关于睡眠的10大误解和迷思

You’d think the human race would have sleep down to a science by now, but many of us are still sleeping poorly (and so we need top 10 guides to getting better sleep). Part of the problem is we have outdated information and beliefs about this all-important health need. Let’s set the facts straight. Here are 10 things you might have been told about sleep but aren’t completely true.
你觉得人类已经对睡眠了解得很透彻了，但是仍然有很多人睡不好觉（所以我们需要睡眠十大指南）。一部分问题是，睡眠对我们的健康如此重要，但我们掌握的信息和对它的了解已经过时了。来，让我们把事实弄清楚。下面列举了你可能听说过的有关睡眠的十件事，这些都不是完全正确的。

10. More Sleep Is Better for You
10. 睡得越多越好

There could be such a thing as too much sleep. The amount of sleep we need varies by person and also changes as we age. Harvard researchers found that a lot of sleep (9 hours or more) is linked with poor sleep quality. So don’t aim for more sleep—even on the weekends. Aim for better sleep.
睡太多可能会导致睡眠过度。每个人需要的睡眠时间都不一样，且会随着年龄增长而变化。哈佛大学研究员发现，睡得过多（9个小时以上）和睡眠质量差有关。所以不要以睡得更久为目标——即便是在周末，而是要力图提升睡眠质量。

9. Alcohol Helps You Sleep
9. 酒精有助于入睡

Alcohol, the original nightcap, can help most people fall asleep. However, it also can cause you to wake up more during the night, wrecking your sleep quality. Consider drinking non-alcoholic beer before bed instead.
人们过去常在睡前喝酒，大多数人都会在酒精作用下很快入睡，但是，酒精也会导致你在夜间醒来多次，破坏睡眠质量。考虑一下睡前喝点无酒精的啤酒吧。

8. If You Wake Up in the Middle of the Night, Lie in Bed Until You Eventually Fall Back Asleep
8. 如果半夜醒来，要躺在床上直到再次睡着

Waking up in the middle of the night is the pits, but it happens to all of us. We all hope to quickly fall back asleep, and so we tend to stay in bed hoping it’ll happen any minute now. If that doesn’t happen, though, within 15 minutes, most experts recommend getting out of bed to do something that occupies our bodies and brains without overstimulating us. Try not to check the clock either.
半夜醒来最糟心了，但我们都会遇到。我们都希望能很快再次入睡，所以我们会躺在床上期待着分分钟能睡着。如果，过了15分钟后还没有睡着，大多数专家建议我们应该起床做一些不太刺激的体力活或脑力活。也不要看表几点了。

7. Insomniacs Have Difficulty Falling Asleep
7. 失眠患者入睡困难

Insomnia is a complex sleep disorder. Difficulty falling asleep is just one of its four symptoms. The others, according to the National Sleep Foundation are waking up early and not being able to fall back asleep, waking often, and waking up feeling unrefreshed. There are things you can do to alleviate insomnia and other sleep problems. The best treatment for the long-term usually isn’t medication; cognitive behavioral therapy may last longer.
失眠是很复杂的睡眠障碍。难以入睡只是四大症状之一。根据美国国家睡眠基金会，其它症状是：醒得过早、醒来以后难以再次入睡、经常中途醒来、醒来之后疲惫无力。你可以采取一些措施减轻失眠和其它睡眠问题。但治疗长期失眠的最有效的方法不是药；认知行为治疗的效果也许会更持久一些。

6. Everyone Should Get 7-8 Hours of Sleep Per Night
6. 每个人每晚都要睡够七八个小时

Everyone’s sleep needs are different, and the quality of your sleep matters more than how much time you spend asleep. That said, the National Sleep Foundation offers recommendations based on age group, from newborns who need 14-17 hours of sleep each day to adults 18-64 who should get 7-9 hours each day, and older adults who should get 7-8 hours each day. Children generally need more sleep. A Jawbone study found that people who sleep 8-9.5 hours each night report happier moods the next day.
每个人的睡眠需求是不一样的，你的睡眠质量比睡觉时间长短重要得多。因此，国家睡眠基金会根据不同的年龄段提出建议，新生儿每天需要14-17小时的睡眠，18-64岁的成人每天7-9小时，年龄更大的人每天7-8小时。孩子一般需要更多的睡眠。Jawbone公司的一项研究发现每晚睡8-9.5个小时的人第二天情绪会更好。