The Alaska citizen., 1915-05-17
How to Get to Sleep

axe a position by the side OF
the comfortably relaxed passenger
for Dreamland back just far enough
TO cause his eyes a slight strain in
the attempt TO focus them upon
yours Hold them thus steadily, and
repeat in drowsy, monotonus tone
You are going to sleep-soundaway
asleep. Your eyelids are getting
| heavy, You are going TO let them
close down. and go sound away to
sleep -sleep-sound asleep Vary
this formula from time TO time TO
! concentrate attention fully upon the
matter in hand.
In the course OF five or ten min
utes the subjects eyelids will get
heavy and gradually flutter down.
He will soon be sound asleep.
Patience and absolute seriousness
| of purpose are necessary for the
success of this experiment When
sleep las been induced it is well
! 10 suggest. as tho there could BE-
no particle of doubt that the in
tructions will be literally carried
| out: You will sleep soundly all
| through the night. You will awake
rested and refreshed in the morn
| ing And you will be able to go
sound asleep tomorrow night and
the next night. and every night
i hereafter. without the slightest con
! scious effort,
! Those of us who have counted
| innumerable sheep jumping one by
one over the fence Of our magma
| ton will appreciate that the point
to be striven for in thus securing
| sleep is monotony and repetition
| And however funny it may seem to
those red blooded brigands who can
WOO great natures second course
| and chief nourisher in LIES Feast
at will, il IS no joke to the wide
| awake mathematician, counting faith
fully. and heartily GUESSING those
| ghostly sheep that skip to blthely
over the stile.
doesn't permit so much latitude for
galloping thoughts; it is form of
| suggestion that adults can practise
upon themselves. The idea is to
establish monotony by repeating a
progression Of numbers, aiding men
| tai concentration by opening and
shutting the eyelids at each count
| The physical act of opening and
| AioSihS thV lidS ltQull tS JUST Sull
Gent effort to preclude entertain
! ing extraneous ideas which mere
| counting would not accomplish
Thus, lying quietly relaxed, count
One at the same time opening and
| closing the eyelids. Wait few
moments, then count Two, repeating
as before. Presently the lids will
| become heavier and refuse 10 open
| at the count. 800.
Sometimes gentle exercise in
bed-right where the fatigue induced
will do the most goods very eff
fective. Lie prone, and stretch the
body TO its utmost by attempting
TO reach the head and foot boards
| at the same time. Then raise your
! head few inches. and hold it in
this position while breathing slowly
and deeply. You will soon be very
| glad to drop it back upon the pill
low. Now repeat this operation with
! the right foot-omitting the attempt
| to breathe during it. When that
droops and languishes from fatigue,
| do the same with the left Then
begin with the head and do it all
over again.
In few minutes you will have
| tired and relaxed most of the mus
| cles of the body, and in surpris-
ing number of instances, if the
procedure be faithfully followed out,
Ia healthy. natural sleep will follow
| Reading oneself to sleep is
form OF autohypnosis that is COM
mon and commendable. The book
or magazine should be just suffi-
GENTLY interesting to divert the
mind, without arousing a train of
thought intense enough to be in
itself cause Of wakefulness.
IF one could afford to engage a
violin soloist TO play soft improvi-
sations upon muted strings, the re-
suits should be perfectly ideal. How
ever. in well-equipped sanatoriums
it is now recognized that music l.,
valuable in the treatment of insom
MIA and its use is rapidly extend
ing Osteopathy, massage, or even
simple rubbing along the spine,
nave given good results in sleep
lessness- In using friction there
! should be only moderate pressure
| At first becoming still lighter as
nervousness and excitation are re.
| lieved, and the patients slower
| breathing indicates relaxation.
I'm most cases of insomnia, I'M
less due to anemia, the proteids
should be reduced to minimum
! Meat proteids especially are entire
ly too stimulating. The chief diet
should be light and easily digested
The principal meal should be eaten
at noon; although one should not
retire feeling hungry. In fact, a
| glass OF hot milk or very light
lunch just before going to bed is
often good soporific. causing a
flow OF blood from the brain to the
great abdominal blood-vessels.
Anything. except drugs, that will
produce sleep is useful and admir-
| able. The salutary effects OF a
drugless sleep are felt all the next
day. The usual 'doped' sensation,
which follows the use of hypnotics
even the most harmless, as bro
mids and yeronal-is entirely lack.
| ing. II comprehensive inspection
| OF your habits. with the correction
| OF the bad ones doesn't cure your
| insomnia you had better lose no
time in calling in some one qualified
to discover your physical imperfec
lions and apply the proper cure di.
! rectly to them. 1t will be a thou
| sand times better than trying to
| club your insomnia into insensibility
with drugs. 'slep at any price Is