The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-01-24
ABOUT SLEEP.
What 1t Is and why 1t Is Necessary
to Life.

From the ST. Louis Globe Democrat.
When the nervous energy necessary to
support the activity of the body becomes
temporarily exhausted, when the organs
Of animal life become fatigued, and are
unable longer to perform their proper
functions for want of their usual nervous
stimulus, the state of sleep is induced
Tired Natures sweet restorer," as 1t has
been felicitously termed by the poet The
perception of objects becomes confused,
the eyes grow dim, the lids drop the
muscles of the body relax, and it sinks
naturally into a horizontal position with
the head falling forward, and the object
lapses into that condition which the
French term "demi-sommeil," a state of
deep reverie, quickly followed by sleep,
which absorbs the last glimmerings of
consciousness. Insects and fishes, we are
told, require the least sleep, the explana-
ton being that in fishes the nervous sys-
tenn is but imperfecty developed, whilst
with insects they often remain so long
in an enforced state of torpor, as at other
times to require but little sleep at all
Birds sleep much more than either but
the slightest noise or movement will
awaken them. There is the instance of
the sacred Roman geese saving that city
from the soldiers of Brennus when the
watch-dogs and sentries were slumbering
at their posts.
In quadrupeds the brain and spinal
marrow are more fully developed with
the result that those animals which are
active by day sleep at night, whilst those
that roam throughout the night in search
of prey sleep by day. They accommodate
themselves, however. 10 the usages of
civilization in captivity; thus the ami
mails in the geological gardens remain
awake during the day time and sleep at
night time. The smaller monkeys do not
require much sleep, but the large balloons
and gorillas, whose brain organization re-
sembles that of man, will take six or eight
hours Man, doubtless in consequence of
excessive nervous energy, will take even
more It has been truly said" Man sleeps
longer than any of the larger animals"
During sleep both the respiration and
circulation diminish in rapidity, and the
pulse becomes slower and fuller. The tenn
perature of the body fails below its wax
ing standard. Hence during sleep there
is less resistance to the cooling power and
effects of cold genraIy than when we are
awake. A draught of air is far more
dangerous in the sleeping state, and the
lesser vigor of the back of the body to the
front is evidenced by the fact that
draught at the back Is much worse than
at the front. The cold strikes the spinal
column, the backbone, unlike the chesa
having but little muscular protection.
Therefore, during sleep, the back should
be well covered. Intense cold produces
sleep, for in a severe winter il is not I'M
common to find people lying dead in ex-
posed out-of-door spots. In high Northern
attitudes it is invariably the sleep of death
Which follows those whom drowsiness at
tacks in the open air.
Tall and stout people require more sleep
than thin and short ones; men more than
women, and all animals sleep longer in the
winter than in summer. Old Parr, who
died at the age of 1872 latterly slept away
the greater part of his existence. Youths
generally sleep soundly, and 1t is during
that. period of life that sluggish habits
are often contracted. Sleeping longer than
is necessary really impairs the strength
both OF the body and the mind. The
sleepy tendency of the Fat Boy in "Pick-
wick" and the testy answer of the old
gentleman to Dick Swiveller in the "Old
Curiosity Shop" "Call me the day after
Tomorrow" are hardly exaggerations.
The great ]. ]. Rousseau often rivalled
that length of sumber. Many people,
from habit bring themselves to Steep at
will; the great Napoleon, Quin, the actor;
Capt. Barclay, the athlete, and the philos-
ODHGI INGiu are INSTANCES OL inns GIeu-
erick the Great and Hunter, the surgeon,
slept but little-never more than five
hours; whilst the well-known Gen. Plch-
egru, it is said, during a campaign never
slept more than one out of the twenty
four hours Jeremy Taylor always said
thrre hours was sufficient Baxter four,and
John Wesley six. The great Duke of Wei
lngton, too. only took six, he believing
that there was only one turn" to take
to turn out" not turn over; and Lord
Brougham used 10 content himself with
four hours Sir Walter Scott liked good
allowance, and took seven or eight. AS we
have already remarked, tall and bulky
people require more, and Sir Waiter was a
tan man, being, in fact a member of the
Scotch Six Feet Club. which exaets that
hight as a qualification for membership.
The most celebrated writer's Of Old were
early risers-Homer. Virgin and Horace
among others. Sir Thomas More, Bishops
Burnet and Jewell, Lord Mansfield and the
late Lord Selborne always rose at 4
O'Clock. Thomson, the poet, passed much
Of his time in bed. and Dean Swift, we
learn, lay In bed until II o'clock every day
to think of his sallies Of wit for the day.
Revertlng 10 the sleeping state, we may
mention that undoubtedly the best prepa-
ration for sleep at night are healthy exer-