Monday, March 6, 2017

The importance of sleep


Plants, like animals, need their periods of rest, not only the great rest of Winter, such as is seen conspicuously in many trees, but regular hours of what may be likened to sleep. 

Rev. Charles A. Hall - Wild Flowers and their Wonderful Ways (1926)


Page from Into the Light 

Sleep
We all need it

It is essential for our wellbeing
(Sally- listen)

I think, yet again, that we can take our lesson from nature.

Sleep, is a relaxation during which tissues are repaired, states the Rev. Charles A. Hall in his 1926 book Wild flowers and wonderful ways, Peeps at nature. (Wonderful title isn't it).
If we don’t sleep, or as many of us dealing with ME/CFS don’t have a restorative sleep, we don’t have the time to repair our tissues, and can be further harmed.

Rev. Charles A. Hall explains: “Plants, like animals, need their periods of rest, not only the great rest of Winter, such as is seen conspicuously in many trees, but regular hours of what may be likened to sleep. Both leaves and flowers take up sleeping position, which is not generally so apparent as in the case are dainty little Wood Sorrel (Oxalis Acetosella), sometimes called Shamrock.” 
I see the same in the marigold flowers… See the image from Into the Light And with poppies, who close their delicate petals against the cold.

“The sleep of plants, like that of animals, is a relaxation from certain activities during which tissues are repaired in preparation for work it to be accomplished. During sleep we protect ourselves from the cold by covering ourselves with blankets, but plants secure the same results by the sleeping position of the leaves, in which the surface is exposed as little as possible.”

In the same little book the Rev. explains how Charles Darwin showed by experiment that “leaves, when compelled to remain in their stretched out the position, were injured by cold, whereas leaves of the same plant allowed to take up their sleeping position were not harmed.”

Sleep tight.
And be well.


poppy, closing its petals at night

Abstracts from: Edited by the Rev Charles A.Hall, F.R.M.S. 1926 Page 33 and Page 44


2 comments:

Sue said...

Making me feel sleepy all that sleep talk. I need this as I've had a week of not sleeping well at all. Looking forward to hearing Sally learning her new sleep routine. I wonder if some of it is her excitement and joy at realising she has a home.

Corina Duyn said...

See my post today. 7th March... more sleep, and update on Sally's Happy Hour