Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-12-12

Il @@3AS" S~SSAJ @%S" -
One who has rarely lost a good
nights sleep little realizes the
torture some insomniacs go
Through.
Here is one type: He goes to
lbed at 10 pm. anticipating rest
Iful slumber. Within minutes he
lis fast asleep. About / am.
something prods him into wake
lfulness. The source is unim-
lportant. It may be the screech
LOT tires on q nearby street or the
soft patter Of raindrops on his
Iroof. He turns over on his side.
lbut sleep will not return. Then
begins the long struggle until
Idaybreak. At times he is so
tense, his hands are clenched
land his eyes are shut tight. He
'lets go" but still. sleep will not
come. He counts sheep but gives
|up when he reaches astronom-
Iical figures. He tries q glass Of
milk. In desperation. he tries
to tire himself by reading. His
eyes become Redeemed and
strained, but not sufficiently
relaxed to allow sleep.
That Stationary Clock
He keeps looking at the stub
born hands of the clock which
move so slowly. One, two. three,
|four-and still awake. At last,
in the early hours of the morn
ing. sleep blots out the face Of
the alarm clock. After what
seems only like a minute Of the
deep slumber, comes the BRAIN
dangling, eruptive clamor of the
alarm.
The insomnia is now sup
posed to be ready for his long.
arduous day of work. One such
might is bearable. But consider
that the true insomnia suffers
these nightly tortures seemingly
without end.
The other type of insomnia
says, II have trouble getting to
sleep. I read as long as ! can,
then I turn out the tight. I try
to relax. My mind skips around
like crazy bug. 1t won't keep
still. I try all kinds Of methods
to relax, but ! can't seem to keep
from rehashing yesterdays work
and worrying about what I have
to do tomorrow. After a few
hours of this tug-of-war. at last
I fall asleep-exhausted. And
I'm still tired when I get up in
the morning."
There you have the two main
TYPES OF insomniacs. You who
"hit the hay" as soon as your
head digs into the pillow will
not quite understand the suf-
fering these "sleep-losers" go
through. Those Of you who have
trouble with your sleep, will
know exactly what I mean. AS
a doctor. what can I do for you
helpless insomniacs?
A Few Suggestions
II you haven't tried any, con-
slider the following suggestions:
Cd Walk mile Just before re-
firing. CD II a warm bath hasn't
helped, try 10-minute cool tub.
Some patieAts have been helped
by cold shower. (3) Pressure of
bed clothes on the feet and legs
keep some people awake. Buy
or improviSe cradle" for the
foot Of your bed to keep of this
pressure. "a II sleep will not
come, try forcing your eyes to
stay open until you tire them.
Imagine yourself at the wheel Of
your car, driving on a dark road.
late at night, longing to shut
your eyes. The relief at being
in bed. and able to close your
eyes without fear. may send you
off into sleep. 90 Counting sheep
often works provided you keep
looking for a black sheep" that
never shows up. You get tired
looking for him and are of in
Sunderland before you realize
it. 90 Try glass Of cold or warm
milk Is minutes before retiring.
I'D If you have an automatic rec
ord changer. try soft music. 90
And here is a trick that works
best Of all. Most insomniacs will
find that their tongue tip is
pressing against the roof Of their
mouth. This is probably one
manifestation of tenseness. Con-
sciously release that tension by
forcefully pushing the tip Of your
tongue behind your lower teeth.
AS you push into your lower gum
with your tongue, the jaw will
fall and relaxation will come
Practice this for a week before
giving up on 1t. I believe it is al
fine antidote for insomnia.
AS for sleeping pills, they, too,
have their usefulness. If your
doctor prescribes them do not
hesitate to take them. One orI
two often break up the vicious
circle Of sleeplessness. However,
resolve never to take them onI
your own-without your doctor'sI
permission. Bootleg sleeping pills
are much worse for you than
bootleg whiskey.
released by The Bell Syndicate, Incl