The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-08-29
DON'T STRIVE FOR SLEEP.

TFrom the London Spectator
Let any readers when next they pass a
sleepless night notice carefully what hap
pens. It will probably be somewhat as
follows: Suppose, for instance, that they
are in the habit of being called at $50;
they will hear the clock strike 4 o. ana .,
and then, when the knock at the door
comes, they will either be fast asleep or
else they will drop asleep tmmedla tely ar
terward, and in either case, possibly they
will. to their intense disgust oNesrSieep
themselves what IS the eApiaIlallon o. o.
this2 Simply that by far the cOmrlonest
cause of prolonged sleeplessness is the
worrying about it, the ANXIOUS EFFORT TO
obtain sleep. And so they lie awake nOur
after hour YEARLY striving for 1t. until at
last, when strikes, the effort IS given up
as useless; at once, the strain being taken
off, the worn out brain takes its rest
the sleep which has been 50 longed Tor
comes at last a great physician mas truly
Some years ago when house physician at
this subject. On my midnight rounds l
would frequently receive complaints OF
sIeeplessness from weary. patients, OFTEN
when there was no pain or other definite
reason for it. L would say to them: oh.
all right: it won't do you any harm; just
lie awake and think how comfortable you
would say: Nurse shall bring YOU a poul-
tice,' Il will send you something when
variably on my return in twenty minutes
time, they would be sleeping peacefully;
some simple Sleeping draught is sent and
never taken-never needed. Themere fact
of knowing It is there is sufficient; the
anxious dread of another SleepleSs night
has been taken away, the mind is at rest
and sleep comes in the natural way. And
50 it would seem that by far the common
est cause of sleepleSSneSS Is the anxious
striving to obtain sleep It follows, there
fore that all such devices for procuring
it, as counting an imaginary Hook of
sheep, fixing the attention on the ci-ula-
ton. making effort to stop thought, are
wrong theoretically. well being us
ually worse than useless in practice. What
then is the real remedy? Why, simply to
give up the attempt to sleep if ones sleep
does not come usual. Give up trying.
If sleepless night is to be ones lot one
must accept it as philOsOphically as one
can, remembering that many and many
man has had to lose a nights rest before
and has been little, if any worse for it To
the SleeDlesS one would say: Make up
your mind to stay awake for the night"
Nine times out of ten the blessing, striven
for in vain, will come unsought, and that
almost Immediately, so that on looking
back the next morning the last thing you
remember will be your determination to
lie awake
Directly you cease to strive for sleep to
wish ardently for it, the strain win be
taken off the brain-the bOdy-wilI rest
because the mind is no longer preventing
it. and sleep will be the happy result. And
to make the requisite determination-or,
I should say, renunciat1on-this thought
may be a help to you. It is the anxiety
for sleep and the worrying about its alb
sence. far more than the sieeplessnesS
itself that cause the feeling of prOstra-
ton which follows & sleepless night. The
man whose duty or occupation has forced
him to give up a nights rest is in far
better condition the next day than the
man who has spent a restless night in
the vain and weary search for sleep.