Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1900-10-11

strain, nervous exhaustion, grief or
anxiety, especially when they are e1-
perienced in the latter part Of the day
near bedtime, are also causes, Men
tai work should be laid aside before
retiring and the evening devoted TO
recreative enjoyment.
Many cures for insomnia have been
devised, and right here would sound
warning against the use Of hypnotic
medicines. These are all injurious
and should be used only under the
best medical advice. The sleep so
produced is neither natural nor bene-
fetal. There are, however, many
harmless means of inducing sleep
which may be tried until successful
one be found. What may be efficient
in some case may fail in another.
Cold congresses applied to head or
packing the body in wet sheets IS Of
ten successful. I have known a pair
Of thick woolen socks, wet and wrung
out, worn on the feet to bring about
the desired result when other means
had failed. \ hot bath taken at bed
time brings the blood to the surface
Of the body away from the brain, and
will often induce refreshing sleep.
The bath should be hot, not lukewarm,
and the patient should remain in it
about FIVE or six minutes.
In some cases food eaten just before
retiring will cause sleep. When food
is thus eaten, however, it should be
of the lightest and most easily digest
ed kind. DR.. Durham has noted that
the introduction of food into the stom-
ach increases anemia ofthe brain dur
ing sleep and consequently makes
sleep more profound.
Perhaps the most commonly used
remedy for insomnia is monotony.
Many persons count themselves to
sleep by repeating numbers until
slumber comes. The rocking-cradle
and the monotonous lullaby are eX-
amples of the hypnotic influence of
monotony. Children are often put to
sleep by monotonous patting with the
hand. We often see suggestion and
habit play an interesting part in con-
nection with monotony. The child
after time falls asleep as soon as it
is placed in the position where it has
been accustomed to receive some mo-
notonous hypnotic impression. DR..
Dana recommends the reading Of dull,
heavy books, or the keeping before
the mind of some blank or wearying
picture, as sleep-inducing means.
The bedroom should be spacious
and well ventilated. The bed should
be so placed to be unaffected by
drafts, for during sleep the skin is
moist and liable to sudden chilling,
which may cause serious ailment.
Draperies in the bedroom should be
conspicuous by their absence. Paint
is better finish for the walls than
wallpaper, and rugs are a better floor
covering than carpet, for they can be
frequently taken up and aired. The
bed itself should be Of metal-iron or
brass-and the mattress should be Of
hair. You will understand me when
I say that bed should be neither too
soft nor too hard, though the latter is
less injurious fault than the former
A warm spread or covering should
protect the mattress in cold weather,
or when the temperature of the bed
room is below 10 degrees Fahr., 9th
erwise the cold reaches the body
through the mattress. In summer
this covering may be dispensed with.
Mattresses are best made in two pieces,
SO as to be easily aired. During sleep
the body ezhaIes impurities which
contaminate the bedding and render
thorough daily airing a necessity.
The temperature Of the bedroom Of
the adult should be kept as near as
possible to 60 degrees Fabr., while
that Of the nursery should range be-
tween 70 and "A degrees, depending
upon the age of the children. 4 good
test for a badly ventilated or over
heated bedroom is the feeling one has
in the morning. If one arises with a
slightly swollen face and puffy eye
lids, with tired, unrested feeling,
and perhaps slight headache, one
may be reasonably sure that come
thing was wrong with the temperature
or ventilation Of the bedroom.
The pillow should preferably be
made of hair. A soft pillow keeps
the head hot and tends to favor in-
somnia, or it may cause an unquiet
rest troubled with unpleasant dreams.
Tba niIIovr shouId mt he too HIGH for