There are probably few of us who have not experienced an uneasy wakefulness at nights after a short time in bed. The brain may not be unduly active, but an uncomfortable warmth is generated with a fullness in the head, and we seek ease by twisting and turn­ing, which produces further stimulation and an increasing warmth.

This state may also arise after waking from an hour or so's disturbed sleep; instead of enjoying a comforting warmth we suf­fer from a disagreeable heat and head congestion. We try to woo sleep, but all in vain.

A possible explanation for this state of affairs has been sug­gested by Baron von Reichenbach. He maintains that what he calls an "odic" force permeates, and emanates from, everything in the universe, including every human being, and that where certain physiological conditions are present too much odic force may be generated and may accumulate in the bed. It is this, he claims, that causes uneasiness and objectionable warmth.

The obvious remedy is to get out of bed—overcoming any natural disinclination—and to throw back the bedclothes to allow the accumulated odic force to escape more speedily by a thorough "airing" of the bed. While this is being done, Baron von Reich­enbach advises us to don a dressing-gown and stroll around the bedroom, a practice which not only airs the body and cools it, but also helps to break the vicious circle of thoughts. On return­ing to bed, which will feel delightfully fresh and cool after its dis­charge of surplus odic energy, the feeling of discomfort will have gone and sleep will come quickly.

Whether Baron von Reichenbach's theory of the accumula­tion of odic force is correct or not matters little to the sufferers from uneasy wakefulness—// it works. The writer has found that it does—better in some individuals than in others, like most things, but it seems to bring some relief to all.

There is another practical aid to sleep which will stop the brain from going "round and round" in those persons who are unable to leave their worries downstairs when they go to bed.

After settling oneself in bed start going over the events of the day backwards. Many who have tried this method have, to the writer's knowledge, fallen asleep before even reaching so far as mid-day in their thoughts. But whether one falls asleep or not during the process, it is a most rewarding practice, as things that appeared as problems and difficulties during the day seem to become sorted out and clarified. The practice also improves the memory, for memory has to be exercised as we travel backwards in thought. It also prevents thoughts from chasing themselves in circles until one feels that there is no way out, whereas by revers­ing our thoughts in chronological order, so to speak, we embark upon a road that is straight; usually, long before we reach the end —i.e., the beginning of the day—we unknowingly take a branch road and enter the realm of sweet slumber.

Anyone who, having seen a horror film, full of dreadful situa­tions and ugly incidents, has then seen the same film run through backwards, will have experienced a remarkable sense of relief, the degree of which will be in accordance with his mental and emotional make-up. His mind is brought into a state of equi­librium, as it were. The "facts" depicted on the screen have not changed, but when they are viewed in their reverse order they effect a kind of neutralization of the thoughts and emotions that were generated by the film in the first place. There is a great sense of relief as a murdered hero is seen to come to life again, and nerv­ous and emotional tensions disappear as if by magic.

Viewing a film backwards bears some relationship to the process of retracing, in thought, the events and mental activities which occurred immediately before getting into bed and follow­ing them back until the morning's activities are reached—if one can get that far before sleep intervenes, brought about by the freeing of the body and mind from tensions that have been accu­mulated during the day.

The exercise is of immense value, and well worth a trial, but it must be practised conscientiously until the habit is established. The writer found it most useful in his college days, especially dur­ing examinations, since it impressed facts upon the mind and this improves the memory.

It is an excellent method of relieving undue tensions, which are always what might be termed "one-sided." It is like putting a weight in one dish of a scale to balance the weight in the other dish. It establishes equilibrium, which is, fortunately, never stable in actual living. Life would be dull indeed if it were pos­sible to be always in a state of perfect balance; nevertheless, it is grand to be able to command it when and where it is needed most

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