The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1884-05-09
SLEEP AND s1EEp1EssNEss
Causes and Cure Of 1nsomnia-olesp
Walking, etc. ~

WAlk10Bp etc. tFi
DR.. Henry Gibbons. Jr., Dean of the
College Faculty at San Francisco, lately
delivered o lecture on this subject. He
began by saying that a definition of
sleep is not easily given. Poets have
it to death. The latter is the
permanent cessation of oil the functions;
sleep is the temporary suspension and
cessation of all the faculties. Notice
that a total suspension of all the facul-
ties is not necessary. It has been said
that the mind never rests. Dreams ri
frequenti in sleep. Portions of the body,
when a person begins to go to sleep,
suspend action n by one, and then
the brain is effected. First the vision
to become dimmed. and then the
senses cease one after another. In sleep,
The forces of the body are not wasted;
they are recuperated.
Persons often sleep regardless of eff
fort; they sink down from sheer e0-
haustion. The speaker cited q number
of historical instances when men in re-
.sponsible positions, as y gunner at his
post, have been known to drop down
from exhaustion and ~serenely sleep,
amid the roar of battle and the carnage
going on about them.
Sleep is for the mind what rest is for
the body. Sleeplessness is All indica-
ton Of the need of sleep and the warn
ing of the heavy closing of the eyelids
should not be neglected.
Sleep is q matter of habit. To a per-
sol in the habit of sleeping in the day
it is with difficulty that sleep is obtained
at night. There is no doubt that night
is the propcrtime for sleep. Darkness
and quiet all tend to make this the pc
Rod Of rest. In regard to time for sleep
Mt night, an old proverb has said that
one hour before midnight is worth two
hours afterward. The habit of chang
ing night into day, as is the increasing
custom so much among certain classes
in u large cities, is to be regretted.
In regard to the amount of sleep
necessary, it differs according to age
and constitutional condition of the per-
son. The infant sleepsthe greater part
Of the time. Sleeping and nursing are
the principal occupations of the normal
and healthy babe. The more they
sleep the better they thrive.
In middle life, when constitutional
vigor is the greatest, the need of sleep
is at its minimum. To a great extent
the amount of sleep is a matter of habit.
The strong and healthy need less than
the delicate. For students a celebrated
professor recommended nine hours
sleep. Brain-workers require more
than others.
In contrast to these are the historic
records of the lives of Napoleon,
Frederick the great and Jeremy Taylor.
OF the ~frst-named it was related that
he slept when he pleased, and the last
never slept more than three hours at a
stretch. Lord Brougham used to go to
bed on Saturday, after an intellectual
siege in parliament, and not get up
again until the following Monday. An
old poem recommended in rhyme seven
hours for books and studies, seven for
sleep, ten for the world, and ali for
heaven.
Experiments of great scientists have
proved that during sleep the blood sup
ply of the brainis diminished. Some
have gone SO far as to argue that sleep
was the direct cause of this diminution.
The question of waking is. almost
equally knotty with that of going to
sleep. Habit here has much to do, for
it is known that a person awakes at a
certain hour usually, regardless of the
time of retiring.
The speaker, in connection with the
subject, devoted with considerable
thought to the theory Of dreams. In
ancient times dreams and visions were
deemed Of the greatest Importance.
1t is no. too broad an assertion to
say that all dreams are the direct Sc
quence Of actual events. and depend
upon them. This is, of course, contrary
to the theory of some, who treat OF
dreams as an ideal thing. At this
day, it is of course impossible for peo-
pie to regard dreams in their super
natural connection. The dreams of a
great gonrmand We're of a large dining
table, laden with the choicest of food
and drink. In dreams the memory is
often active and recalls long-forgotten
things. 1t would seem that from the
lethargy of the other senses, the men,
DRY had the broader scope and the
wider field for exploration mong the
records of the thoughts of the past.
Important work is often done during
sleep; great mathematiiciians have often
solved problems and poets composed
beautiful odes, which we're committed
to paper OF awakening. It is no doubt
that in many Of these cases the sleep
was not sleep, but only q doing or
~resting-a housekeeping. Sir Walter
Scott used to consider the first half
hour after waking the most favorable
for the best intellectual work. Some
OF the most intricate of his plots and
choicest passages in his unsurpassed
poems were originated at these times.
Dreams may also be caused by exter-
nal objects; a jug Of water at a mans
feet has made him dream he was walk.
ing on q volcano.
Morbid dreams often produce insan-
ity. In acute fevers, dreams are of 6
frightful character. Nightmare is
usually accompanied by suffocation il
seems OIten mat an animal Is on the
chest, hence the name sleep
walking was referred to; {
sleep-walkeris one who acts his dreams
In somnambulists, most of the sense.
are in allegiance. He often hears ant
sees things to which his attention il
called. The action of the will and judg
ment are suspended. Sleep-walker.
often accomplish wonderful feats. L
is the concentration Of thought that en-.
ables them to do this. Possible dan
gers are not seen, and SO are unknown
A prominent cause of insomnia o.
sleeplessness is mental disquietude. Ii
laborious mental actions, the tempera,
&uro o& tho Lond.;r u.ao&la .~i