Morning journal and courier., 1885-01-10
Healthy Sleep.
From Leeds Mercury.l

think we may safely say that every one requires six hours sleep in the twenty four, and very many men and women, not to men ton fools, require even more. Certainly: too much sleep is harmful but too little is vast ly more so. I would let each man regulate his hours of sleep by what he feels are his real requirements; always urging hlm to avoid the suspicion of laziness, to take into consideration the bed he lies upon, and to watch the effect on his health of any system of sleep be adopts. If you get up when you first wake, providing you have had six hours of sound sleep, you scarcely get wrong.
 Wellington could sleep at any moment; Baron Bunsen could sleep for half an hour at any time Tn the midst of his studies, awalling refreshed, and resuming his work with increased vigor A blessed gift this; such faculty, mb1ned with early rising, is as good as fortune to a capable man. Sleep is heaviest m the flrs5 few hours, gradually becoming lighter, and probably disturbed by dreams, as time wears on, until slight noise disturbs us, or our rested system resumes full work of Its own accord Everybody knows that in dreaming part Of the brain is awake and at work, while the other part is asleep-as much as the braln can sleep: at all events, exercising lessened
 
 less sleep is most useful dreams are evi- dence of work by some part of the braln, detracting from perfect rest.
 A very important factor in securing healthy sleep is the kind of bed we lie upon Feather beds I cannot commend; indeed, luxuries-and this is an undoubted one-are not to be sought by him whose aim is perfect health and strength. A spring mattress IS very excellent, and the harder your couch, to be comfortable, the more likely are you to secure healthy, refreshing sleep, not unduly prolonged It is difficult matter to rise ear ly from feather bed, difficult to awake III reasonable time, and more so to leave it's warmth and cosness in winter. But the luxury must be sacrificed to the more health ful influence of the mattress. The clothing should be light and warm; and cannot but recommend the sheet of paper placed be- tween two blankets as being very warm, for paper is poor conductor of heat. You get warmth by this means without undue weight of clothing. Then your bedroom must be well ventilated for you require to take in an extra stock of oxygen during the night to help out the supply for the day You will sleep too much if the air is impure.
 If, then, you have taken care that your bed is very warm and comfortable, without either being oppressed with clothing or toe soft, and your room be fully ventilated, and you can't sleep, what must be done? Perhaps you ate too much supper, and must await US more perfect digestion; or, being squeamlshs you eat less than usual, and the cravings or the stomach must be satisfied before sleep IS obtained. In this case glass ot new mix, kept handy for use, with a biscuit, will prob ably satisfy your requirements, and you will faH as1eep readily A friend of mine who was hot and restless, and could not go to sleep on one occasion, procured due repose by going into the street and rolling ill the snow Another person described the means he adopted for sleeplessness consisting in watching the reflection from 8 light he could not see, in tumbler of water placed near him. A few turns up and down your room may assist you if you fail to discover any chilliness, pain, or discomfort as causing in sonnia. For myself, l consistently think ot nothing when cannot fall asleep. l work until quite weary, then, tumbhng hastily into bed, usually find sleep immediately On those rare occasions when sleep evades me, check my thoughts immediately they begin, and concentrate my attention on a blank. This refusal of thoughts nearly al ways succeeds. If youscannot sleep and are worried to death with cares of the business and family, ask your chemist to give you ten or fifteen drops of the bromide of potas- sium in an ounce of water, and this repeated for a few nights will a]lay the worry, and cause return to your healthy condition.