第1582期:How to improve your sleep

Sleeping is important, but we all know that, right? Many people have experienced strange sleeping patterns, weird dreams and a feeling of restlessness and drowsiness during the coronavirus lockdown, despite a good night’s sleep. So what sort of things can help you to improve your sleep?

睡眠很重要，但我们都知道，对吧？尽管睡得很好，但在冠状病毒封锁期间，许多人经历了奇怪的睡眠模式、奇怪的梦以及不安和嗜睡的感觉。那么什么样的东西可以帮助你改善睡眠呢？

There's a plethora of myths related to sleep, some of which can be quite damaging for our health. Former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher famously claimed that she only hit the sack for five hours a night. But according to experts this is detrimental to health. Likewise, kipping in front of the TV is another thing to avoid. The bright lights can prevent you from entering deep sleep.

有很多与睡眠有关的神话，其中一些可能对我们的健康造成相当大的损害。英国前首相玛格丽特·撒切尔 (Margaret Thatcher) 曾声称她每晚只上麻袋五个小时。但据专家称，这对健康有害。同样，在电视机前踢腿是另一件要避免的事情。明亮的灯光可以防止您进入深度睡眠。

From a young age we're told to count sheep to help us to nod off, with some choosing to stay in bed to battle with insomnia. However, some experts advise getting up and doing something mindless, like folding socks, to help us get in the mood to catch forty winks.

从小我们就被告知要数羊来帮助我们打瞌睡，有些人选择留在床上与失眠作斗争。然而，一些专家建议起床做一些无意识的事情，比如折叠袜子，以帮助我们有心情捕捉四十个眨眼。

Psychologist Seth J. Gillihan PhD recommends walking to help in the battle against insomnia. He talks about a sleep study published in the journal Sleep Health which suggests that those who walk slightly more will experience better quality and duration of sleep. Watching what you eat or drink can also improve the amount of REM, or rapid eye movement you experience.

心理学家 Seth J. Gillihan 博士建议步行帮助对抗失眠。他谈到发表在《睡眠健康》杂志上的一项睡眠研究，该研究表明，走路稍微多一点的人会体验到更好的睡眠质量和持续时间。观察你吃的或喝的东西也可以改善快速眼动的数量，或者你经历的快速眼动。

If you're a snorer, you might also want to take note. While most snoring is harmless, it could be a sign of sleep apnoea, with people suffering from the condition more likely to have strokes or heart attacks, irregular heartbeats or high blood pressure.

如果您是打鼾者，您可能还需要注意。虽然大多数打鼾是无害的，但它可能是睡眠呼吸暂停的征兆，患有这种疾病的人更容易中风或心脏病发作、心律不齐或高血压。

Finally, a decent nap, or even a power nap, can help you to be more alert, calm and focussed. So while there are some good tips like exercising or folding socks to help us get a good night's sleep, sometimes a good afternoon's sleep can help us tackle the day ahead.

最后，一个体面的小睡，甚至是一个强力的小睡，可以帮助你更加警觉、平静和专注。因此，虽然有一些很好的技巧，比如锻炼或折叠袜子来帮助我们睡个好觉，但有时午后的好睡眠可以帮助我们应对未来的一天。

词汇表

sleeping patterns 睡眠规律
restlessness 焦躁不安，躁动
drowsiness 睡意朦胧，昏昏欲睡
hit the sack 上床睡觉
kip 睡觉，打盹
deep sleep 深度睡眠
count sheep 数绵羊
nod off 打瞌睡
insomnia 失眠
catch forty winks 打盹，小睡
REM（rapid eye movement） 快速眼动睡眠
snorer 睡觉打呼噜的人
sleep apnoea 睡眠呼吸暂停
nap 小睡， 打盹
power nap 能量盹
a good night's sleep 睡个好觉