Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1885-08-19
HOW TO GET TO SLEEP.
Hair Pillows to be Preferred--Farious
Methods of Cooling the Brain.

Hair pillows to be Observation-Disclosures
Methods of Cooling the Brain.
When I was student, writes cor
RESPONDENT of the New York Sun,
suffered much from sleeplessncss, and,
after irving many remedies, | hit upon
This one: / discarded my feather pillow
for one of hair. The effect was won.
derful, ! slept soundly the whole OF
the first night. and have never, except
when feverish, been so "ake1ul as l
usually was before. Although feathers
are excellent for preventing the disper,-
sion 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 III beds, and even
their chief virtue, that of keeping up
hioh temperature, is defect in a pill
low: certainly when one-half OF the
head is kept at blood-heat by being
buried in feathers, and the other half Is
EXPOSED to the air, both halves can not
be at the most favorable temperature.
A hair pillow does not get warmed up
TO an uncomfortable degree, because 1t
rapidly conducts away the heat mPart-
ed to it by the head. Since hair pllloWs
are not vet in common use, IL mlSht DC
supposed that person accustomed 10
the use of one would either have TO take
it with him every time he was TO pc
away from home for a few nights or
suffer considerable Inconvenience. But
fortunately hair holsters are more COM
mon, and if the pillow is thrown aside
the bolster will raise the head probably
as high as is good for the sleeper. Ii a
hair bolster is lacking, the end OF the
mattress may be raised high enough to
make a comfortable headrest by putting
the pillow under it. =,
According to most, but not all, med1-
cal writer's, wakefulness and mental &C
tivity depend on the circulation OF a
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 into the muscles by
means of brisk walk or quarter to
half an hours vigorous performance OF
light gymnastics just before going to
bed. The majority of cases OF sleep
lessness occur among persons VINO 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 in a warm room is a
familiar instance The blood may be
IL IL l,1-o CHI
sponge bath, followed by rubbing with
a coarse towel. Getting out OF bed for
a few minutes when the air is cool will
often bring relief. l have lain awake
half the night, and then, after being up
long enough to mix and drink lem
onade. have fallen asleep at once on
going back to bed. Perhaps the lemon
AIDE should have part of the credit. On
hot summer nights, cool bath will re-
duce the bodily temperature so as to adj
NIT of sleep. If the skin is not wiped
quite dry, the evaporating moisture will
increase the cooling effect. A light
lunch Just before going to bed relieves
the brain by drawing the blood to the
stomach, and the inclination to doze
after meal is explainable in this way.
Diminishing the cerebral circulation by
compression of the carotid arteries is
advised by some physicians. Lying on
the back with a doubled pillow placed
against the back of the neck so as to
tiD the head forward will effect this, and
DR.. J. l.. Corning has invented an in
strument in the form of collar for the
same purpose.
In view of what has been said about
the circulation of the blood, GOODNESS OF
the feet is natural accompaniment OF
sleeplessness, and one means OF cure
NAV be made to serve both ends. Bath
inc the feet in hot water is such a
means. but after few hours a reaction
is liable to set in, which will send the
blood from the feet to the head, and
cause the sleeper to awake. is better
to take advantage OF thereaction which
follows cold foot-bath with vigorous
rubbing of the feet, both in the water
and with the towel. The stimulus thus
given to the circulation ip the feet will
be more permanent. l have found
walking Just before bedtime beneficial,
and when do not wish to 60 outdoors
[ raise myself sharply on my toes to the
AUh oOhOtSh h1I VI LhoIS oiihSH'' -
agraph has recently been in circulation
to the effect that continuous low noise
favors sleep; the sound of water drop
ping on brass pan has been prescribed
by physician with good effect. The
explanation seems to be that simple,
monotonous impression quiets the brain
by occupying it, to the exclusion OF
more varied and interesting, and there's
fore stimulating, impressions. On the
same principle are the devices of count
ing backward or forward, imagining
sheep jumping one by one through a
gap, etc.; but they are open to the OBJ
lection of causing one portion of the
brain to be exerted in order to control
the rest of it.
If the hygienic measures which have
been described fail to induce sleep,
probably some form of disease stands in
the way, and physician should be en-
ployed to discover it. Soporiic drugs
should be regarded as a last resort, for,
unless skillfully used, they produce
stupor rather than refreshing sleep.
Do not take narcotic or nostrum be-
cause somebody says it is good to make
you sleeps one narcotic is injurious
where another is beneficial and the
chapons arc that Won will chooso ono