196 BULLETIN OP THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN. 



trated study. The afternoon hours can be employed to greater 

 advantage in duties demanding less energizing of the will; 

 while in an ideal program the evening hours will be spent al- 

 most wholly in relaxation. Considering the number of hours 

 our students devote to study they would, it seems, have ample 

 opportunity to accomplish all of their tasks during the day if 

 they would economize in the ways that have been suggested. 

 The arrangement of a program on this basis is very desirable 

 from many points of view, social and otherwise ; but one point 

 especially needs to be made here. It is probable that much 

 study late at night results in a disturbance of sleep. Ninety- 

 three students reported that their sleep was greatly disturbed 

 by dreams ; and while people who do not study at night dream, 

 still it is certain that intense mental application throws the 

 brains of most people into an excited condition which is inim- 

 ical to refreshing sleep. People who dream much waste nerv- 

 ous energy; the mind is active but without profitable outcome. 

 For those who dream after night study it would surely be bet- 

 ter economy to work intensely during the day and devote the 

 evening to relaxation and social pleasures which will woo Mor- 

 pheus to their bedsides when the day is over. 



The majority of our students do not usually study later into 

 the night than is ordinarily thought to be healthful. Two re- 

 ported not studying beyond 8 o'clock; forty-four worked until 

 9 o'clock, one hundred and eighty-seven until 10 o'clock, sev- 

 enty until 11 o'clock, nine until 12 o'clock, and one until 1 

 o'clock. One hundred and four students have studied all night 

 on occasion. Eighteen of these said that it did them no harm, 

 while eighty-six felt "bad, sleepy, dull, tired, ragged," and had 

 no ambition to work the following dav. Fortv of those who 

 studied very late into the night testify that the knowledge they 

 acquired remained with them ; fifty-eight said that in the morn- 

 ing it, like the Arab, had folded its tent and silently slipped 

 away. 



§3. Tell me what company you keep and I will tell you what 

 you are. — Most of us have little appreciated the importance 



