Chapter 34—Physiology of Digestion
How to Live, 1:55-57
Many indulge in the pernicious habit of eating just before sleeping
hours. They may have taken three regular meals; yet because they feel
a sense of faintness, as though hungry, will eat a lunch or fourth meal.
By indulging this wrong practice, it has become a habit, and they feel
as though they could not sleep without taking a lunch before retiring. In
many cases, the cause of this faintness is because the digestive organs
have been already too severely taxed through the day in disposing of
unwholesome food forced upon the stomach too frequently, and in
too great quantities. The digestive organs thus taxed become weary,
and need a period of entire rest from labor to recover their exhausted
energies. A second meal should never be eaten until the stomach has
had time to rest from the labor of digesting the preceding meal. If a
third meal be eaten at all, it should be light, and several hours before
going to bed.
But with many, the poor tired stomach may complain of weariness
in vain. More food is forced upon it, which sets the digestive organs in
motion, again to perform the same round of labor through the sleeping
hours. The sleep of such is generally disturbed with unpleasant dreams,
and in the morning they awake unrefreshed. There is a sense of languor
and loss of appetite. A lack of energy is felt through the entire system.
In a short time the digestive organs are worn out, for they have had no
time to rest. These become miserable dyspeptics, and wonder what
has made them so. The cause has brought the sure result....
The stomach, when we lie down to rest, should have its work all
done, that it may enjoy rest, as well as other portions of the body.
The work of digestion should not be carried on through any period
of the sleeping hours. After the stomach, which has been overtaxed,
has performed its task, it becomes exhausted, which causes faintness.
Here many are deceived, and think that it is the want of food which
produces such feelings, and without giving the stomach time to rest,
they take more food, which for the time removes the faintness. And
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