treat sleepless-
ness is in the daytime, and it must be treated
by wise and temperate method of living
rather than by medicines. All this has de-
cidedly common-sense air. and DR.. Corning's
suggestions are unquestionably of value. And
should the end at which they are aimed be
attained, no doubt good deal of the debili.
ty, the nervous troubles and the insanity OF
our time would be prevented.