Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-08-03
HOW PEOPLE SLEEP.
Some Interesting Dream Statistics
Cleaned by a Russian University.

Some Interesting Dream Staustics
Cleaned by a 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 cues
tions, which were answered with equal de-
tail by ISL students, 1l3 other males, 142
females. The results for the two sexes
were so different that they formed homo
geneous class interesting as special study.
The first problem that was proposed vas
the relation between the frequency and
viyidness of dreams, 1t appears that 62.5
per cent. of those who dream every night
dream wildly. COB per cent. of those who
dream frequently, and only 26.S per cent.
of those who dream seldom, showing that
the viYidness of dreams increases very
rapidly with their frequency. Next, how
is the intensity of sleep related to the fire.
duency of dreams? Of the students who
dream nightly GO per cent. have light
and only % per cent. have deep sleep;
of those dreaming frequently, 40 per cent;
of those dreaming seldom, SIX per cent.
Similar percentages for the other males
are 6S.8, All and 1913, and for women,
1916 and SO per cent. We conclude, then,
that frequent dreams are concomitant of
light sleep, though the relation is far from
universal. As regards sex, women have
70 per cent. of their number dreaming
nightly or frequently, while students have
only 80 per cent. aud other males 48 per
cent Again, 60 per cent of the women
sleep lightly and only AZ per cent. of the
students and a per cent. of other males.
We conclude, then, that women have
very much lighter sleep than men, and that
their dreams are proportionately more
frequent.
Another conclusion, the evidence of
which is too detailed at present, is that as
we grow older our dreams become less fire.
quent, but our sleep becomes lighter, age
affecting intensity of sleep more than fire.
quency of dreams
The author regards the students as in
the period of maximum dreaming 40 to %
years of age The deep sleep of childhood
(hostile to frequency Of dreamsl is then
least counterbalanced by the lessening of
dreams due to age.
THE yIyIDNEss OF DREAMS
Shows similar relation to age and sex,
the women dream most wildly; the stu
dents being younger than the other men,
have more vivid dreams. The power of
remembering dreams is also dependent
upon yividness and frequency Of dreaming;
it is accordingly greatest in women, ard
greater in students than in more mature
men. The liveliness Of the emotional
nature, Il prominent feature of women and
youth, seems thus to be marked out as the
causative agent in the production of
dreams. The duration Of sleep should nat
urally be related to the habit of dreaming,
but in the men no such relation can be
discovered. In 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 statistics. This
is corroborated by the frequency with
which the men who dream frequently de-
clare themselves tired in the morning, in
dicating incomplete sleep.
The need of sleep is greater in women
than in men, the duration of sleep being
longer and the percentage Of tired morn
ing and evening and of not tired being
three to two and two to three 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 cases-20S minutes for
the men, III minutes for students, and
q 2 minutes for the women. In each case.
however, it takes Ions er for those who are
frequent dreamers and light sleepers to fall
asleep than persons of opposite character
istics. Eighty per cent. Of students sleep
uninterruptedly through the night, 70
per cent. of other men, and only 43 per cent.
of women. Light sleep and frequent
dreams increase the uninterruptedness Of
sleep. The power Of falling asleep at win
is possessed by few 1t is greater in youth
than in age. Twenty-eight per cent. of
men, 10 per cent. of students, and 20 per
cent, of women sleep in the afternoon, ..indi-
eating a making up of insufficient sleep on
the part of the men.
The effect Of dream habits upon mental
work is also evident Those who dream
seldom, or sleep deeply, are better dis
posed for work III the forenoon than light
sleepers and frequent dreamers. The fore
noon seems in general TO be the preferred
time of work. The statistics regarding
nervousness confirm the accepted fact
that this is greater among students than
ether men at large. 1t is, too, a concomit-
ant of light sleep and frequent dreams.
As TO temperament,
THE PHLEGMATIc PEOPLE
Are quite constantly deep sleepers and in
frequent dreamers. Finally, contrast be-
tween teachers and professors of the same
average age shows the effect of the occu-
patton. The teacher, with his dull toll,
has lighter sleep and more frequent
dreams, while the professor, leading
more congenial and worthless life, is a
deeper sleeper and less frequent dreamer
than the teacher.