The Vinita weekly chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1905, 1904-07-14
THE MYSTERY OF SLEEP.
imperative as the Demand for Food
and There Is No substi-
tute for It.

Sleep, with It's strange phenomena.
remains, after the passage Of thea
sands OF years, as much a mystery as
II was In the beginning q the race.
says the Boston Post
Whence II comesf How produesdg
We as little know the answer to these
questions as Adam when the deep
slumber fell upon him in the garden.
The craving OF the body for sleep is
a. imperative a. It's cry for food. This
blessed loss Of consciousness IL the
best general medicine known. There
10 neither substitute nor rival for H.
Sleep is the off-duty period OF con-
sciousnsss. II 10 during this tms.
when the entire system IL 10 q Quisa-
cent state. that the final processes a
assimilation take place and that the
body Is really nourishsd.
This assimilation is said to 20 on
much better and more rapidly before
midnight than afterward. because OF
the more thorough circulation OF the
blood. which carries the new material
and removes the waste.
Oxygen. too. Is consumed In greater
quantities before midnight than after
II. according to the scientists. and oxy-
gen Is necessary TO this nutritive pro
eeas.
The heart decreases in force from
midnight until after sunrise the fol-
lowing day. and nightmare. dreams
conyulsions, relapse--even death--oc-
cur more frequently after this hour
Those who burn the midnight oil
should make note Of the fact that
there are good physiological arguments
In favor OF the early to bed" advice
One excellent reason why early sleep
is preferable TO late is that the cells
OF the brain and other nerve centers
can recuperate more quickly before
reaching a point OF strain or exhaus-
tion than they can afterwards DO.
II should be remembered that the
nutrition OF the body goes on very
slowly unless plenty OF oxygen is con-
sumed az the same time.
As the consumption OF oxygen is less
during sleep than IN working hours
there Is the greatest necessity for plen-
~ OF pure air in every sleeping room
Tho intimate connection OF sleep and
bodily nourishment IL strangely illus
trated In the hldeous "six-day races
and similar feats.
The men engaged in these eat tire
mendous quantities OF food-five times
what the ordinary workman can posi-.
bly, consume in like number OF hours
Yet the end OF the test finds them
frightfully emaciated. with vitality
spent
Physicians explain this as a result oi
the lack Of sleep. which has made Il
impossible for the digestive system e
transform the food into tissue.
Sleep Is llfe-giyer as well as a life
saver.
The coming Of natural slumber 4,
gradual The general repose woult
seem 20 be made un Of many littll
sleeps. which are premonitlons of ma
ture's approaching control Of the body
These little sleeps take each sens
separately and obscure r.
They take the physical organs on,
by one ond shroud them slowly TIL al
are quiescent
or the Ave guardian senses that pro.
tect as from danger while awake. "a,
eyes are the most important.
But normal sleep comes with dark
ness; sight Is useless in the dark;
therefore. IN sleeping the eyes clos,
first Of all
Next after sight. taste Is lost: Their
the sense OF smell. When half asleep
ones sight. taste and smell are gone
Hearing is the next to suceumb. the
sense OF touch deserting us last Of all
The same slow approach of sleep Il
noticed In the muscles and sinews
prowsiness begins at the feet. and
spreads slowly upwards until the brain
is reached.
IN waking the process Il the same
but Il is reversed.
The quickest way 10 arouse a sleeper
II TO touch him The next best a "a
shouting Taste remains last Of all
Specialists say that never before vas
there a time when such long and
profound sleep was needed Is nov hy
the average man and woman.
our tense and noisy living requires
II in generous quantities to repair ths
daily ravages
They add with truth that there has
never been = time when civilized mar
was 10 little able 20 sleep az he now Is
thanks 10 the very conditions which
make repose 80 necessary
A man can 90 40 days without solid
food and survive
He can exist seven days. sometimes
longer. without food and water
lie can drag through seven days. al
most. without sleep.
Musical snails.