New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1901-06-27
HOW TO REST AND SLEEP.

Any one who is nervous should be careful how
she expends energy. To rest should not he
difficult OF requirement requiring a teacher
yet many know very little of il. II you are
physically tired. a very few minutes fiat on your
back Is worth, means of repair hours sit
ting in chair: but mind that it be fiat. not
clintng on lounge, with your spine bent out of
shape in deep chair in which your weight rests
on any part of your body except the part intended
to support it-above all. not in a rocking chair.
that special trap for the nervous Besides getting
into this position you must lie still in It, not hold
ing yourself down the couch or endeavoring
to hold that article of furniture downfall is you
must be loose. relaxed, unstrung. Look at a child
in bed limbs sprawled all abroad for how TO do
1.-THE of the careless position is more char
acterstic of perfect relaxation than the more com
posed attitude of a sleeping adult. says Dr. John
K Mitchell. in "Harper's Bazaar
Learn keep still when you rest: when YOU
move move with the part of the body needed do
not waste your force by walking with your arms
and face we'll with your legs. If crcum-
stances force unusual and fatiguing amount of
cXerton upon you. break it and then by
periods of absolute rest. No matter how brief they
are they win be useful if you make them
plete and pevfect in the way described. This is
true of mental as well as bodily exertion. a minute
or two minutes of quiet. with closed eyes. ii pos
sible with your tension relaxed and the gearing of
the machinery thrown off for the moment. will
help and refresh you greatly. Here. again, more
may be gained if the ability TO relax mentally
be secured, in fashion similar to the withdrawing
OF muscular tension. Learn To empty your mind
when not using il.
This will not only help for the purpose of tempo
rary repose. but may be made useful in bringing
about sleep. 1t can, like the trick OF muscle
taxation. be acquired and made habitual You Will
then be less liable TO have your days work
worry pursue YOU to bed and fasten upon YOU TO
the banishnS of all possibility of going TO sleep
If you escape this follow you into the land Nod
and hag-rtde you in your dreams
DR.. Mitchell gives good advice about the
art of wOoinG sleep that is worth quoting:
''OveranXety about sleep binders its coming too.
and makes one wakeful. Muscular relaxation and a
mind emptied of thought the preliminary
requisites" he says 1t may be worth while TO
add that while know very little of the phvsi-
oogy of sleep II is pretty certain that the amount
of blood in the brain is lessened during sleep
though whether this dminution in the blood sup
ply is preliminary to or consequent upon sleep is
insure The ordinary household remedies for
wakefulness founded this fact-a hot foot
BATH hot water bag to the body, warm drink
which draws blood to the stomach, all having more
less directly effect of reducing the quantity
medicines act in the same manner. but these
undesirable for nervous people, who too easily
grow dependent upon them. The habit of their
is not so dangerous as the slavery TO pain sup
pressing drugs. the greatest reason against them
being rather in their somewhat depressing nervous
and physical after effects. On the other hand.
thought certainly increases the amount of blood
in the head