A Cure for Sleeplessness.

Manawatu Times, Volume VIII, Issue 352, 1 September 1883, Page 3

A Cure for Sleeplessness.

There is a form of wakefulness which of is somewhat frequent experience with persons engaged in active work, especially of the brain, A man who has been busily engaged during the day in his usual avocation, retires, let us say, at about ten or eleven o'clock, feeling quite sleepy. Alter a period of slumber, perhaps of two or three hours, he finds himself wide awake at about two o'clock in the morning. There is nothing particularly burdensome on his mind ; no mental anxieties perplex, no physical pains disturb him. His pnly annoyance is the consciousness that a hard day's work is befpre him and that his busy brain ought «o |be at rest. After tossing about for an ftpur or nappe in vain attempts to coupt sleep, he drops off towards morniug into dis-i turbed and broken slumber, and rises at the usual hour with a s^nse of having been defrauded by nature of one of his rights. So long this is a rare or occasional experience it need not attract attention. "When, however it becomes habitual ; when sleep is regularly broken by periods of wakefulness more or less prolonged, and especially when these periods come to be accompanied by anxieties and worrying, the symp^ torn is more grave. It may betoken serious impairment of tbe nervous system if allo ved to coutinue. What may be done by the person himself, on awakening during the night, injorder again to induce $leep£ The expedients* at pun disposal it must be admitted, Bre exceedingly variable in the efficacy, but most of them are worth, trying. A sense pf drowsiness is sometimes easily induced getting up and standing by the bedside until one feels almost chilly and the bed is cold, Another expedient is to wash the head, neck and upper p*a.rt of the body in cold w ater^a lower temperature of the skin inducing probably a more active circulation of the blood to the surface and away from the nervous centres, I have found a bit of dry bread, thoroughly masticated and eaten at this time, to act almost like a charm in some cases by drawing blood from brain to stomach, and that securing sleep. Anything which serves to detract attentiru from one's self and surroundings may occasionally avail — such as saying the alphabet, counting one's respirations, repeating the multiplication table, andja multitude similar expedients. An ancient monkish 'receipt for-, waketulness was to "count your beads." It is good advice yet. There are np better

aids to rep. :;•.- 'ii;in .'. "cod conscience and a mind at peace. — Laws of Life.