Sleep: Nature's Best Medicine

There is absolutely nothing in the world that can take the place of sleep. We must not let the body go short on sleep, since there is simply no substitute for it. Experience and observation also tell us that bedtime has something to do with the going and coming of daylight. We are aware of the fact that sleep before midnight is more refreshing and relaxing than sleep afterwards. If we postpone our bedtime mainly to the hours after midnight, we will not derive the healing and strengthening benefits from sleep that we would by going to bed earlier, because the hours before midnight count double.

Not everyone needs the same amount of sleep. The individual requirements lie generally between 6 and 10 hours. Anyone who cuts sleep short so that he can work more will soon notice that he has calculated wrongly. During the day his energy will decline and his efficiency will diminish. If we need much sleep in order to feel fresh during the day, we should not compare ourselves with those who get by with less. We must by all means obtain the amount that our bodies require.

People who are engaged in demanding employment are often so exhausted in the evening that they feel unable to cope with their duties. But how amazed they are the next morning, when after a good night's rest and refreshing sleep they are able to easily deal with what the evening before seemed an insurmountable impossibility. That is why no one appreciates sleep more and experiences its revitalizing powers better than those who have had a busy day. But he who instead puts it off because of other activities or by means of stimulants, should not be surprised if in time sleep fails to perform its duty.

Many people complain that they cannot sleep. Even children are often unable to do so. All of these disruptions are either connected with overdoing or with taking things that stimulate. Children not yet subject to work pressure can nevertheless have this problem if their parents neglect to observe the routine the children's age demands.

Years ago it used to be common for children to go to bed early. Today children often watch television late into the night. By thus resisting sleep they disorganize the natural sleep pattern. If in addition they have nutritional deficiencies, one need not wonder why their fresh, healthy looks disappear and become sick often. Children who are robbed of their necessary sleep over any length of time will become nervous and irritable and will gradually lose the benefits of invigorating sleep. This disadvantage cannot be corrected easily in later years.