NIGHTMARE AND SLEEPWALKING.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1246, 30 September 1884, Page 3

NIGHTMARE AND SLEEPWALKING.

A remarkable occurrence attendant on sleep is nightmare. It is supposed to be induced by impeded circulation of blood, by compression on the diaphragm, by a full stomach, or eating an indigestible supper. The stomach then draws off a portion of the nerve power from the heart and lungs, by which their action is impeded, and the sense of suffocation felt in nightmare comes on. The mind is in insufferable agony. A spell is laid on one’s faculties which keeps them dormant, and the sufferer is a helpless victim. He feels under a heavy load, crushed under a mill-wheel, or wrapt in the embrace of a serpent ; ho is struggling in vain, but Las no power over bis members; he thinks he is calling loudly, when really he may be only moaning helplessly ; but when once he gets moved the dreadful spell is broken, and he feels at ease. In sleepwalking the dream is of so forcible a nature as to stimulate the muscular system into action. We dream of a thing and rise up and do it. We hear or see in cases, but seldom both at the same time. Sometimes the eyes are open, but the sleep-walker sees nothing. This was noticed by Shakespeare regarding Lady Macbeth: “Her eyes were open, but their sense is shut.” The sleep-walker is hard to waken usually. They have been known to bathe, to climbe steep precipices, and perform feats one could scarcely expect to do when awake. Instances are recorded of persons writing letters whilst thus sleeping. Coleridge wrote his “ Kubla Khan ” in this state. Dr Haycock, of Oxford, used to deliver his sermons in his sleep. Whatever one does in sleep-walking he does not remember when awake, but if spoken to about it in the same stale again he can recall it. A remarkable case happened in Lambeth of a lad who arose in his sleep, put on a spur, saddled a horse and rode about half-a-mile, called at a house, offered a sixpence for change ; it was handed back to Ipm, but he said “ None of your gammon, that’s my sixpence, give me change.” On getting fonrpence, he said, “ that’s not enough, give twopence more all that during sleep. A person’s voice speaking iu sleep is more harsh than when awake ; he speaks more abruptly.—Sunlight.