How to Sleep Well
Eight hours a day, or exactly one-third of our lives, we spend in bed sleeping. This fact alone is a convincing indication of the great importance of sleep. Indeed, sleep is more important than food. Experiments on animals have shown that while it is possible to do without food for as long as sixty days and more, one cannot survive longer than five to six days without sleep. During the hours of sleep the important work of body growth and the repair of worn tissues is performed. Also important is the fact that while we sleep our brain and nerves relax and recuperate so that they are in a better shape to direct our actions during the next day’s waking hours.
In sleeping, as in other respects, modern man has strayed away from nature. The best hours of sleep are those between sundown and midnight and the best waking hours are those from sunrise till darkness. Modern man as a rule goes to sleep at late hours and gets up after sunrise. He substitutes for the best hours of sleep the poorest, and, as a result, pays with his health for this transgression.
The generally accepted average of eight hours a day is about the proper requirement of time for sleeping. High-strung individuals, infants, and old people — all require more sleep than the easygoing, the young and the middle aged. The quality of sleep is also very important. Good sound sleep of short duration will refresh you much better than a longer period of restless interrupted sleep. It is easy to know when you have had enough sleep by a refreshed feeling in the morning instead of dullness and tiredness which comes from the lack of sleep. In addition to the night sleep a short nap in the afternoon, say ten to fifteen minutes, especially after lunch, is very beneficial and should be managed by everyone. If you watch animals you will notice that they usually curl up and take a nap after their midday meal.
Since you spend one third of your life in bed you must see to it that you sleep in perfect comfort. Your bedroom should be the quietest room in the house, well ventilated and darkened. Your bed should have a good mattress, preferably one with an inner-spring. The mattress should not be too soft because sleeping on soft beds makes your muscles sag and causes curvature of the spine. It is advisable to put a full-length five-ply board between the spring and the mattress. This makes the sleeping surface levelly horizontal, and prevents sagging in the center of the bed. It is also advisable to use lightweight covering, preferably woolen blankets, or, better yet, an electric one. Heavy covering interferes with skin breathing, impedes digestion, and causes restlessness.
It is definitely a more restful and healthful practice for married couples to sleep in separate beds. However, since there are other matters involved, and most couples prefer a double bed, the so-called “Hollywood” bed proves to be the most comfortable one for a restful sleep. It is a double bed having two separate mattresses placed side by side. In sleeping on such separate mattresses there is less chance of one person disturbing the other while changing positions, which often happens whether asleep or awake.
Snoring is a source of great annoyance and loss of sleep and health not only for a bedfellow but also for others in the family who sleep in adjacent rooms. Many a divorce has had its initial cause in the snoring of one of the marital partners. It is hardly a thing you can get yourself accustomed to when your sleep is interrupted and the noise continues until you are completely exhausted. Too much starchy and other acid-forming foods, overeating, especially at the last meal of the day, sinus and bronchial troubles — these may be responsible for habitual snoring. Sleeping on your back with your mouth open often causes snoring. Care should be taken to correct this habit if one does not want to become a nuisance to his loved ones. To correct it the proper thing to do is to take up a regime of rational living and natural foods.
The best sleeping position is the one on the right side because while you are in it the work of the heart, lungs, and the stomach is unimpeded since they are on the top of other inner organs in this position. However, it is advisable to change your sleeping position a couple of times during the night. For the best sleep have a small thin soft pillow; better yet, no pillow at all. Sleeping on high pillows strains your neck and causes curvature of the spine. Higher pillows are useful only in cases of insomnia, headache, and asthma since they lessen the flow of blood to the head.
Many people are unable to fall asleep easily, they wake up and stay awake for a long time before falling asleep again. Children and, also, physical workers who are all active during the day will never experience any difficulty in sleeping. It is the inactive person, the light worker, the housewife, who suffer from light sleep. However, the main sufferer is the one who takes all his worries and daily affairs to bed with him. Good sleep requires complete relaxation of the brain as well as of the muscles. Try to solve all your problems and leave all your worries behind before you attempt to go to sleep.
When ready to fall asleep assume the most comfortable position for you, relax every muscle in your body, and then try to completely blank out your mind. To do the latter close your eyes concentrating them on the spot between your eyebrows, think of nothing, and listen to your own breathing. Do not have in mind that you want to fall asleep. The more anxious you are about that, the more strained you will become, and sleep will only evade you. Take the attitude that all you want is just to relax and be comfortable, and it won’t take long for you to find yourself in dreamland.
Other aids to sound sleep are: reading in bed, preferably of some relaxing literature for about ten minutes, no longer, just long enough to take your mind away from your surroundings; soft music on the radio with the lights dimmed or entirely out; a hot foot bath, especially on cold nights, to draw the blood away from your head — all these will help a lot.
Never use any drugs to induce sleep. These are highly injurious and do not accomplish the purpose of promoting restful sleep. They are all habit forming and require larger and larger doses to knock you out.
Avoid heavy meals before retiring. Even short snacks or drinks other than a glass of water will interfere with sound sleep. Take your last meal of the day at least four or five hours before you go to bed.
Spend the last couple of hours of the day in some quiet, peaceful occupation — take a walk, read, listen to pleasant music, or watch a good unexciting picture on your television. Quarreling, too much talking, or any kind of excitement are not conducive to good sleep.
Remember that in order to sleep well you must be in complete physical and mental harmony with yourself and your surroundings.
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