Provision for Sleep and Peace

everyone is overstimulatedWell, after many weeks I’m finally all moved into my little house, and am enjoying it quite a bit. Now that everything is nearly unpacked, here’s a little something from one of my home economics books regarding the need for a place to rest, relax, and sleep comfortably. I’m certain I’ve found it.

1947: Provision for Sleep and Peace

We spend long hours in bed and should arise rested, refreshed, and ready for the work and play of the day. We drop down in our favorite easy chair for a moment, and the charm and restfulness of the orderly quiet room seem to restore something within us essential to satisfying living. The need for privacy is deep-seated in each of us. We need time by ourselves to think things through, to sort our impressions, and to reflect on our beliefs. In earlier years, when our population was largely rural, people found privacy in the woods and fields, as well as in their homes. Now, every moment of the day has potential contact with many people. Automobiles, telephones, and radios seem to eliminate distance, as artificial light has shortened the night. The result is that everyone is overstimulated. If we are to have opportunity for serenity and poise, the home must provide for us times and places for the enjoyment of the quiet that allows one to think, to read, to relax, and to plan. The rest that will rebuild one for the stress of the next day must be assured.

Source: Justin Rust. Today’s Home Living. Chicago: J. B. Lippincott Company, 1947.
~ pp. 143-44 ~