SLEEP—A BEAUTIFIES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19391, 28 July 1926, Page 7

SLEEP—A BEAUTIFIES.

The lucky being who is asleep by eleven p.m. and enjoys a refreshing dreamless slumber until seven a.m. the liext morning, year in and year out, is pretty sure to bo healthy and happy. Unfortunately, comparatively few peoplo know what it is to sleep really well.

When once sleeplessness has become a Fixed habit it i 3 difficult to cure and it must be fought by every means in your power. Apart from mental causes, such as a too-active brain and worry, both common, indigestion and anaemia are frequently responsible for the trouble. Cold and hunger aro others, and a stuffy or noisy bedroom or an uncomfortable bed will' prevent light sleepers from having decent rest.

Sleeping on the back will often cause nightmare. In order to sleep well it is necessary to get outdoor exercise during tho day and to go to bed healthily tired, but not exhausted: to eat well-cooked digestibh food and masticate it thoroughly; and never to go to bed directly after a meal.

Never go to bod, however tired, without removing the day's dust and all makeup, and don't negiect to give your hair a thorough brushing. Not only will your looks benefit very much, but your sleep will be much more refreshing. Your bedroom should be dainty, fresh and airy without being draughty. The colour scheme should be soft and one that appeals to you personally. The.walls should bo distempered and of a neutral tint; there should be no stuffy hangings or carpets, or boxes and clothes about. Considering that we spend at least a third of our lives in bed, it is hardly possible to spend too much caro in getting one that is both hygienic ami comfortable. If a divan-like bed is used it must bo high enough off the ground to' allow a current of air to circulate underneath. The mattress should be of tho box varietv, with a hair one over it, as this type keeps its shape and does not lot the body sag. Dispense with a bolster and use hairstuffed pillows, not down ones. Have ono only, if you are anaemic and do not sleep well, so that the blood may get to tho brain. Two, or more, if you are fullblooded and 4re kept awake because too much blood flows to the centre of activity. The blankets should be of pure wool, and therefore light and warm; an eiderdown, provided it is of down, is a comfort, but. bedsproads should be dispensed with at night, as often they are not sufficiently porous. All the bedding should be exposed to sun and air every day. It is a most unhealthy habit to make a bed directly one is out of it.

There are two forma of indigestion which often causa sleeplessness. One is flatulence, which presses on the heart and causes a most unpleasant feeling of suffocation. The best cure for this is to eat all your principal meals dry and to drink only between meals, either an hour before or an hour afterwards. Heartburn also is a source of trouble. Half a teaspoonful of sal volatile, the same quantity of bicarbonate of soda, and a few drops of essence of peppermint or ginger in half a wineglassfuf of water will usually give relief. It is, of course, an emergency medicine and not to be taken habitually.