Evening Republican, Volume 15, Number 298, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 December 1911 — HOW TO INDUCE SLEEP [ARTICLE]

HOW TO INDUCE SLEEP

AVOID ALL OPIATBft AND OTHKIf FORMS OF -DOPE." Light Meal Followed by Exercise, Well Aired Room and Warm Feet Usually Will Bring Peaceful Slumber. ■'■ljjsjm ”4 1 ' ■ —— There are sound hygienic methods by which sleep may be induced. Incursions into the realms Of patent medicines, opiates, and all sorts of slumber elixirs which are summed up as “dope,” should be avoided. But the merql of this lesson has bee* pointed ever and over, yet Httie hak| been said about natural methods of wooing sleep. Under this head does not come the various mental contrhr? 1 ances such as “counting sheep” or citing the multiplication table. Oxygen Is as necessary to the ho4lY cells during the hoars of sleep as at any other time. Perhaps in the case ) of childrOji it is even more necessary. For them sleep means the time of anabolism, growth and repair. The old prejudice against open windows still exist*, in spite of the campaigns of education in the newspapers anfrin the schools.. Dust in the room*, an Imaginary draft, the fear of colds, and many other stupid reasons are advanced in excuse of this pernicious prejudice. The organs of the body also should be considered, and no excessive work should he given the heart or digestive organs before retiring to rest High pillows lead to an increase in the heart’s force at a time when the heart should have the lightest wpjh. Pillows that are too low may cktise headaches, and even sleeplessness, through, an excess of blood being in the brain. Heavy late suppers am unwise, but a light meal, followed by such moderate exqrclae as a- short walk, is generally conducive to sound sleep. The light meal ciuses a withdrawal of blood from the head Into the stomach area and the body generally. The body is therefor* warmed, and this is Important Cold extremities, particularly cold feet, cause sensory stimulations, which produce sleeplessness, often for hours. People who suffer In this way should take means to keep tbeif feet warn artificially by using sleeping socks, or slipper baths, or by the use of hot water bottles, and by sleeping between blankets. * It is, of course,- fatal to sound Meep to go to bbd "with apything on* tbe mind.” In these sensational and pleasure-loving days we often retire to rest after receiving a long series of vivid sensations which often account for hours of sleepless tossing. Sometimes this may be relieved by a gentle friction of the head with a medium hard brush. t fering,' grief, responsibility* uid (last, but by no means least) mast find their place In his life at some time or other. Life without these would be at best a mere existence, and so we must pay the bin at such times. And even then fatisrue must cause sleep ere long. ■ / It may he wise not to be too particular about noises when little children are asldep. At some future time they may be thankful for learning to sleep while a certain amount of noise is gooing on. For instance, there is no reason why they should not be accustomed to sleep while, a piano is being played in another room in the house —Spokane Spokesman-Review.