Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-02-01
HANDICAPS ON SLEEP
BY H. Addington Bruce

& reouested by correspondent l list to-
u day the chief influences unfayorably Ell
fecting sleep, other than acute or chronic
conditions of bodily disease. Foremost 1mtor-
lance must be accorded to disturbing mental
states, particularly states of worry, anxiety.
grief, and rage.
Less common as sleepLdisturbers, yet more
common than is generally known, are such
states as envy, jealousy, and hate. THESE at
times cause such an organic perturbation that
sleep is with difficulty obtained.
Hence the sleep-conserving Importance OF
cultivating kindly generous thoughts and emo
tional control. The need for emotional con-
troll is further emphasized by the fact that
many owe their sleep difficulties wholly TO a
fear of inability to sleep, fear which mas
gradually developed into fixed idea that
they cannot get a good nights rest.
To reinforce this idea is the unfortunate
circumstance that the harder they try to sleep
the less successful are they. This because their
effort to sleep keeps them in state of mental
and physical 9 tension, and anything which
causes tension is inimical to sleep.
! For this reason it is a sleep-handicapping
! habit to take ones business problems to bed
with one And because of the tension induced
by mental excitement many people find it diff
| ficult to sleep after an evening at the opera
! the theater or the movies" Others sleep
Loorly if they read an exciting book up to the
moment of retiring.
! In all such cases some means should be
found for quieting down before sleep is
sought A few minutes of restful converse
| ton, glancing through magazine, a game or
| solitaire, such are few of the means available
| to all. Recalling one admirable suggestion:
"Osler's recommendation to have classic
! author beside ones bed, to be read for few
minutes every night after retiring as prep
aration for sleep, is an excellent remedy for
| the miIder forms of insomnia, as well as a
stepping-stone to scholarship"
| And, of course, there are numerous phys1-
ical handicaps on sleep.
| INSTRUMENTATION is one Of these. So is the
| habit Of sleeping under too many bed cover
Pings. On the other hand, cold will keep many
people awake. To have the bed coverings Of a
sort that will provide ample warmth without
oppressive weight is the ideal arrangement
| And while the eating of a hearty supper
| just before seeking sleep is hardly to be rec
! commended, it is a fact that hunger is a strong
| provocative of wakefulness Many who find it
difficult to sleep after or o'clock in the
morning could break this annoying habit by
| eating little cake or a few crackers at bed
| time.
! Noise it need hardly be said, should be
minimized much as possible. And persons
! who are supersenstive to light, even the small
| amount that may come from a street lamp
/! shining through a blind, are advised to pro-
! cure extra dark blinds Or to sleep with a COW
ering over their eyes.
In certain cases, finally, the height of the
pillow seems to affect the quality of the sleep
obtained. There are some people who seem
ingly heed very low pillow if they are to
sleep well, others who require an unusually
high pillow, perhaps two pillows.
Many an insomnia, particularly if middle
aged or elderly, will find that his sleep is ap-
probably improved by heightening his pillow.
On the opposite, there are people whose sleep
would be bettered by the device of substituting
lower pillows for those on which they have
been vanly trying to sleep.
copyright, 1929