Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-01-31
HOW To GET ASLEEP.
Hair Pillows to be Decentralization
Methods OF Cooling thc Brain.

From the N T. Sun
When l was student suffered much from
sleeplessness, and. after trying many remedies,
hit upon this one 1 discarded my feather
pillow for one Of hair. The effect was wonder
full. slept soundly the whole of the first night,
and have never since, except when ieverish,
been so wakeful as l usually was before. Al
though feathers are excellent for preventing
the dispersion of the heat of the body, so much
fault has been found with feather beds that
they have quite generally gone out of use, and
it is strange that feather pillows have not been
sent after them. Feathers in pillows are open
to the same objections as feathers in beds. and
even their chief virtue, that of keeping up a
high temperature, is defect in q pillow:
certainly when onc-haif Of the head is
kept at blood heat by being buried
In feathers. and the other half is exposed to the
air, both halves cannot be at the most favorable
temperature. A hair pillow does not get
warmed UP to an uncomfortable degree, be-
cause it rapidly conducts away the heat i'm
parted to it by the head. Since hair pillows are
not yet in common use, it might be supposed
that person accustomed to the use or one
would either have to take it with him every
time he was To be away from home for few
nights, or suffer considerable inconvenience
But fortunately hair holsters are more common.
and IL the pillow is thrown aside the bolster
will raise the head probably as high as is good
for the sleeper. If a hair bolster is lacking the
END OF the mattress may be raised high enough
to make comfortable head rest by putting the
pillow under it.
According to most, but not all medical
writers, wakefulness and mental activity de-
pend on the circulation of large quantity of
blood through the brain, and the flow of blood
must be lessened before sleep can come on. 1
have obtained especial benefit from drawing
the blood to the muscles by means of brisk
walk or a quarter to half an hours vigorous
performance of light gymnastics just before
going to bed. The majority of cases of Sleep
iesSneSs occur among persons who use their
muscles but little, and for very many taking
more exercise is the best remedy. Sleep can
sometimes be brought on by simply warming
the body, especially the feet the drowsiness
caused by sitting i'm a warm room is familiar
instance. The blood may be drawn to the skin
rubbing with coarse towel Getting out OF
bed for few minutes when the air Is cool will
often bring relief. have lain awake half the
night, and then after being up long enough to
mix and drink lemonade, have fallen asleep at
once on going back to bed. Perhaps the lemon
ade should have part of the credit. On hot
summer nights cold bath viii reduce the bod
lily temperature so as to admit of sleep If the
skin is not wiped quite dry, the evaporatng
moisture will increase the cooling effect. A
lSht lunch just before going to bed relieves the
brain by drawing the blood to the stomach. and
the inclination to dOZe after meal is explain
able in this way. Diminishing the cerebral cir
cuatiOn by compression of the carotid arteries
is advised by some physicians. Lying on the
back with doubled pillow placed against the
back OF the neck so as to tip the head forward
will effect this and DR.. j. l.. Corning has in
vented an instrument in the form of collar
for the same purpose.
In view of what has been said about the Cir
culatlOn of the blood, GOODNESS of the feet is a
natural accompaniment of sleeplessness and
one means OF cure may be made to serve both
ends. Bathing the feet in hot water is such
means but after few hours reaction is liable
to set in, which will send the blood from the
feet to the head, and cause the sleeper to awake
1t is better to take advantage of the reaction
which follows cold toot-bath with vigorous
rubbing of the feet. both in the water and with
the towel The stimulus thus given to the Cir
culatiOn in the feet will be more permanent |
have found walking just before bedtime bene-
ficial, and when do not wish TO 60 outdoors
raise myself sharply on my toes to the full
stretch fifty or more times. paragraph has
recently been in circulation to the effect that a
continuous low noise fayOrs sleep; the sound of
water dropping on brass pan has been pre-
scribed by physician with good effect. The
explanation seems to be that a simple mo-
notonous impression quiets the brain by
occupying 1t to the exclusion of more
varied and interesting, and therefore stimu-
latine, impressions. On the same principle are
the devices of counting forward or ia ,kward,
imagining sheep jumping one by one through a
gap. &C.; but they are open to the objection OF
causing one portion of the brain to be exerted
in order to control the rest Of it.
Ii the hygienic measures which have been de-
scrihed fail to induce sleep. probably some form
of disease stands in the way. and a physician
should be employed to discover and remove it.
Soportic drugs should be regarded as last
resort tor, unless sklllfully used. they produce
stupor rather than refreshing sleep. Do
not take a narcotic or most UNI at random be-
cause somebody says it is good to make YOU
sleep; one narcotic is INJURIOUS where another
is beneficial and the chances are that you Will
choose one which will do you more harm than
good.