The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-09-17
SLEEP AS A VACATION.
Complete Bodily Rest Is often Better
Than Change of scene and Climate.

Cphpietc hOully nest is OTten betteH
Than Change of scene and Climate.
From the Toronto Mail and Empire.
1t has been suggested that what some
people want is sleep holidays. They do
not need to go to watering places and
summer hotels and to be always playing.
The apostles of the new method says that
many people would be benefited If they
just went to bed and slept for heightened
periods. and that they might do well to
take holidays in just that way They af-
firm that as a rule men and women and
children do not get sleep enough and that
the old adage, early to bed and early to
rise makes a man healthy and wealthy
and wise' needs changing There need
be no reference to early rising in II. For
early to rise" late to rise" might be
substituted.
The advice of that old saw was CON
cocted. they say, in days when there were
no express trains, no telephones no tele-
graphs, no hurry. Where is the use of
telling people to get up early whose
brains are racked by anxiety and worry,
and who are really being burned up by
the ever-increasing rate at which things
have to be done?
The proper thing to say to them is to
get as much sleep as they possibly can
on every possible occasion. The sugges-
tion OF occasional sleep holidays, when
worried people of this kind could temper
arily shuttle off their mortal coil is on
this understanding quite ineligible. There
would be no difficulty in making arrange
ments to carry the scheme out. The pro-
prietors of the summer resorts would no
doubt be glad to provide accommodations
for any number of somnolent guests The
prevailing question would not be What
is there for dinner?" but us my bed
ready?" There would be memoranda as
to the length of time sleep had been in
dulged in or was desired to continue
Mr.. A. came on Saturday; he is to be
called on Wednesday night; Mrs. b. will
sleep for one week." etc. No doubt II
this fad were started establishments
would vie with each other I'M the perfec-
ton of their sleeping preparations. and
we should be told that absolutely I'M
broken repose for any desired period could
be obtained.
Joking apart, however, there may be
something in the contention that a great
er amount of sleep is required by people
owadays--especially brain workers--than
formerly the case. Nikola Tesla, the cleo
trician, is credited with saying that he
believes a man might live 200 years II he
would sleep most of the time. That is why
negroes often live to advanced old age,
because they sleep so much. He also al
luded to the current report that Mr. Glad
stone now sleeps seventeen hours every
day. There is something distinctly pleas
ant in the Idea of an old age of such
commanding intellect being kept vigorous
by this simplest of remedies. But the
worst of precepts, like those of modern
apostles Of sleep, is that their instruc-
tions will be taken advantage of by the
lazy and brainless as an excuse for an in
activity for which they have no manner
of warrant, either in the development Of
their brains or the delicate adjustment
Of their nervous system. When the pro-
fessional tramps read of Gladstone we
shall find stacks of them asleep by the
roadside.