The tendency among men is the same as among animals, to sleep more in
winter than in summer, not that more sleep is required, but because the
winter nights are longer.
Children should go to bed early. They require more sleep than adults
because of the greater cell activity. Also, children who stay up late
generally become irritable and nervous.
It is not well to eat immediately before retiring. The sleep following a
late meal is generally interrupted, and there is not that feeling of
brightness and clearness of mind, with which one should awake, next
morning.
Lunching before going to bed is a bad habit. Some believe they must have
an apple, or perhaps a glass of milk, before retiring, for they think
that this will bring sleep. The body should not be burdened with extra
food to digest during the sleeping hours. This time should be dedicated
to the restoring of the body, and the blood contains ample material.
Dreaming is largely a bad habit. A normal individual rarely dreams, and
then generally following some imprudence. Dreams begin in childhood and
are then due principally to excessive food intake. As a producer of
nightmares overfeeding has no equal.
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