Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1899-09-22
DON'T STRIVE FOR SLEEP.
IL You Do, You're Very Apt to Spend
Wnkeful Might. q.

u "NAtiui
Let any readers when next they pass
n sleepless night notice carefully what
happens. 1t will probably be somewhat
as follows: Suppose, for instance. that
they are in the habit of being called at
7:3O: they will hear the clock strike !,
3. & and I. and then, when the knock
at the door comes, they will either be
fast asleep or else they will drop asleep
Immediately afterward, and in either
ease possibly they will, to their intense
disgust, oyersleep themselves. what
is the explanation Of this? Simply that
by far the commOnest cause Of pro-
longed sleeplessness is the worrying
about It, the anxious effort to obtain
sleep. And so they lie awake hour aft
err hour YEARLY striving for ii, until at
last. when strikes, the effort Is given
nm as useless; at once, the strain being
taken off. the wornout brain takes its
rest-the sleep which has been so long
ed for comes at last. \ great physician
has truly said, "The body will always
rest if the mind will let it,
Some years ago when house physician
at a London hospital | used to expert
ment on this subject. on my midnight
rounds | would frequently receive COM
plants Of sleeplessness from weary pa
thence. often when there was no pain
or other definite reason for it. would
saw TO them. "Oh. it dOesn really mat
ter. you are resting all right; it won't
do you any harm; just lie awake ana
think how comfortable you are here
OR to the weaker natures | would say
Nurse shall bring you poultice,' or
81 will send you something when l
have finished my rounds" Almost In
yariably on my return, in 20 minutes
time. they would be sleeping peaceful
": no further remedy was needed.
Every doctor will tell you how often
some simple sleeping draft Is sent
and never taken-never needed. The
mere fact of knowing it IL there Is suf-
acIent: the anxious dread of another
sleepless night has been taken away.
the mind Is at rest and sleep comes In
the natural way. And so it would seem
that by far the cOmmoncst cause OF
sleeplessness is the anxious striving to
obtain sleep. Ii follows. therefore, that
all such devices for procuring it, as
counting an imaginary flock of sheep
fixing the attention on the circulation
making an effort to stop thought. are
wrong theoretically. as well as being
usually worse than useless In practice.
What. then. is the real remedy Why,
simply to give up the attempt to sleep
II ones sleep does not come as usual.
Give up trying. II sleep!ess night Is
to be ones lot. one must accept II as
philosophcaliy as one can, remember
ing that many and many Il man has
had To lose II nights rest before ana
has been little. if any. worse for ii. To
the sleepless one would say. Make
up your mind to stay awake for the
night" Nine times out OF ten the bless
Ing. strivcn for in vain. will come un'
{ sought. and that almost immediately
so that on looking back the next morn
ing the last thing you remember viii
be your determination to lie awake.
Directly you cease to strive for sleep
to wish ardently for it. the strain vii
be taken OF the brain. tie body VII
rest because tie mimi BE- ID longer pre-
venting H. and sleep VIII b, the happy
result Ani to Rake the requisite de
termnation-cr. snol.I sag. :enulci
alton this Thought may Zee help t'
you. 1t is tie anxiety FOR sleep aai the
worrying about it, absence, IA more
than tho sleeplessuess lt.e'f. that cause
the feeling Of prostraticu which fol
: lows a slceplcs7 Li-ht. The pan wLos'
duty or occupation has fore, & h.m e
give up nights rest is in a far bette
condition the next day than the mai
who las spent restless night in the
vain and weary search for sleep.-Lon
don Spectator.