Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-01-22
DAYTIME SLEEPINESS
By H. Arlington Bruce

Copyright, 1918, by The Associated Newspapers
THE health books tell much about sleep
lessness, but little about sleepiness. Yet
sleepiness is a real afliction to many peo-
pie, who find it plaguing them at times when
they ought to be alertly awake.
Sometimes it is a symptom of serious disease.
Organic mental diseases may have daytime sleepi-
ness early symptom.
In one case of paresis that came to my notice,
a suddenly developing and irresistible tendency to
fall asleep in the daytime appeared long before
any evidence of mental deterioration!
Diseases of the kidneys and liver may also have
daytime sleepiness as symptom. Or it may be
indicative of a slow poisoning by chemicals
minerals, particularly in the case of Industrial
workers much in contact with poisonous sub
stances.
More commonly however, daytime sleepiness
is a sign, not that the body is badly diseased but
merely that some of the rules of hygienic living
being disregarded.
People who make it a habit to keep late hours
obviously liable to be attacked by daytime
sleepiness. This is natures way of trying to com
pei them to take the sleep they need.
Daytime sleepiness is likely also to trouble peo-
pie who habitually work in poorly ventilated rooms.
They grow sleepy because they are being poi
soned by foul air. The proper remedy, of course is
to improve the ventilation.
Heavy eaters similarly are liable to daytime
seepiness which in their case usually develops
after meals The need for dietary prudence is
hereby indicated.
Or tsaytime sleepiness may follow even moder-
ate meals if the hygienic requirement Of daily exer
else is neglected, and especially If, through pro-
longed exerciseless occupation, the abdominal wall
has been allowed to lose its muscular tone.
To quote an eminently practical suggestion by
DR.. John w. fAchorn:
men and women whose work is chiefly mental.
and who sit stand in fixed positions much of the
time, should take sharp, deep breaths occasionally
to hasten the circulation in the abdomen and tho
rax, and change the air in the bottom of their lungs
Then let them contract the great rectus
Gle that runs down over the front of the abdomen.
The chest is a fixed point and the breath is held
when this muscle is exercised.
"By contracting this muscle the lower
ture of the stomach often be raised four
inches and this facilitates its emptying."
These two exercises distinctly beneficial as
anti-seepness aids DR.. Achorn goes on to
plain:
Dead air in the lungs. along with fermenta-
ton and the stagnation of food in a sagging stom
ach, are among the causes of drowsiness and heavy
headedness so often experienced by brain workers,
especially after meals.
'These two simple exercises practiced oppor
tunity affords, and they be done almost any
where and at any time without attracting attention
will more promptly relieve a dull head and improve
a weak digestion than anything within reach of
those who work in closed places
To sum up, nine times out of ten, more than
that daytime sleepiness is indicative of unhygienic
habits rather than the presence of outright dis
ease.
But always it is a real handicap successful
living. Always, therefore, the effort should be
made to ascertain and remove its causes.