The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1888-01-05
CURES FOR INSOMNIA.
A LONG LIST OF REMEDIES FOR
SLEEPLESSNESS. -.

The "One Sure and Swift way''-Pre-
scriptions of Various Physicians--A Stu
dents Plan-several Simple Remedies.
How an Editor Found Relief.
1t will be interesting to collect the many
remedies that have been suggested for
sleeplessness. A hot shower bath at bed
time cleanses the skin and predisposes to
sleep, it is claimed. The zone sure and
safe way'' is to take brisk walk of mile
or two before going to bed, and then, after
the walk, holding the head under stream
of cold water. This, however, should be
done when the habit of sleeplessness first
begins. U
A business man with a mechanical turn
OF mind should fit up his attic as carpen-
ter's shop, and spend an hour therein after
supper. A walk of two or three miles q
day Is sufficient, says one writer, while
another maintains that nothing will do
but horseback riding. Again, relief for
sleeplessness can be found by wetting q
linen kerchief, folding it and placing it
under the back of the neck, with dry
cloth under the kerchief to protect the pill
low. Still again, warm the feet by fric-
ton, extraswrappers, etc., and cool the
water or ice. One sufferer has palliated
the distress of his vigls by leaving his
bed, lighting fire, and sitting in CHM
ney corner, reading and eating by turns,
until the demon intimated a desire to de-
part.
A physician writes that the evening
should be period of relaxation and recre-
alton, relief from care and anxiety to be
found in cheerful conversation, pleasant
games and light reading, while persons of
sedentary occupation are to take plenty
OF open air exercise. A feeble circulation
is to be overcome and cold feet are to be
warmed. The stomach is to be attended
to If the digestion is not good. If it is
overloaded easy and refreshing sleep is i'm
possible. Weakly persons and invalids
often lind cup of hot broth or cruel
or some other light and easily digestible
food taken on retiring to be the best pro-
motive of sleep. The bed should neither
be too hard nor too soft, nor the clothing
too abundant nor too scanty. All un-
pleasant sights, sounds and smells should
be excluded. Regular and early hours of
retiring are essential. No victim of in
somnia can with safety burn the midnight
oil or engage in evening dissipation. The
man who observes these precautions and
adds thereto a clear conscience and q
sound mind has the promise of unfailing
sleep.
A student, troubled with insomnia, dis
carded his feather pillow for one of hair
with wonderful effect. The hair pillow
does not get warmed up to an uncomforta-
BILE degree, because it rapidly conducts
away the heat impaired to it by the head.
The same person found that sleep could be
brought on by simply warming the body,
especially the feet, or by taking walk, or
by cold shower or sponge bath, followed
by rubbing with a coarse towel. Getting
out OF bed for few minutes when the air
was cool often brought relief. He had
lain awake half the night, and then, after
being up long enough to mix and drink a
lemonade, had fallen asleep at once On
going to bed. This student found that a
light lunch just before going to bed re-
lieved his brain by drawing the blood to
his stomach
Another victim of sleeplessness found
that continuous low noise favored sleep.
The sound of water dropping on a pan
has been prescribed by physician. The
explanation seems to be that q simple
monotonous impression quiets the brain
by occupying it, to the exclusion Of more
varied and interesting, and therefore slim
ulating, impressions. On the same prin-
ciple are the devices Of counting backward
or forward, imagining sheep jumping
one by one through a gate, etc., 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,
A man who has ''struck upon the right
plan at last" and who opens up to the
world something that is calculated to make
mankind rejoice and do away with all
DIR siness, writes that all you have to do
is to imagine yourself going on long
journey. Think over the d. ails of it
every night when sleep lags. The plan
made him healthy and happy.
A physician has one simple remedy,
which requires no medicine. Compose the
mind as much as possible, and confine the
thoughts to one subject, or a number or
individual, and close the eyelids, rolling
the eyes continuously in one direction.
In short time consciousness will be lost,
and you will be in the blissful land of
dreams, After an experience of two years,
another man found that he was always
able to 60 to sleep very shortly after retir-
ing to rest by keeping his eyes looking
down; he found that they turued up when
he was sleepless and was cogtating some
thing that kept him awake.
An editor finds relief by wetting cloth
with cold water and binding it across his
forehead. Another plan is to draw in a
long, slow breath by the mouth and to
force the breath out through the nose,
imagining that the currents can be seen.
An attempt may also be made to read an
amusing novel in bed or to repeat ia
miliar poem, but all study or serious read
going to bed. In paper read by a
physician before the Boston society for
medical improvement he said that Sleep
lessness is often caused by starvation and
that tumbler of milk if drank in the
middle of the night will often put people
to sleep when hypnotics would fail of
their purpose.-Good Housekeeping