PHILOSOPHY OF SLEEP.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVI, Issue 223, 18 September 1915, Page 13

PHILOSOPHY OF SLEEP.

(By A PHYSICIAN.) "How beautiful is i>eath, Death and his brother. Sleep!" sang .Shelley: and no one reflecting on such matters .-an avoid being struck by the close analogy between the passing 6lnmbers of the night and the inevitable finale to our mundane existence. When we close our eyes in sleep we become as unconscious of our worldly ills and troubles as though we were actually dead. Every night we die to all intente and purposes; yet awake in the morning with renewe,-' vigour for the daily burden. And the manner in which this renewal is effected is an utter mystery. It supports the. hope that there will be renewal or restoration in the other condition also. WHAT IS SLEET? Beyond the fact, apparent to all. no one can say exactly what sleep is. The physiological explanation regards it as anoemia of the brain, and says it is produced by muscular contraction of the arterioles or smaller arteries —which thus shut off the supply of blood. I hardly think this theory bas been proved; it may or may not be true — though even were it verified you would want to know why tbe vessels thus contract. Many people would lean to a psychological explanation rather than to a material one; aud there would arise the question how the repair of our faculties and organs takes place— especially considering that the supply of blood, which furnishes the nutriment, is then curtailed. The late Mr F. W. H. Myers, in his remarkable posthumous work. "Human Personality Revealed byEvidence After Death," advanced a most interesting theory that only a portion of the spirit, the ego, is incarnate, the ■rest remaining disoarnate and unembodied: and during sleep the incarnate (I think he said about a-third) met and received nourishment from the disoarnate. Hence that wonderful renewal of vigour, after ihe briefest of slumbers, which we often see. 'TIRED NATURE'S SWEET RESTORER." Whatever the explanation, tbe facts remain that Nature renews our strength and life-force each day hy means of sleep; secondly, that she thus often cures us of disorder or disease. Everyone who has had a febrile chill or a feverish bilious attack, or a like upset, from any cause, knows well how you have to "sleep it off": how drowsy you become: how fresh and recuperated you feel when that process has been completed satisfactorily. I And so it behoves those who are I young and have a life career before them jto beware how they tamper with their i allotted hours of sleep. Many or most , are far too fond of hurning the midnight oil. whether for purposes of pleasure or Jof -tudy. That is a great error. I j remember the illustrious lieorge DawUon, of Birmingham, one of the most eloquent preachers of his time, boasting I that when he was young he thought | nothing of going without sleep for a l He subsequently passed prema- ! turcly away at 50. And the great ! Napoleon, who called a sleep from twelve jto half-past three "a good night's rest," died nt 51. i It is always important tn make your ! sleep as refreshing as possible. Sleep I always with your window- a little open, land have the head well raised. Sleep i enough—that is, until you naturally 'awake, if it be possible—but not too muc.ii. Too much ■- relaxing, and 'almost as had as too little. There is i much difference in the quality of your .sleep: not all the slumber you indulge in is equally invigorating. ) ■ I It is a great mistake to awake young children from natural sleep, and that should always be avoided if possible. 'Directly they have had enough they are . invariably lively and want to get up. that is. if they are in proper health. ' SLEEPING DRAUGHTS AND DRUGS. I The less medicine you take at any i time iv life to induce sleep the better, j But sometimes, under the high pressure which now obtains in ail large towns, ,it is unavoidable. People whose nerves I arc *-o over-trained that they cannot 1 sleep go mad. Then a 15-gram dose of 'chloral hydrate dissolved in water acts like a charm, and does no barm. But ] there are some impure and unwholesome ' imitations. A milder hypnotic is 25 grain- of I bromide of potassium combined with 20

I drops of tincture of Indian hemp (cannabis indicoel and '20 drops of sal volatile. There are a large number of hypnotic I medicines on the market, some, such as ' veronal and sulphonal. highly dangerous, and occasionally fatal. It is not safe to take anything of the kind except with the full knowledge and approval oi your doctor. Brandy and whisky at bedtime won't kill you. but they are apt to do you serious harm in other ways. Sometimes putting the feet in hot watet ! for ten minutes; sometimes a cold i sponge bath at bed-time, will have the I desired effect. And if you are troubled . I with insomnia it is always well to avoid I tea —perhaps also tobacco.