Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1908-08-07
CURE ron INSOMNIA.
follow Directions ana xou WIN

Sleep.
Worry, excitement, grief, remorse,
emotional shocks, fxed ideas Of one
kind or another, morbid fears-these
are few Of the demons that murder
sleep. Ny experience leads me to be-
lieve that the most demoniacal OF them
is the fear Of not going to sleep.
Many persons, unable to sleep imme-
dlately after retiring, become agltated
and annoyed, toss to and fro, and quer-
ulously say to themselves: "Oh, when
shall sleep2 Perhaps l am going to
have another bad night" To such
would say: "Sleep is like pigeon 1t
comes to you II you have the appear
ance Of not looking for It; 1t flies
away If you try to catch It."
am in the habit Of advising persons
suffering from neurasthenla, accompan-
led as 1t generally Is by insomnia, In
these terms; Say to yourself as you go
to bed; II don't care a ng whether
sleep or not; II sleep. well; If l do
not sleep, also well, though not 80 well"
This formula often works like magic.
know that In offering 1t free to my
readers ! am guilty Of folly. Were
to follow the prevailing example, I
should open hall and teach 1t in six
lessons, charging dollar a lesson.
Then the world would believe 1t, sleep
less nights on this planet would be
fewer, and should be richer. Never
theless, the wise reader will forgive my
want Of worldly prudence for the sake
Of the blessing that may be his, with
out money and without price,
Let me earnestly urge sufferers from
Insomnia Except in cases where 1t Is
the result Of organic disease or acute
pain) to follow Macbeth's advice and
throw physic to the dogs" metaphor
ically, Of course, else the dogs will suf-
fer. Choral, opium, trional, parable
hyde, sulphonal and other narcotics
drug or intoxicate the brain, produc-
ing Inconsistencies, indeed, but really
war against normal sleep, as is seen
from the fact that opium and morphine
manlacS- gradually lose all power of
falling asleep naturally.
We may lay 1t down that the lnsom-
MIA caused by prescriptions. obses-
slons, worries, strains and stresses ID
primarily psychical, and ought to yield
to psychical remedies All that ls nee
essary to a complete cure IL perssver-
ance in the use Of the method prescrlb-
ed. And that method is at bottom,
auto suggestion.
Man Is suggestive animal, and mo-
where does he show his Suggestiblllty
more than in this matter Of sleep. The
way in which the sufferer from lack
Of sleep should apply suggestion to him
self will not describe, promising only
that be has already attended to the
hygienlc measures necessary, the most
important of which 10 that the bedroom
should be well ventilated, with the TEN.
!. perature at bS Fahrenheit, the pillow
J not too high, and the lower extremities
3 Of the body kept warm.
After warm bath get quickly t.
bed, drink a glass Of milk, relax the
body and assume the mental attitude
( which has been indicated In a preced
t ing paragraph. Then take long, easy
breath, gradually opening your eyes al
you do 20 and rolling them upward
50 that when the breath is fully taker
! in the eyes are wide open. Then slow
ly and gradually fall so that at the enc
Of the exhalation the eyes are closed
See to 1t that these movements arr
made easily, and not with any sens
of strain. Repeat the inhalation Will
the opening Of the eyes, the expiration
with the shutting of them, fifteen times
u Then close the eyes for a space Of tel
3 breaths, and then repeat the process
above described. At some moment dur
|, ing the process you will fall asleep.
: At FIRST nervous and excitable person
will have a dificulty In obeylng thi
g rule yet 1t must be carried out to tn
letter II Its beneficial influence Is Z,
d be experlenced.-Health Notes.