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Star (Christchurch), Issue 17567, 18 June 1925, Page 6

Each day of iwentv-four hours, like Caesar’s ancient Gaul, is divided into three parts, whereby are given eight hours for work, eight hours for recreation and eight hours for sleep, scientists are now asking the cjneotion: “ Why should a person sleep cnet.rird r;f his lifetimeF : Evervone, at some time or another, has bee'n advised get “ plenty of sleep.” But in getting plenty of sleep it has been found that most piersons really get too much, which is as harmful as not securing enough (says “Science Siftings”). Scientific investigations by Dr Ronald A. Laird show quite deSnitelv that the time-honpured idea that it is wise to get a great deal cf sleep has scant, basis in fact; that many people probably get too mxich sleep. Tt shows, too. that, like food, the value of sleep to the body depends not on the quantity, but quality. “The famous men who slept little,” says Professor Laird, “ undoubtedly had learned how to extract from a. few hours of good sound sleep more physical benefit than many people obtained from a fxiil night of fitful, wakeful, light slumber. Science shows, too, that there are good end bad times for sleeping; that the’way yon lie in bed has great bearing on the quality of sleep you enjoy; that bv cultivating proper habits of sleep and surro-xnding yourself with conditions conducive to good sleep. you probably can reduce your sleeping limeto six hours and yet awake refreshed, invigorated, and with no trace of the tired feeing that now may make rising in the morning so much of a task. Tho deep, restful sleep—the real restoring sleep that repairs weariness of body and bind comes during the first Lours or two after you go to bed. It is then that your muscles aro mos-.i> relaxed, your blood pressure lowest, and your skin sensitivity least. After the first couple of hours sleep become* lighter. After four hours it is very light. Tho slightest noise will awaken an average sleeper after this time. Now, to continue this light sleep in the morning is riot restful.”