do on the following day,
and are oppressed with the thought that we cannot do it if we do not
sleep. First, we try one experiment to see if it will not make us
sleep, and when it fails, we try another, and perhaps another. In each
experiment we, are watching to see if it will work. There are many
things to do, any one of which might help us to sleep, but the
_watching to see if they will work keeps us awake._

When we are kept awake from our fatigue, the first thing to do is to
say over and over to ourselves that we do not care whether we sleep or
not, in order to imbue ourselves with a healthy indifference about it.
It will help toward gaining this wholesome indifference to say "I am
too tired to sleep, and therefore, the first thing for me to do is to
get rested in order to prepare for sleep. When my brain is well rested,
it will go to sleep; it cannot help it. When it is well rested, it will
sleep just as naturally as my lungs breathe, or as my heart beats."

In order to rest our brains we want to lie quietly, relaxing all our
muscles, and taking even, quiet breaths. It is good when we can take
long, full breaths, but sometimes that is too fatiguing; and then we
must not only take moderately long, breaths, but be careful to have
them gentle, quiet, and rhythmic. To make a plan of breathing and
follow it keeps the mind steadily concentrated on the breathing, and
gives the rest of the brain, which has been working on other things, a
chance to relax and find its own freedom and rest. It is helpful to
inhale while we count seven, exhale while we count seven, then rest and
breathe naturally while we count seven, and to repeat the series of
three for seven times; but to be strict with ourselves and see that we
only do it seven times, not once more nor once less. Then we should
wait a little and try it again,--and so keep on for a number of times,
repeating the same series; and we should always be sure to have the air
in our bedrooms as fresh as possible. If the breathing is steady and
rhythmical it helps very much, and to inhale and exhale over and over
for half an hour has a very pleasant, quieting effect--sometimes such
exercises make us nervous at first, and, if we are very tired, that
often happens; but, if we keep steadily at work, the nervousness
disappears and restful quiet follows which very often brings restoring
and refreshing sleep.

Another thing to remember--and it is very important--is that an
overtired br