The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-07-19
HOW PEOPLE SLEEP.
Some Interesting Dream Statistics
Cleaned By a Russian University.

Cleaned By Russian University.
From the Boston Medical Journal
An interesting investigation upon the
above subject has recently been made I'M
der the auspices of the University of Dor
pat, Russia Some 500 circulars were sent
out with series of quite definite questions,
which we're answered with equal detail by
ISL students, 113 other males 142 females
The results for the two sexes were so differ
ent that they demand separation, while the
students formed homogeneous class inter
esting as a special study, The first problem
that was proposed was the relation be-
tween the frequency and the vividness of
dreams. 1t appears that e. ) per cent. of
those who dream every night dream wildly,
Cos per cent. of those who dream fire.
quently, and only 26.S per cent. of those
who dream seldom, showing that the vivid
ness of dreams increases very rapidly with
their frequency. Next how is the inten-
sity of sleep related to the frequency of
dreamsl OF the students who dream
nightly, Is per cent. have a light sleep land
only % per cent. have deep sleep ; Of those
dreaming frequently, 10 per cent; of
those dreaming seldom, 1928 per cent.
Similar percentages for the other males are
6S.6, AZ and 1913. and for women, y. DC
and 80 per cent. We conclude then, that
frequent dreams are a concomltant of light
sleep, though the relation is far from uni
versal. As regards sex, women have IS
per cent of thsir number dreaming nightly
or frequently, while students have only so
per cent and other males As per cent.
Again, 60 per cent. of the women sleep
lightly and only AZ per cent of students,
and Al per cent. OF other males. We con-
clude. then that women have a very much
lighter sleep than men, and that their
dreams are proportiouately more frequent.
Another conclusion, the evidence Ct
which is too detailed at present, is that as
we grow older our dreams boone less
frequent, but our sleep becomes lighter,
age affecting Intensity of sleep more than
frequency of dreams.
The author regards the students as in the
period of maximum dreaming go to "a
years of age) The deap sleep of childhood
hostile to frequency of dreams) is then
least counter-balanced by the lessening of
dreams due to age The vividness of
dreams shows similar relation to age and
sex; the women dream most vividly; the
students being younger than tne other men,
have more vivid dreams. The power of
remembering dreams is also dependent up
on vlVldness and freqency Of dreaming
1T Is accordingly greatest in women
and greater in students than in more ma
ture men. The livehness of the emotional
IlUUT6, prominent feature OF women ana
youth, seems thus to be marked out as the
causatlve agent il the production of dreams.
The duration of sleep should naturally be
related to the habit of dreaming but in the
men 10 such relation can be discovered Ia
the women, however, it appears that those
who dream frequently sleep nearly an hour
longer than those who seldom dream. This
difference is regarded as due to the fact
that men are more under duty to break
short their sleep and thus vitiate the statis-
tics. This is corroborated by the frequency
with which the men who dream frequently
declare themselves tired in the morning,
indicating incomplete sleep.
The need of sleep is greater in women
than in men, the duration of sleep being
longer and the percentage of tired mornir G
and evening and of not tired being 3 toy and
to respectively as compared to the men.
Students sleep longer and are less tired than
other men. The time needed TO fall asleep
is about the same in all three classes-20.S
minutes for the mea, Ill minutes for
students, and 21.2 minutes for the wome1
In each case, however. IL takes longer for
tnqse who are frequent dreamers and
light sleepers to fall asleep tn persons of
opposite laracteristics Eighty per cent,
" students sleep uninterruptedIy through
the night, 20 per cent. of other men, and
only 43 per cent of women. Light sleep
ald frequent dreams increase the interrupt
Eedness of sleep The power of falling
asleep at vii is possessed by few. 1t is
greater in. youth r,Sra1 in age. Twenty
eight peggeeBt. II tpefp, 10 per cent. OF stu
dentsIos4ib % per cant. of women sleep In
tne atbstnDoh .GlndlcatIng making up Oh