The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-11-16

Most persons have an idea that they can
choose any time for sleep, that the night
watchman. for instance. can get as good
sleep in the daytime as at night. but this
is a mistake. The influence OF light Is
stimulating. especially through the closed
lids. while the usual noises of the daytime
are far from composing.
In the extreme North, with its almost
endless nights. there is a low development
OF vital force. On this account Greedy OBJ
served that the effect of the darkness on
the spirits and temper Of his men was par
t.cularly noticeable. Tha argument in favor
Of arkness is that it d~eprives US of our
habituaI sensations due to the stimulus OF
light and sound in the external world. Then
the eXcitations from the other world are re-
duced to Il minimum and the cerebral mech
anisn is IN Il state of temporary reposc,
which condition of itself directly invites
somnolency. Beyond this point long con.
tinued darkness causes absolute depression.
DARK HOURS FOR SLEEP"
Some observers go so far as to say that
tha dark hours were made for sleep and
the sunny hours for life work. They even
inve.gh against the practice of getting up
before sunrise, claiming that the old tradi-
ton concerning the early bird is not true.
One old master of a large school for
young boys noticed that when the children
We're forced by the regulations to rise by
candle light they were always irritable and
out of sorts for the day. Here was matched
an absurd school discipline against the
needs CT Nature.
1.-The influence of sunlight is a potent fac
tor of cheerfulness, and contrariwise, dark
ness is for rest and quiet. and in this re-
gard modern life. with its late suppers and
balls. reverses the order of things"
D all persons dream?"
The only way to reply to that question
Is to say that the absolutely healthy sleep
is a dreamless one. In this respect the
healthy man dies to himself every night.
He is lost to contact with things visible and
invisible.
The cause of dreams is due, In a great
measure. to position. The position which
provokes dreams Is often that Of lying fiat
on the back. Then the pressure of the
stomach against the large blood vessels
along the spine causes a retardation OF
blood flow from the brain. which results In
a temporary congestion of that organ. This
state gives rise to all sorts Of conscious
fancies. usually connected with previous ex-
per!ences more or less remote.
"Disagreeable dreams are almost invari-
ably caused by lying on the back. Usually
the discomfort resulting from this position
is short lived. for the sleeper changes in
stinctively and the dreams disappear.
HOW TO AVOID SNORING.
Those who have the unfortunate habit OF
snoring almost habitually lie on the back.
The sound of snoring is due to two condi-
tions-the topping Of the palate at the
| back of the throat and the falling back Of
1.-THE tongue during inspiration. thereby mar
rowing the aperture In the throat.
in regard TO the time required for sleep.
eight hours may generally be considered
sufficient for the average person. Some, OF
| course. can do with less. In keeping the
| body in good physical condition sleep is
next in Importance to food.
The body like any other machine. is liza
| Bile to wear out. 1t is well known that all
machines require rest: razors. for instance.
have to be put AVA for a brief period. Ev-
cry instrument needs its resting time. and
how much more does the machinery of the
human body require time to recuperate.
1T is absurd to think hat you can train
yourself to do without sleep. 1t is essential. to
, good physical condition. Very often habits
of insomnia are induced. There is a time
for evervthing-to eat when you are hungry,
TO drink when you are thirsty and certainly
! to sleep when you are tired. These are the
three cardinal rules for health. but they
must be obeyed to the letter and spirit of
natures law. The man who can eat well
and sleep well can always work WELL"