The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1901-01-17
THE AFTER DINNER NAP.
A Custom Based on Sound Hygienio
Principles.

One OF the misunderstanding
Is good, oil purpose word-that should
be revived, maintained and, where
necessary, established in the world is
the after dinner nap. In savage or
noncivillzed state of society man sleeps
when he Is sleepy and eats when he Is
hungry. AS he becomes enlightened
and artificial he limits and defines him
self In such matters. He divides the
days into mealtime and defers sleep
until work Is done and all the places
are closed up. His health is supposed
to be preserved by his eating at this
hour and that and his sleeping ut the
other. 1t Is worthy of remark that,
with all this regulation. insomnia and
indigestion are diseases Of civilization.
Since the era Of regulation began the
most natural and sensible rule, and at
one time almost universal in this coun-
try. is that dividing the hours of day
by three meals, called respectively
breakfast, dinner and supper the first
soon after rising In the morning, the
second at noon and the third In the
evening. Breakfast naturally follows
sleep, dinner Is the heaviest meal and
comes after a half days toll to repair
damages and fortify for another half
day, and supper comes when, In the
evening, in more ways than one. the
swallows homeward fly and Is the So
cial meal Of the day. This Is the old
and proper order which has been devil
ated from Of late years by placing
luncheon at midday and postponing
dinner till dark or even later, system
for which no such philosophical rea'
sons can be given as for the old plan.
When the world was older than It Is
now and more leisurely and less bent
on driving itself into paralysis. loco
motor ataxia. paresis, hypochondria,
dyspepsia, softening of the brain and
insanity, in the original plan Of life the
dinner. the midday meal. was followed
by sleep. commonly called a nap.
Natures gentle hint to sleep was fol-
lowed and from this the sleeper arose
strengthened and refreshed to complete
the labors of the day. The custom was
found among the larger and important
quadrupeds. and there are traces of 1t
In the oldest historical records.
In warm countries and among Latin
people the midday sleep has never been
broken in upon. All the Spanish peo-
pie and their derivations call 1t the
siesta. 1t Is observed In all their coun-
tries with more faithfulness than any
of the articles Of religion. After the
family dinner. at which all eat, all
sleep. The merchant shuts up his
store. the lawyer his office, the gambler
lays down his hand. whatever it is, and
generally regarded. even by the north
ern people. as good thing In hot
country and for the dark people. 1t
may be added further that the siesta
In any country where the sun shines
and for any people Is good thing.
The sleep allowance which the most
highly enlightened people crowd into
the night alone ls frequently few
hours. and that Is not enough. 1t Is not
the allowance suggested by nature and
must be increased. 1t Is full Of devils
Of blue and other tints and nightmares.
and tires rather than refveshes. The
sleep proposed by old fashioned ma
ture after a good dinner was the real
thing and should pever have been
abandoned. 1t helped tired nature In
good time and pieced out. as It were,
the night.
AS men and women grow old and are
excused from active toll and are re-
manded to the summer porch or win.
ter hreside. II Is noticed that they
slumber In their chairs even In broad
day. 1t Is the voice Of Mother Ma.
ture saying to them. "Sleep. old
friends, sleep on. and take the rest
you should have taken long ago."
When the world has wiser grown,
less furiously energetic, less morbidly
avariclous, less painfully and fantas.
tically industrious. less intent on sue.
cess or the madhouse. 1t may be that
It will return to the older and simpler
ways and the MONDAY sleep. Ameri.
cans may learn Its value and necessity
In their wide tropical possessions. and
sunstroke. now great American
speciality. will be known no more
Kansas City Star.