"SLEPT LIKE A LOG"

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 05, Issue 25, 6 March 1942, Page 5

"SLEPT LIKE A LOG"

A GROSS EXAGGERATION EXPERTS. SAY YOU CAN'T "I slept like a log last night. I did not move once." This statement so frequently thought to be descriptive of a good - nights sleep, is a gross exaggeration. According to Mr G. F. K. Naylor, assistant director of the Australian Institute of Industrial Psychology, a person who slept so soundly that there was little or no movement would awaken with a feeling of exhaustion. "It has been found, by research carried out by Dr Harry Miles Johnson, of Washington University, that the average sleeper changes his position by turning, twisting 01* tossing at least 35 times in a night," Mr Naylor said. "He seldom retains one position longer than 10 minutes, and never longer than 30 minutes. This mover ment is called sleep mobility." Mr Naylor explained that this information was gathered with a kinetograph, a highly sensitive recording instrument which was connected to the springs of the bed. Women Rest Longer "The reason for bodily movement in sleep is that tlje' muscular arrangements of the human body are so complex that it is impossible to relax all the muscles at one time," he said. "Almost any posture requires some effort to maintain, and gives only partial relaxation. "The typical sleeper's average period of rest between changes of position varies with his age. In infancy he rests only five minutes at a time. "The period lengthens to about 15 minutes at maturity, then drops back gradually to seven or eight minutes with old age. "Manual labourers rest for longer intervals than brain workers; women longer than men."