I have observed that there are two opinions among medical men with regard to the importance of time in our sleep. It was my misfortune to sleep very badly for years, whether with the assistance of drugs or without. If long experience confers the knowledge of the expert in insomnia, then I am an expert on Sleep; and yet how little we know or can learn from ourselves or the highest authorities on the human machine. One of the ablest medical writers on the art of the management of life has remarked that "much sleep is not essential for any one," and this expression of belief has been emphasised by other members of the profession, as well as by men who have lived to great ages. On the other hand, there are still stronger expressions of opinion by men of both classes, some of whom attribute health and long life to consistent and long hours of refreshing sleep. My own belief is, that much depends upon the temperament. A man of calm, happy disposition may lie awake consistently and contentedly, enjoying four to five hours only, without harm to his constitution, his temper, or his nerves. Where, however, there is mental tension or a highly strung, nervous temperament, short hours of sleep are not only accompanied by unhappiness and the expenditure of nervous energy, but are followed by some exhaustion and consequent unfitness for mental and physical work.

The abnormal activity of the brain which frequently follows late tea or coffee drinking, owing to the stimulation of the central nervous system by the drug, caffeine, which these beverages contain, at once deprives the individual of the power to sleep and diminishes the energy at his disposal for the work of the following day.

Sleep imparts strength, both to the fatigued body and the tired brain, and is more abundant with the physical than the mental worker. It is a healer in sickness, a reviver in health, reimparting the vigour which has been diminished by the work and thought of the day. When sleep fails him for long a man is in a bad way. That every one knows, for every one sees it. It is written in the expression in the eyes, in the appetite, and in every action of the limbs.

Failure to sleep, or insomnia, may result from one of various causes -

Drinking tea or coffee late at night, or drinking either to excess.

The habit of thinking out the problems of science or business in bed.

Anxiety in relation to health, finance, the worries of business, sickness, the loss of beloved friends, failure to achieve some success on which the heart is bent, scandal.

Pain, indigestion, disease.

Constructive work after the last meal of the day.

When sleeplessness becomes habitual it is apt to get pronounced, and to develop into insomnia. Some men accept it with more or less complacency, light their lamp and read, or rise from bed, make a cup of tea and smoke a cigarette. I have met with some sufferers from sleeplessness who make a practice of going for a walk in their respective towns, or in their gardens, in the small hours of the morning, but seldom with effect. Effort rather repels than rallies sleep.

The last resort with the normal man is too often the first resort of the nervous and fearful - he takes to drugs, which he should only be able to obtain from a qualified physician. The almost promiscuous sale of hypnotics by druggists is a premium upon death, which takes an annual toll of hundreds of our people. I warn the sleepless against all these artificial remedies for sleeplessness, by whatever name they are called, and however harmless they may be described.

Experience has completely demonstrated the helplessness of science in the provision of sleep, and especially of natural sleep. The unconsciousness which is closely allied to it, but which is governed by drugs, is not the same thing, if we may judge by the after results. Nor can the sleepless always depend upon the action of drugs. It is for this reason that the dose is increased, or that two forms of hypnotic are taken at one and the same time. Sometimes, too, a short heavy sleep is concluded by a sudden awaking with distress so appalling that another dose is taken - and so the habit becomes unthinkably dangerous.

The man who suffers from sleeplessness must make up his mind to be brave; he will need plenty of courage in his effort to conquer it. Yet he will conquer it if he makes up his mind to be resolute, and regard his determination as something more than a forlorn hope. There is no royal road to victory over insomnia. The cause - and there is always a cause - must be removed. This step must be regarded as imperative, however much it may cost, and it is here that immediate and constant courage is needed. It must, too, mean early to bed and early to rise. If sleep appears to be hopeless, it must be remembered that as it was long in departing it may be long in returning. While the body is resting, the mind should rest too - not expending the energy in thought and anxiety which the body is needing. Though hours may pass without sleep night after night, patience will win in the end.

When the brain is actively thinking and concocting, and the whole man apprehensively trying to check it, it had better have rein, if everything fails. This often quiets the fears, until nature takes the matter in hand, and some sleep is obtained. Sufferers from insomnia frequently get short snatches of sleep without being aware of the fact, and they are apt to deny it. A watch placed within a glance of the eye will quickly convict the most devout disbeliever on this point, if he will test himself boldly. There should be no smoking, no reading, in bed. Sleep cannot be cajoled until habits which have scared her away have been abandoned, whatever the remedies applied.