The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1906-09-21
Insufffsncy of Sleep.


In their answer to the question. Do we
| take sufficient Sleep doctors are almost
unanimous. 1t cannot be denied that the
majority of people do not get sufficient
sleep, said physician to our representa-
tive, and he proceeded to give his views
on the subject. Were children while at
! school to be allowed longer time for sleep
there would, within Il reasonable titne,
be a MAJ kcd improvement in the physique
of the rising generation. One of the OBJ
iccts of sleep is to enable nature to repair
the tissues of the body that have been
| destroyed i'll the cxcrtions of the day.
| Hence to forcGo sleep is to prevent the
strengthening and rebuilding of the body
which must inevitably, sooner or later,
tell even on the strongest.
With the never-ceasing hustle of modern
life and its accompanying strain upon
the nervous system, days work is q
more fatiguing task now than formerly.
! 1t is not alone that busy man crowds
| more into day, but he frequently works
longer hours. This in itself need not
real cause of shattered nerves and ruined
constitutions was explained by medical
man. 81 find, he said, that there is
an almost Unsuitable desire for amuse-
ments il the evenings, and if man does
not get away from his office till late he
does not take the time off his recreation,
but foolishly. almost recklessly, takes it
off his sleep, often postponing the time
of going to bed till the carly hours of the
morning. The consequence cannot but
be injurious, for a feeling of fatigue on
getting up in the morning is always in
dicative that there is something wrong.
think" added this doctor, that if there
were less rushing about for amusements
and more evenings spent at home, we
would hear less about shattered nerves"
While healthy sleep does not exactly
ward off disease, lack of sleep so lowers
the tone of the constitution as to leave
one peculiarly liable to the attacks of in
furious germs. The reason is this: in the
blood are phagocytes. who are our faith
full and-provided we treat them with
consideration-ever-w atchful guardians.
Round and round they career in arteries
and veins, always on the lookout for
harmful germs, and once one is dicovercd
desperate battle ensues, the phagocyte
L.,
Should the germ prove the stronger, his
victory may not be for lorg, for lie is
soon discovered and once more pourCcd
on. Upon the final result of the cncount-
ers depends whether we enjoy health or
fall victim to sickness. 1t we rob our.
selves of sleep it is these friendly phago-
cytes who are almost the first to suffer,
for they lose strength and rapidly dimin-
ish in number, and, like an army deprived
of its commissariat are unable to make
satisfactory response when the call is
made. With the aid of a microscope the
progress of these fierce battles has been
watched in the almost transparent web
of frogs foot.
To lay down hard and fast rules as to
the length of time that each person
should sleep is impossible, as it is wholly
matter for the individual to decide;
but the opinion generally held is that a
young child should sleep as long as posi-
bic, growing boy or girl about ten
hours, and man, while following his
occupation, eight For the child sleep
during the day is most necessary, as,
without it, the young frame is unequal to
the days romps, and with evening is too
fatigued to rest soundly. Prolonged for
ty winks" during the day are severely con-
demncd by many doctors, On the grounds
that they affect ones regular sleep.
Scientists have found that i'll the ordi-
nary course in the human being there is
the greatest vitality between 10 A. NJ.
and P. NJ, and the least between two
o'clock and six O'Clock i'll the morning.
Long sleeps during the day interfere with
this order of nature, and sometimes
affect various organs, causing headache.
The nap of forty winks, but only forty,
proves refreshing to many because it is
too short to have any injurious conse-
quences.
IF you want to live long and enjoy
good health" said physician, my ad-
vice is-choose a room with sunny as
pect and give yourself plenty Of sleep with
the windows open, going to bed, if posi-
BILE soon after ten o'clock. "-Londou
Telegraph.