原文配图 ©
原文|Hannah Nichols
乱译|中外物語
图片|原文或网络
今日主角|失眠症 insomnia; 昼夜节律 circadian rhythm
Five ways to get a good night's sleep
晚上睡不着？给你支五招。
Do you have a hard time getting a good night's sleep? You are not alone. In actual fact, two thirds of adults in the United States are also unable to clock up the recommended hours. Here are our top tips to help you to sleep well and feel wide awake the next day.
晚上睡不好或者睡不着？哈，不单单你这样——在“睡不着”这条路上，你绝对不是形单影只。调查显示，美国三分之二的成人不能按正常时间睡眠。鉴于此，本文提供几招睡眠小妙法，或许能助你晚上睡得踏实、白天精神倍增。
The amount of sleep you need changes as you age, but generally, adults need between 7 and 9 hours of good quality sleep per day. Sleep plays a significant role in your health and well-being as well as protecting your physical health, mental health, quality of life, and safety.
睡眠时间的多少随着年龄的变化而变化，但总体来说，成人需要7-9小时睡眠，才能称得上“睡得好”。睡眠对人体健康和生活水平起着至关重要的作用，睡得好，身心才能健康，生活才能有质量，而且还能增强安全感。
Sleep can be a deal-breaker between having good health and poor health. Sufficient sleep improves learning, keeps you alert, helps you to make decisions, helps to maintain heart health and hormone balance, and protects your immune system. In contrast, sleep deficiency has been linked to risk-taking behavior, depression, and an increased risk of obesity and diabetes, and it claims more than 800 lives per year due to fatigue-related vehicle accidents.
睡眠类似于调解健康与疾病之间矛盾的“牙人”（牲口交易中间人或叫牲口交易经纪人，有的地方叫“牙行”。deal-breaker这个词本身的意思最接近“牙人”，中国特色的“黄牛”或许也有一拼）。充足的睡眠助人提高学习和工作质量，保证精神足且注意力集中，还使人头脑清醒、有助于做出各种判断和决定，也对预防心脏疾病和保持激素平衡起着重要作用，同时还能保护人体免疫系统。相反，睡眠不足则导致很多高危疾病和不测发生，像抑郁症，肥胖症，糖尿病，等等；另外，在美国，据说每年有800多人因睡眠不足、疲劳驾驶导致交通事故而命丧黄泉。
The National Sleep Foundation define good sleep quality as:
· sleeping for at least 85 percent of the total time you are in bed
· drifting off to sleep in under 30 minutes
· waking up no more than once in the night
· being awake for under 20 minutes from when you first fall asleep
美国国家睡眠基金会对高质量睡眠的标准是：
· 85%的睡眠时间应该处于深度睡眠
· 不到半小时就能进入睡眠状态
· 每晚只醒来一次（或许是中国人最熟悉的“起夜醒”）
· 入睡20分钟内醒来一次，然后进入深度睡眠
You are not doomed to toss and turn eternally. While you may not be able to control all the factors that interfere with your sleep, your daily behaviors and habits can be changed to encourage better sleep, which is reportedly as beneficial to health and happiness as winning the lottery.
造物主造人的时候是仁慈的，给人以睡眠，就不会让你像个碌碡一样滚来滚去，辗转反侧、难以入眠。尽管我们无法控制各种影响睡眠的因素，但我们却能通过改变日常行为习惯来提高睡眠质量。据说，只有睡得好，人才能精神头十足，幸福感强烈，每天才会像中了头彩一样生活。
Sleep regularity promotes morning and evening happiness levels. 原文配图 ©
Here are Medical News Today's tips to help you to improve your sleep and put the bounce back in your step.
下面就给大家支几个小妙招，相信某种程度上能助您提高睡眠质量：
1. Stick to a sleep schedule
1. 遵守作息时间
Try to go to sleep and wake up at the same time every day - even on the weekends. Our bodies have an internal clock called the circadian rhythm, which tends to coincide with the cycle of daytime and night-time. Your circadian rhythm, or sleep/wake cycle, is on a 24-hour loop that cycles between sleepiness and alertness at regular intervals. Your circadian rhythm works best with regular sleep habits, such as keeping the same bed time and wake up time. Factors such as daylight savings time, jet lag, or staying up late to watch your favorite television show can disrupt your circadian rhythm and make you feel cranky, as well as disrupt your ability to concentrate.
尽量按有规律的作息时间生活——哪怕周末也不要有所懈怠。人体内有生物钟，专业叫昼夜节律（指生命活动以24小时左右为周期的变动），能够保持人体昼夜时间运作正常。昼夜节律可以根据睡眠习惯而发生改变，比如固定的作息时间，就使得昼夜节律趋于规律化，而像夏令时间，时差，或为了追剧而熬夜等等因素，则会打乱昼夜节律，严重影响精神面貌和身心健康，也让人白天的注意力无法集中。
Recent research has shown that sleep regularity is associated with higher levels of morning and evening happiness, healthiness, and calmness during the week, while irregular sleeping patterns are linked to poorer academic performance, delayed sleep and wake timings, and a delay in the release of the sleep-promoting hormone melatonin. If you struggle with sleep, try sticking to the same sleep routine and you may find that after a while, you may no longer need an alarm.
研究表明，规律睡眠模式能让人整天幸福感满满，精神头十足，甚至整个星期内都心平气和；而不规律睡眠模式则让人工作和学习效率低下，入睡和醒来的时间不定，甚至影响促进睡眠的褪黑素平衡。如果阁下眼下正经受睡眠不好的困扰，不妨从调整作息时间开始，兴许坚持一段时间后，你连闹钟都不需要啦！
Exposure to sunlight can help to regulate your sleep patterns. 原文配图 ©
2. Increase exposure to daylight
2. 白天尽可能多地暴露于阳光下
Take a stroll outside in daylight for at least 30 minutes each day. Exposure to electrical lighting has been shown to delay our internal clocks by around 2 hours. Scientists have recently discovered that the solution to resetting our clocks and resolving our sleeping woes could be as easy as spending more time outdoors in the sunlight. Sunlight plays a key role in regulating sleep patterns. We have evolved to be awake when it is light and asleep when it is dark.
白天户外散步半小时，只有好处没坏处。科学研究发现，长期处在灯光环境中，能让人体的生物钟延缓2小时左右。因此，科学上提出的重置生物钟和对抗这一“敌人”最为有效的办法就是尽可能出门见见阳光；阳光影响睡眠模式。人类在进化过程中就已定下了白天做事晚上睡觉的规律，因此上谁也不能将其打破。
Exposure to bright light stimulates a nerve pathway from our retinas, which is the light-sensitive tissue lining the back of our eyes, to an area of our brains called the hypothalamus. The suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), a minuscule region of the hypothalamus, signals to other parts of the brain that control body temperature, hormones, and other functions that determine whether we feel drowsy or alert. Morning light tells the SCN to begin performing processes such as raising our body temperature, releasing stimulating hormones (including cortisol), and delaying the release of hormones that promote sleep (such as melatonin) until it gets dark. As the sun sets, melatonin levels in the blood increase rapidly, which results in you feeling sleepy. Melatonin levels remain elevated throughout the night until daytime, when they fall to low levels once more.
见光能够改善睡眠模式，这是有一套科学理论的。在我们的大脑腹面、丘脑的下方，有个部位叫下丘脑，是调节内脏活动和内分泌活动的较高级神经中枢所在；我们眼睛的视网膜感知光线刺激就靠这个中枢部位调节。视交叉上核（SCN）是下丘脑一个极小的部位，就像个信号塔一样，负责给大脑其他部位传送控制人体体温、激素水平和其他功能的信号，从而使得我们感知该到睡觉时间了还是到了醒来时间。晨光传输给视交叉上核的信号是升高体温、释放刺激激素（包括皮质醇）和延缓释放促进睡眠激素（比如像褪黑素）——该到睡觉的时候，自然才能释放促进睡眠激素。太阳下山天变黑，血液中的褪黑素含量立马增加，这是为了助人酝酿睡意。夜色越来越深，褪黑素含量不断增加，直到天明后再退回低位。
You can influence your exposure to light by having your breakfast outside or near a window to help you to wake up, take your work breaks outside, or try to let as much natural light into your workspace or home as possible.
早餐后可出门看看天光，或者走向窗户看看外面，这样都有助于唤醒昏昏沉沉的大脑；实在不行，还可以去户外用早餐，或者尽可能多地让阳光射进工作室或屋子，都能有效驱赶睡意。
Limiting use of digital devices close to bed time may help to reduce sleep-disrupting blue light exposure. 原文配图 ©
3. Decrease exposure to blue light at night
3. 晚上尽可能少接触蓝光
Sunlight is the largest source of blue light. Blue light regulates our circadian rhythms, which tell us when to sleep, and boosts alertness. Blue light from sunlight can benefit sleep, but blue light is also found in most LED-based devices, which can harm your sleep. It is no secret that most of us have snuggled up with our smartphone or digital tablet, or watched television from the comfort of our beds at some point. These habits that we have so quickly developed could be heavily contributing to our inability to sleep properly. Research has indicated that blue light emitted from digital devices could increase the risk of sleep complications.
阳光是蓝光最主要的光源。蓝光管控我们的昼夜节律——何时睡，何时起——蓝光起着决定性作用。尽管蓝光来自于阳光而且对调节昼夜节律有利，但电子设备释放出的蓝光却对睡眠极其不利。如今，人人离不开手机或平板等电子设备已是不争的事实，当然还有人舒舒服服地躺在床上追剧——倘若不能很好把握这些习惯的话，很快就会变成恶习，严重影响睡眠。研究发现电子设备释放出的蓝光能够提高引发睡眠并发症的风险。
Realistically, it is unlikely that any one of us is going to quit using our devices in the evenings, but there are steps that we can take to reduce our exposure:
· limit screen time
· apply screen filters
· wear blue light-blocking glasses
· use anti-reflective lenses
· use the night mode settings on your devices
· download blue light-reducing apps
Too much exposure to artificial light before bed time might prevent you from sleeping well. Turn down the lights in the evening and make sure that your bedroom is free from light to ensure that your sleep is undisturbed.
实事求是地说，让大家晚上不用电子设备不大现实，但总有法子让人尽可能少地暴露在蓝光下，比如下面几条小建议：
· 控制“触屏”时间
· 使用屏幕滤波器
· 戴上蓝光遮光镜
· 使用抗反射镜
· 电子设备设置成夜间模式
· 下载安装过滤蓝光爱屁屁
总归一句话，睡觉前尽量关闭各种光源，屋子里漆黑一片才适合睡眠，稍有点亮光，你怎么着也睡不踏实。
Regular exercise could significantly improve your sleep quality. 原文配图 ©
4. Up your physical activity and diet quality
4. 加强锻炼，调节饮食
Paying attention to your physical activity levels and what you eat and drink may improve your sleep. Getting out the door for your 150 minutes of moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity per week not only gives you a post-workout glow, but it has also been found to improve sleep quality by a staggering 65 percent. What is more, meeting the exercise guidelines could lower your risk of leg cramps by 68 percent and decrease difficulty concentrating by 45 percent. However, avoid taking part in any vigorous exercise too close to bed time.
加强锻炼，调节饮食可有助于睡眠。每周户外两个半小时，从轻运动逐步过渡到高强度运动，不但增强体质，提高工作效率，还有助于睡眠。锻炼还能防止腿抽筋，提高注意力，这些都有科学数据，绝不是作者瞎说。但是，马上睡觉前，千万避免剧烈运动。
Diet quality and sleep quality appear to go hand in hand. Researchers suggest that meals lower in saturated fat and higher in protein may help you to fall asleep more quickly, while a greater intake of fiber predicts more time spent in the deep, slow-wave stage of sleep. In contrast, eating more foods high in saturated fat is linked with less time spent in the deep sleep phase, and greater sugar intake could cause you to wake up more often from your slumber. You may also want to reconsider your drink of choice if you like a cup of coffee on your way home from work; caffeine consumption can have a significant effect on your sleep, even when consumed 6 hours before bed time.
饮食质量跟睡眠质量貌似是一对好基友，总是手牵手、分不开似的。低饱和脂肪和高蛋白食物有助于睡眠，而高纤维食品则严重影响睡眠。相比之下，高饱和脂肪食物则让人无法深度睡眠，摄糖过多同样让人睡不踏实，总是时醒时睡的样子，简直糟糕透顶。想睡个好觉，还得考虑饮品对睡眠的影响。假如阁下是那种喜欢在下班路上来杯拿铁的上班族，作者在此劝您还是省省吧，摄入过多咖啡因本来就让人兴奋，而晚上下班前再来一杯咖啡，这一习惯绝对毫无商量余地地影响您的睡眠；据说，睡前6小时喝杯咖啡，能让您在本该睡觉的时候却有可能毫无睡意。
Mindfulness-based techniques may help you to manage your sleep issues. 原文配图 ©
5. Practice mindfulness-based meditation
5. 练习正念冥想
Mindfulness could be the final piece of the sleep enhancement puzzle. Just as fitness and nutrition are intrinsically linked, so too are sleep and mindfulness. Mindfulness meditation aims to increase mental focus, improve awareness of thoughts and experiences, and decrease stress, and so it can be a useful technique for managing sleep issues. A growing body of evidence suggests that mindfulness helps to manage stress, anxiety, depression, weight loss, relationship difficulties, and productivity, and it has now been hailed as the latest tool to deal with sleep disturbance.
正念或许是提高睡眠质量的最后一“招”（注：puzzle其实也有冥思苦想的意思）。运动和饮食有内在联系，睡眠和正念之间也有。正念冥想旨在强调精神集中，强化想法和经验认知，同时还能减缓压力，因此它也可以说是一种有效的“助眠术”。越来越多的人意识到正念有助于减缓压力、焦虑和抑郁，甚至还有助于减肥，改善两性关系，甚至提高生育率，因此上现在把它引入“助眠术”，不知道是不是真的管用。
Having a purpose to get out of bed in the morning has been linked to better sleep at night and decreased sleep apnea and restless legs syndrome. If you are having trouble finding purpose in life, this is something that can be tackled through mindfulness-based therapies. Mindfulness has also been shown to improve sleep quality in older adults who experience moderate sleep disturbances.
想要白天有精神，当然就得晚上睡得好。高质量睡眠对预防睡眠窒息和腿多动综合征都有帮助。突然感觉找不到生活的意义？好吧，试试正念冥想吧！正面冥想对深受浅度睡眠困扰的中老年人提高睡眠质量也有很大帮助。
昼夜节律说明图。网图©
全文太长，此处不再对正面冥想加以注释，看官可自行搜罗。
结语：中国古人留下的睡眠秘诀是先睡心后睡身，意思很明显，就是先将心“放空”，然后再睡皮囊。数星星数羊之类的办法，对现代人压根儿没用，有些人反倒越数越精神——星星满天，羊群满圈——激动得彻底失眠。
睡不着的人往往有两种：一种是太忙，身心俱忙；一种是太闲，闲的蛋疼。前者，身体累坏可能反倒有助于睡眠；我就看那些农人干一天活，没有一个会失眠，头一放到枕头上，立马呼呼大睡。但也保不齐有些人心太忙了，操心这惦记那，日久成习，睡得着才怪。后者，纯粹就没法说，白天太闲，四处闲逛，逛累了打个盹，立马又精神；晚上蛋疼，自然还是睡不着。不过现在，年轻人通常是晚上睡不着，白天睡不醒，就像这篇文章所说，全让电子设备给绑架了——幸运的还能熬几次夜，不幸的可能会猝死，好似电子设备“撕票”，总归都是自己造的孽。
依我看，想要真正睡得好，最好做个没心没肺的家伙，然后再加上少玩手机，少追剧，真要多注意身体。作者说的练习正念冥想，我不知道是个什么玩意儿，但是我想很多人想着想着不是睡着就是想得太美或想得太糟，反倒死活睡不着了。像我这种bird-brain、没心没肺，而且还没羞没臊的家伙，不惦记饮食男女那点事儿的时候，真特么睡得挺香，就算给我抬出去埋喽，我兴许在半路上才会醒来。不过随着年龄的增长，我的睡眠质量好像不断下降，楼上的一只袜子掉在地板上，我也可能被惊醒，更何况有些人不是手机掉了就是杯盘碎了，走路也像个伤兵似的，拖鞋在地板上打得啪啪啪地响，我当然就更睡不着——真特么是岁月不饶人，楼上更气人。不过，据我看，年龄越大，越要规律生活，哪怕每晚只睡一个小时，也要有规律地睡够那一个小时，不要睡五分钟醒十分钟，然后又睡十分钟再醒来五分钟，到底睡没睡，自己都不知道，这基本上就算没法活了。
睡觉是大事。睡不着，心事作祟；睡太多，死神作怪。总归，学会睡觉，才算懂得生活。来来来，我们睡觉吧！
这只是个开始。
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