Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1913-10-10
BEST TINE FOR WORK
TO ALL OF US IT IS BY NO MEANS
THE SAME
However, Authorities Agree That FeW
Are at Their Zenith In the Early
Momlns-eetter When the
Sun Sets.

Doctor Troemner Of Hamburg, Ger
many, through an interesting publica-
ton entitled "Das Problem des
Schlafs," has started q discussion con-
corning the time when man does his
best work.
Both Troemner and Weygandt have
shown that the mind, under the infiu-
ence Of sleep, does not recover its C
pacity for every kind Of work uniform
ly. Weygandt produced In himself by
hard work throughout the day a condi.
ton Of great mental WEAKNESS and
bodily fatigue, so that at the hour
when he went to bed he was unable to
perform the simplest tasks without
great difficulty. Before going to sleep
he endeavored to add up Q column Of
figures and to commit to memory some
lines Of poetry in q given time, but
failed to do so. After a half an hours
sleep he vas reused and set to per
form the tasks given. He now added
up the column of figures with perfect
ease, but experienced the same diff
Guilty in learning the poetry by heart
as before sleep.
When do you think your brain works
best? When is thought rich in asao-
citation, ideas rapid, conversation easy
and perception keenest? Few Of us
could claim this In early morning. The
breakfast table group is not usually
very sparkling or lively. More are
agreed that evening time Or night
time is more productive in creative
work that involves the summoning of
ideas or the marshaling of thought.
Fancy plays more freely from tea-time
onward. The best conversations, as
most people will admit, are heard after
dinner, and are of a different stamp
from luncheon conversations. Anec.
dote telling, and a quicker play of
imagination, that give a brilliancy to
dinner conversations, r hardly pos
sible at breakfast.
The reason of this must be some
change that we are not conscious of
that steals over US gradually as the
day progresses. We are certainly more
emotional after midday than before,
and sentiment wanes under the morn
ing sun. We are much like little me-
chanical machines early In the day.
The pure intellect and reason are In
their fullest vigor. We can add and
subtract better. Plans appear easier.
Difficulties cen less. As the hours
pass, pure intellect and reason grow
tired and emotion rises and broadens
out the field Of consciousness, making
1t DINNER and less efficient; and with
emotion comes a greater flow of alb
stract ideas and suggestions.
Vastly Interesting things resulted
from further experiments conducted
along the same lines. The power for
simple mathematical calculations, in
volving little strain upon the memory,
was recovered after q few minutes
sleep, while the power to learn by
heart required four hours sleep to i'm.
prove markedly. and eight hours sleep
to regain its full vigor. Doctor Troem-
ner states that the capacity for learn.
ing by heart is at its best early in the
morning. and decreases steadily
throughout the day. This scientist de.
the habit Of making children
learn work by heart at night time in
preparation for the next days school,
which. he points out. is very harmful.
because the exhausted memory has to
be stimulated unduly to retain its i'm
pressions at that time.