Some people sleep badly. If young people who have difficulties falling asleep are given medication like opium or morphine, they sleep better; that’s for sure. It cannot be denied that it is effective. But if young people are given medication like morphine or any other sleep-inducing medicines, for that matter, again and again, the body becomes weak over time. The person comes to need more and more of this sleeping medication. He can no longer do without it. He becomes dependent on this medicine, and after some time, one has to do with a man who is no longer fully possessed of his powers. That is why we should find different ways to fight insomnia and find a more inner way. And one can actually fight against this inability to fall asleep inwardly. For example, if the insomniac endeavours to think about one and the same word, making the inner effort to think of one word only, he gets more and more inner strength to fall asleep. This is a much better method. In this way, the human being does not weaken himself.
Source (German): Rudolf Steiner – GA 348 – Über Gesundheit und Krankheit – Dornach, December 2, 1922 (page 85-86)
Translated by Nesta Carsten-Krüger
Full lecture, translated by Maria St. Goar
Previously posted on July 11, 2018
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