sleep-tech

正文

The sleep-tech industry is waking up

睡眠技术产业正在觉醒

The rich world has a sleep deficit. Consumption of alcohol and caffeine is partly to blame, as is exposure to phone and computer screens. Ironically, people are turning to some of those same devices for help.

发达国家正面临睡眠不足的问题。酒精和咖啡因的摄入是原因之一，看手机和电脑屏幕同样也是。讽刺的是，人们正在向这些（让他们睡眠不足的）设备寻求帮助。

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Tiny sensors are now more easily embedded into wearable gadgets to observe users overnight.

如今，微型传感器可以更轻易地被嵌入可穿戴设备中，来彻夜观察用户的情况。

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The combination of more sleeplessness and better technology has led to a boom in the sleep-assistance industry. Global Market Insights, a research firm, reckons that worldwide revenues from sales of such gizmos reached $12.5bn in 2020 and could be more than triple that in five years. After all, everybody sleeps.

越来越多的失眠问题和越来越先进的技术相结合，促进了睡眠辅助产业的蓬勃发展。市场调研公司 Global Market Insights 估计，2020 年全球相关设备的营收达 125 亿美元，五年后可达到三倍以上。毕竟，每个人都要睡觉。

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But not everybody sleeps poorly. And the technology, though it is improving, remains far from perfect. Sleeping with a watch strapped to your wrist is irritating, and the battery may die overnight.

但并不是所有人都睡不好。并且，虽然相关技术确实在进步，但远远算不上完美。睡觉时手腕上要戴手表真的很烦人，而且电池在晚上随时可能没电。

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There are problems with sleep-tech's business models, too. People can get bored of wearables, and frustrated when the touted improvements fail to materialise.

睡眠技术的商业模式也存在问题。人们可能会对可穿戴设备感到厌烦，并且当宣传的改善效果没有达到时，人们也会大失所望。

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Many scientists worry that, as with many emerging consumer-health technologies, sleep-tech often lacks the gold-standard randomised controlled clinical studies. Ingo Fietze runs a sleep centre at Charité Berlin, and studies novel gadgets and mattresses at a private lab. In any case, says Mr Fietze, no existing wearables can match a clinical polysomnogram (PSG).

许多科学家担心，与众多新兴的消费者健康技术一样，睡眠技术往往缺乏被视为“黄金标准”的“随机对照临床研究”。英戈·费策是柏林夏里特医学院睡眠中心的负责人，同时，他也在一个私人实验室研究新的（助眠）小设备和床垫。费策说，现有的可穿戴设备无论如何都无法与临床多导睡眠图（PSG）相媲美。

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Sleep-tech may, scientists concede, help mild insomniacs and sensitive sleepers decide whether they need clinical interventions. But ultimately, Mr Fietze believes, "no gadget can make your sleep better." If consumers in need of more shuteye reach a similar conclusion, sleep-tech investors' dreams of riches may turn into a profitless nightmare.

科学家们承认，睡眠技术可以帮助轻度失眠症患者和睡眠较浅的人们决定他们是否需要临床干预。但归根结底，费策认为：“没有任何设备可以改善你的睡眠。”如果那些需要更多睡眠的消费者得出类似的结论，那么，睡眠技术投资者们的发财梦可能会变成一场无利可图的噩梦。

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主编：乐乐、Luni、Jack

品控：XP

审核：Jack

重点词汇

deficit

/ˈdef.ə.sɪt/

n. 不足额；（金钱）上的赤字、亏损

搭配短语：a budget deficit

be to blame

是…的原因

例句：Which driver was to blame for the accident?

ironically

/aɪˈrɑː.nɪkli/

adv. 具有讽刺意味地

相关词汇：irony（n. 反话，讽刺）

例句："England is famous for its food," she said with heavy irony.

相关词汇：ironic (adj. 嘲讽的，讽刺的)

搭配短语：an ironic smile

sensor

/ˈsen.sɚ/

n. 传感器

相关词汇：sense （n. 感官；感觉）

搭配短语：sixth sense

搭配短语：a light sensor

embed

/ɪmˈbed/

v. 把…牢牢嵌入（或插入，埋入）

搭配短语：be embedded into sth.

例句：A piece of glass was embedded into my thumb.

gadget

/ˈɡædʒ.ət/

n. 小工具；小玩意儿

reckon

/ˈrek.ən/

v. 计算，估算

近义词：calculate

例句：The journey was reckoned to take about two hours. = We reckoned the journey would take about two hours.

gizmo

/ˈɡɪz.moʊ/

n. 小工具；小设备

同义词：gadget

triple sth.

三倍于…

strap

/stræp/

v. 用带子系（或捆、绑）

词性拓展：strap（n. 软的皮带、布带）

irritating

/ˈɪr.ə.teɪ.t̬ɪŋ/

adj. 恼人的，令人厌烦的

英文释义：If something irritates you, it keeps annoying you.

相关词汇：irritate（n. 使不悦，激怒）

tout

/taʊt/

v. 给…做广告，宣传，赞扬，吹捧；兜售

搭配短语：tout for business

搭配短语：tout for custom

搭配短语：be touted

例句：He was touted as a potential Prime Minister.

materialise

/məˈtɪr.i.ə.laɪz/

v. 实现，成为现实

相关词汇：material（n. 物质，材料；adj. 物质的）

词根词缀：-ise（表示“使…化”）

例句：But problems never materialised.

gold-standard

/ˈɡoʊld ˌstæn.dɚd/

词性拓展：gold standard（n. 黄金标准；标尺，表率）

例句：Disneyland is the gold standard for theme park.

文化补充：黄金标准就是以黄金为本位币的货币制度，也称“金本位”。在金本位制下，每单位的货币价值等同于若干重量的黄金。

novel

/ˈnɑː.vəl/

adj. 新颖的，新奇的

词性拓展：novel（n. 小说）

concede

/kənˈsiːd/

v.（常指不情愿地）承认

例句：I have to concede that she's right.

insomniac

/ɪnˈsɑːm.ni.æk/

n. 失眠症患者

例句：I'm an insomniac.

相关词汇：insomnia（n. 失眠症，失眠）

例句：I have a problem with insomnia.

intervention

/ˌɪn.t̬ɚˈven.ʃən/

n. 干预活动

相关词汇：intervene（v. 干涉，干预；调解）

例句：She intervened in the dispute.

搭配短语：clinical intervention

ultimately

/ˈʌl.tə.mət.li/

adv. 终归，终究

相关词汇：ultimate（adj. 最后的，最终的；最大的，极限程度的）

搭配短语：the ultimate goal

搭配短语：the ultimate cause

搭配短语：the ultimate power

shuteye

/ˈʃʌt̬.aɪ/

n. 睡眠

例句：Go home and get some shuteye.

riches

/ˈrɪtʃ.ɪz/

n. 财富

例句：A career that brought him fame and riches.