the sleep of a laboring man is sweet.
ecclesiastes.
“the witchery of sleep” records for us some interesting mechanical devices for inducing sleep, more common in europe than in this country. their inventors hope to perfect them so that they may take the place of drugs and “sleeping potions.” this is an end devoutly to be wished by all who know the steady increase of the “drug habit.” among these sleep-inducing instruments the newest is the “vibrating coronet.” this coronet has three metal bands which encircle the head and two strips extending to the eyelids. by means of a spring these strips vibrate the eyelid gently and induce drowsiness. all the mechanical devices are constructed on the plan of inducing eye-weariness, whether by vibration or by fixity. either effect is in accordance with the modern theories of sleep. sleep may be induced by monotony also of sounds; by concentration either of the attention or the hearing on one point, or by more numerous impressions89 than the eye can comfortably receive; thus, when riding in a train, the succession of views will often induce sleepiness.
the “alouette,” a collection of little mirrors attached to the ebony panels of a box, is so placed that a ray of light falls on the mirrors in such a way as to fatigue the eye of the beholder. both this and the “fascinator,” a highly polished nickel ball attached to a flexible wire depending from a metal band similar to the “coronet,” work on the plan of concentrating the vision. in a similar way a light-house or a miniature flashlight, with its appearing and disappearing light, induces drowsiness, possibly hypnotic, through incessant change. it is needless to say that these devices might be injurious to the sight and certainly would not work where the cause of sleeplessness is eyestrain. that is a case for the oculist.
but when it is impossible to obtain mechanical devices, there are many simple schemes of inducing sleep. any light work, mental or physical, is helpful. to start writing letters, particularly if one is not fond of letter-writing, will sometimes induce sleepiness very quickly. sorting and arranging old papers will have the same effect, unless one is of a nature to find such an occupation exciting.
of course, a drawback in any of these light occupations is that by the time one has undressed drowsiness may have fled. that possibility makes it desirable that all preparations for bed shall first be made and a warm robe with comfortable bedroom shoes shall constitute the only extra clothing. warmth of body, especially of the feet, is essential to sleep. sometimes so simple a thing as a hot-water bottle at the feet, or even woolen bed-socks, will make all the difference between wakefulness and refreshing slumber.
then there is the matter of deep breathing, which seems especially adapted to feeble or run-down physiques. that is a large subject more familiar to the people of the orient than to us. some orientals are able to put themselves into trance-like sleep by their knowledge of deep breathing. numerous books have been written treating of this subject, among the best of which are “the science of breath,” by ramacharaka, and “the law of rhythmical breath,” by ella a. fletcher, though the “rhythmical breath” seems fanciful to western readers.
sleeplessness is sometimes due to lack of physical exercise, and, when that is so, no device is so effective as work—real physical effort. a great many persons take calisthenic exercises and go in for physical culture to develop muscles and also to regulate circulation so that sleep will come more readily. these are good makeshifts for persons who have no opportunity to work, but, where circumstances make actual labor possible, no substitute can satisfactorily take its place. gardening, shoveling snow, sawing or chopping wood, all give a variety of motion and a zest of exertion superior to any gymnastics. even a small amount of some such labor daily will often work a complete cure for insomnia.
everybody knows of some plan or device for inducing sleep, and all of them are more or less successful—sometimes. indeed, this is so true that it leads to the belief that, after all, the expectation of sleep helps to bring it, and here suggestion and auto-suggestion come in.
of late, a number of persons have tried the starvation cure—fasting for several days. this is frequently successful with robust, hearty people, who may unconsciously be eating too much or eating too stimulating food. many who feel unequal to a complete fast might cut down the amount of food as much as one-half, with happy results. a vegetarian diet undoubtedly helps, too, although among the lower animals carnivora sleep more than herbivora. the success of vegetarianism, both in insomnia and other diseases, may well be due to the diminished temptation to overeat and the less concentrated diet.
in any event, it is well for the sufferer from sleeplessness to study his own case and experiment with any or all the known devices to see whether, by this means or that, he can lure sleep to his pillow again.
and, speaking of pillows, it is well to remember that one pillow is better than two, and that the one should not be too high, too hard, too soft, or too warm, and that it should be thoroughly aired every day. it should be odorless and cool and have the cover changed frequently. clean bed linen is in itself an effective device for inducing sleep, just as perfect ventilation adds an hundredfold to the refreshment we get from our slumbers.
the best way to learn to sleep is to practice putting others to sleep. thy gifts will be unto thyself when thy benefits are to another.
we never know anything thoroughly till we try to teach it. all these plans and devices may be suggested one by one to any sleepless person. select what you think most suitable and most likely to be accepted, and let the suggestion be that this is a good plan or something just called to your attention that seems sensible. if you do not succeed in one or two, it is difficult to secure trial of more at that time.
every temperament is different and may respond to different methods: for instance, a ticking clock or dropping water, which make some persons drowsy, will make others inexpressibly nervous.
the trained nurse will tell you that, when you are trying to get the patient to sleep, whispering must not be allowed: the sibilant sound is irritating and the patient unconsciously strains to catch what is said. speak in a quiet, even, ordinary tone. do not fuss, putting the shade a little higher and lower, stealing across the room, and so on. if anything is to be done, to walk quietly and naturally will disturb the sleeper much less than tiptoeing about.
that mysterious thing that we call “personality” has much to do with the power to bring sleep to others. some persons can put almost anyone to sleep by quietly holding the hand, but nearly everyone has some of this power. some persons, especially children, are readily got to sleep by lying down beside them.
reading aloud slowly and in a uniform voice will bring sleep to most persons. when drowsiness comes, the voice may be lowered a little and continued until slumber closes the eyes. (concerning the varieties and causes of insomnia, see also appendix a.)
