VOA慢速英語：你睡眠充足嗎?

Are You Getting Enough Sleep?

你睡眠充足嗎?

From VOA Learning English, this is the Health & Lifestyle report.

這里是美國之音慢速英語健康和生活方式報道。

We spend about one-third of our lives asleep. This may sound like a lot of time, but it is not wasted.

我們一生中有三分之一的時間在睡覺，這聽起來可能是很多時間，但是這些時間并沒有浪費(fèi)。

Our bodies need sleep to stay healthy. Not getting enough sleep, or as we sometimes say shut-eye, can make us sick.

我們的身體需要睡眠才能保持健康。沒有充足睡眠會讓我們生病。

Sleep and our immune system

睡眠和免疫系統(tǒng)

The immune system protects the body from diseases and infections. Not getting enough sleep hurts this protective system.

免疫系統(tǒng)保護(hù)身體免患疾病和感染。未獲得充足睡眠會傷害這一保護(hù)系統(tǒng)。

The Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit research hospital in the United States. Its website explains that when we sleep our bodies release proteins that support sleep and help us fight infections.

梅奧診所是美國一家非盈利性研究醫(yī)院。它的網(wǎng)站解釋說，當(dāng)我們睡覺時，身體會釋放支持睡眠和幫助我們對抗感染的蛋白質(zhì)。

They add that infection-fighting antibodies and cells are reduced during periods when you don't get enough sleep.

他們補(bǔ)充說，當(dāng)睡眠不充分時，對抗感染的抗體和細(xì)胞就會減少。

A new study from the University of Washington in the U.S. seems to confirm this. Dr. Nathaniel Watson was the lead writer of the study. He is also co-director of the university's Medicine Sleep Center at Harborview Medical Center.

美國華盛頓大學(xué)一項新的研究似乎證實了這點。納撒尼爾·沃森(Nathaniel Watson)博士是這篇研究的主要作者。他也是港景醫(yī)療中心下屬的華盛頓大學(xué)睡眠醫(yī)學(xué)中心的聯(lián)席主任。

Watson says his study shows that the immune system works best when the body gets enough sleep.

沃森表示，他的研究表明，當(dāng)身體獲得充足睡眠時，免疫系統(tǒng)的工作狀態(tài)最好。

For the study, Watson and his team studied 11 pairs of identical twins. This is an important difference from other sleep studies. Other research did not study identical twins.

對于這項研究來說，沃森和他的團(tuán)隊研究了11對同卵雙胞胎，這跟其它睡眠研究相比有重要的區(qū)別。其它研究沒有研究過同卵雙胞胎。

The identical twins, however, had different sleep patterns. Researchers found that the twin who slept less had a weaker immune system.

然而同卵雙胞胎有著不同的睡眠模式。研究人員發(fā)現(xiàn)，雙胞胎中睡眠較少的那位免疫系統(tǒng)更弱。

Watson says his study showed for the first time that a long-term lack of sleep shuts down parts of the immune system. He says parts that move white blood cells around the body are affected.

沃森表示，他的研究首次證明，長期缺乏睡眠會關(guān)閉免疫系統(tǒng)的部分功能。他說，在身體內(nèi)部運(yùn)輸白細(xì)胞的部分功能會受到影響。

White blood cells fight infection in the body.

白細(xì)胞負(fù)責(zé)對抗體內(nèi)的感染。

Watson adds that the results confirm a finding of other sleep studies. They found that when sleep-deprived people are given a vaccine, fewer antibodies are produced. If sleep-deprived people are then exposed to a virus, he says, "they are more likely to get the virus."

沃森補(bǔ)充說，該結(jié)果證實了其它睡眠研究的一項發(fā)現(xiàn)。他們發(fā)現(xiàn)，當(dāng)睡眠不足者接種疫苗時會產(chǎn)生比較少的抗體。如果睡眠不足者隨后接觸到病毒，他說，“他們更可能感染病毒。”

Watson's study provides more evidence that sleep is important to "overall health and well-being." And sleep is especially important to immune health.

沃森的研究提供了更多證據(jù)證實睡眠對整體健康和福祉至關(guān)重要，而且睡眠對免疫系統(tǒng)至關(guān)重要。

The researchers published their findings in the journal Sleep.

研究人員在《睡眠》雜志上發(fā)表了他們的研究結(jié)果。

How much sleep is enough?

多少睡眠足夠?

To stay in good health, experts at the Mayo Clinic say that adults should get seven to eight hours of sleep. Teenagers need nine to 10 hours. And school-aged children may need more than 10 hours of sleep a night.

梅奧診所的專家表示，為了維持身體健康，成年人需要睡七到八個小時，青少年需要睡九到十個小時，而學(xué)齡兒童一晚上可能需要超過10個小時的睡眠。

Experts say the quality and quantity of our sleep becomes poor as we age. This happens because brain circuits that control sleep slowly begin to weaken.

專家表示，隨著年齡增長，我們睡眠的質(zhì)量和數(shù)量都會變差，這是因為控制睡眠的腦電路慢慢開始減弱。

Experts say the process begins in our 30s. By the time we reach our 50s, the average person has lost 50 percent of their ability to have a restful sleep.

專家表示，這個過程從30多歲起開始，到了50多歲，普通人失去了50%的睡個好覺的能力。

These people also have trouble falling asleep and staying asleep through the night. From middle age on, they say these problems only get worse, and they can affect our health.

這些人還難以入睡，難以整晚睡熟。從中年開始，這些毛病只會變得更加糟糕，而且會影響我們的健康。。

Signs you may not be getting enough sleep

睡眠不足的跡象

The website Health.com lists several signs that may mean you are not getting enough sleep.

Health.com網(wǎng)站列出了幾條可能意味著睡眠不足的跡象。

You're always hungry or you've gained weight. A lack of sleep can affect the hormones that tell your brain you have eaten enough.

老是餓或是變胖。睡眠不足會影響提示大腦你已經(jīng)吃飽的激素。

You have trouble making decisions. A lack of sleep may affect your higher level brain functions, such as problem solving.

做事猶豫不決。缺乏睡眠會影響大腦高級功能，例如解決問題的能力。

You have trouble remembering things. Sleep helps prepare the brain for new memories.

記憶力不好。睡眠幫助大腦迎接新的記憶。

You feel very emotional. People who are sleep deprived may feel unable to control their emotions, whether they be angry, sad or happy.

感覺情緒化。睡眠不足者可能會感覺無法控制自己的情緒，無論是生氣、悲傷還是快樂。

Your skin doesn't look good. When we sleep, the body repairs damaged cells, like skin cells. (We don't call it beauty sleep for nothing!)

皮膚暗淡。當(dāng)我們睡覺時，身體會修復(fù)受損細(xì)胞，如皮膚細(xì)胞。(我們稱之為美容覺不是沒有緣由的。)

You are having trouble seeing. When you're tired you may not be able to control your eye muscles.

視力不好。當(dāng)你疲勞時可能無法控制你的眼睛肌肉。

How to improve your sleep

如何改善睡眠

There are things people can do get better sleep.

有幾種辦法可以讓人們睡得更好。

Health experts recommend exercise and avoiding work on computers and electronic devices before bed. A cool room is also a better environment for sleeping.

健康專家建議在睡覺前鍛煉，避免使用電腦和電子設(shè)備。涼爽的房間也是更好的睡眠環(huán)境。

And that's the Health & Lifestyle report.

以上就是本期美國之音慢速英語健康和生活方式報道的全部內(nèi)容。

I'm Anna Matteo.

安娜·馬特奧報道。