Insomnia

Insomnia
INSOMNIA 1
• There are some individuals who can lay their
heads on their pillows and be asleep in two
minutes. Other normal people require nearly
half an hour. The average is about eight
minutes.
INSOMNIA 2
• One common problem is that although sleep
comes on promptly, after a certain amount of
time spent sleeping, the individual begins to
enter lighter and lighter sleep until he enters a
very superficial level of sleep, can easily
become wide awake, and being now rested,
cannot return to sleep.
INSOMNIA 3
• Another common type of sleep disorder is
that the person dreads to go to bed, as he
knows he will be tossing and turning for an
hour or two before sleep will come. There are
special things that should be done for these
two types of sleep disorders.
INSOMNIA 4
• For the first person it is helpful upon
awakening to begin immediately to take deep
breaths, making certain the room is filled with
fresh air. Sleep is a positive action of the
mind, not an absence of mental activity.
INSOMNIA 5
• Often the person tries to lie entirely immobile,
even rigidly motionless, becoming anxious
about the anticipated sleeplessness, and is
soon in no state to go back to sleep. Tense
and relax successive muscle groups beginning
with the facial muscles and progress to neck,
then shoulders and so on.
INSOMNIA 6
• Have at the bedside a cup of catnip tea which
may be taken to give a little sedation. It is
entirely innocuous and leaves no hangover.
Catnip tea may also be taken in the evening to
induce sleep. Other effective and harmless
herbal teas are hops and skullcap. The three
teas may be taken together if desired.
INSOMNIA 7
• One should spend any time awake
contemplating God’s eternal virtues such as
goodness, humility, love, patience,
temperance, carefulness, care taking,
faithfulness to duty, and loyalty. There is a
peace-giving quality in this category of
thoughts. One should not waste one’s
thoughts on counting sheep or picket fence
slats.
INSOMNIA 8
• For the second kind of insomnia, the inability
to get to sleep, among the best things that can
be done is physical exercise during the day, at
least one hour being spent out-of-doors in
some kind of brisk labor or sports. Second,
avoid taking a heavy or late supper. If
anything is taken it should be only whole grain
breads or cereals, and simple fruit.
INSOMNIA 9
• The third thing is to decide that even if one cannot
sleep, the benefits of rest will be obtained, which,
under proper circumstances of relaxation and mental
peace, can result in good refreshment. Never take
sleeping pills, as to do so merely borrows sleep from
the future which must all be paid back with interest.
Each day’s sleep should be taken care of for better or
worse within that 24 hours if possible.
INSOMNIA 10
• Sleep lost at night should be made up the
following morning before lunchtime if
possible, as an afternoon nap may spoil
evening sleep for the person who has sleep
problems.
INSOMNIA 11
• Generally one can expect that sleep before
midnight is about twice as refreshing as sleep
after midnight. The rhythmic pattern of
hormones in the blood apparently accounts
for this preference for sleep before midnight.
INSOMNIA 12
• If one has a tendency to difficulty in sleeping
the night through, it is better to get sleep
early in the evening, rather than staying up
late, thinking that by doing so one will put
one’s self in a more advantageous position.
INSOMNIA 13
• It is essential to be regular in all one’s habits,
particularly in mealtimes and bedtimes. Take
the meals at the same time daily, and go to
bed at the same time each night. The habit of
a regular bedtime from infancy to old age
does more toward promoting good habits of
sleep than any other thing.
INSOMNIA 14
• An evening ritual will assist in developing good
sleep habits. No new activities should begin
late in the day, as that tends to excite the
nervous system and make one less able to
concentrate on the activity of going to sleep.
INSOMNIA 15
• If every night is characterized by a certain
pattern of evening activities such as a bath,
dressing, a period of evening meditation and
prayer, turning off the lights, going to bed,
assuming a comfortable position in a
comfortable bed, and being clothed warmly,
drifting off to sleep can become a part of the
ritual.
INSOMNIA 16
• An often overlooked cause of insomnia is the
use of stimulating beverages. All caffeine-
containing drinks such as coffee, tea, colas,
and chocolate should be avoided in the
evening. The nervous system is
pharmacologically stimulated by these drugs,
and can cause sleep to flee.
INSOMNIA 17
• If one awakens in the middle of the night, and
cannot sleep, the neutral bath is often a lifesaver. If
you do not drift back to sleep within ten minutes of
awakening, slowly arise, draw a tub of water at
neutral temperature (between 92 and 96 degrees),
soak in the bath from 10 to 50 minutes, slowly arise
from the bath, blot the skin dry with a soft towel (no
brisk and stimulating frictioning as in the morning),
and return to bed, breathing easily and slowly.
INSOMNIA 18
• Be assured that this treatment will bring you
pleasant dreams.
• For fussy infants, a soak in a hot water bath,
three minutes, will almost invariably be
followed by sleep.
INSOMNIA 19

Insomnia

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