The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1904-07-28
TILL BRAIN IN SLEEP
WITH SOME 1T NOTES TIME BETTER
THAN WHEN THEY ARE AWAKE.

That man may have a better idea
Of the time of night when he awakens
from a good sleep than he would have
O. the time Of day, provided he were
working unusually hard, with unusual
fntentness Of purpose, is one of the
odd facts connected with the operation
OF the human brain.
But. on the other hand, if a man may
work with such intensity of purpose as
TO forget the lapse of two or three
hours of daylight, so he may sleep with
a soundness that prevents the little
timekeeper of the brain from making
subconscious note of the hour hand of
the clock in the night. AS between the
two conditions. however, it is the opin-
ion of a professor of nervous diseases
that the awakened sleeper usually has
a better idea of the fight of the night
than the other may have of the fight
of the day.
"Under ordinary circumstances the
person who is in normal sleep is not
asleep" said the doctor. THAT one
clock of the brain which takes cogni-
zance of time is alert to an extent not
appreciated by the layman. Awaken
ing at any time in the night, the per-
son in good health and condition knows
pretty closely whether it is midnight or
after or whether it be nearer 2 o'clock
in the morning than it is to o'clock.
Many persons have the faculty SO cul-
tivated that they know within the
quarter hours OF the exact time.
con the other hand, it is {. common
expression with persons in all lines of
work suddenly TO look at the clock and
express the keenest surprise that it is
SO late in the afternoon or the even
ing, and occasionally one who has been
working to poor advantage and under
difficulties will be surprised on looking
at his watch that it is so early.
''That the brain in sleep keeps this
tally upon the time is proved by the in
fuence of anaesthetics. A person who
has been profoundly under the infu-
ence of any drug used for the purpose
will be as utterly unconscious Of the
passing Of ten minutes as he will be I'M
conscious Of the passing of an hour. He
may be forgetfUl Of all conditions lead
ing up to the state of anasthesia, and
for the time being he may have forgot
ten the day Of the week.
Gas to the time measurement in
sleep. it is best represented in the per-
son used to travel and to the catching
OF trains in the night. Many Of these
persons will be able to awaken at an
hour giving them just the margin need
ed for preparation for the train.
s'One CT tn peculiarities of a persons
waking for train or for any such
emergency is that the awakening al
ways is sudden. There is none Of the
preliminary yaWning and stretching
and slowly returning sense of luXuri-
Gus rest anu comfort felt by the man
who has slept a full sleep. In this
awakening TO certain time the per,
son frequently feels that impression of
a sudden sound which he knows cannot
have been made or uttered. Not infre-
quently he has the sense that some one
has called his name. He may be almost
certain that he has heard his first name
-George-called with the character
fstic rising infection. In almost any
case his awakening is without any pre-
monitory symptoms. 1t is with a sort
of jolt that he comes into full fledged
consciousness. In such cases as those
where the sleep is profound beyond any
consciousness Of the time the dream
period Of sleep is left far behind; the
sleep has approached the depth of an
RSthesia.'
One of the oddities Of sleep was re-
ferred to in which person may lie
down for rest without intending to
sleep. 1t may be morning or after
noon, but the fatigue that prompts the
person to lie down Overcomes him,
and after sound sleep he awakens
without any knowledge of time in any
sense. He does not realize whether it
Is morning or afternoon. whether he
has had luncheon or whether he may
not have slept through day and a
night and awakened into another day.
1t is the opinion Of the professor that
In such case the person experiencing
the sensations probably is not in a
normal state of health.
AS an example of sleep that should
be natural and close to the design Of
nature and of an awakening that
should be normal without the effect of
an artificial civilization croWding it.
the babe which has rested to the full
and begins to arouse itself from slum-
Der is an interesting study.
With its little face on the pillow. IN
marked by line, and it's breath com
fng-'With a silent regularity. it's hands
Iistless and still at it's sides. the on
locker is assured of the absolute re-
pose that is upon the child. AS the
hour for awakening approaches there
may be just little tremor shaking the
whole body Of the sleeper and perhaps
just the trace of a sigh following it.
Then an eyelid will futter for the
width of hair, and the lips will close
slightly.
Sleep is preparing for fight. The