The Art of Procuring Pleasant Dreams (American Roots)

The Art of Procuring Pleasant Dreams (American Roots)

Founding Father and all-around Renaissance man Benjamin Franklin considered and wrote about many topics. In this essay from 1786 on restful sleep, Franklin advises exercise before meals, moderate eating (â€œâ€¦full feeding, occasions nightmares and horrors inexpressible; we fall from precipices, are assaulted by wild beasts, murderers, and demons, and experience every variety of distressâ€), and fresh air in the sleep chamber, to avoid perspiring in a hot bed. Most importantly, he says, one must be sure to preserve a Good Conscience. This short work is part of Applewoodâ€™s â€œAmerican Roots,â€ series, tactile mementos of American passions by some of Americaâ€™s most famous writers.

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