每個人一生中大約有26年的時間都是在睡夢中度過的。正因如此，我們樂於談論自己睡眠的質量並且想辦法讓自己睡得更好。在過去10年裡，有關睡眠的研究成果豐碩。本文總結瞭目前對於睡眠意義的各項研究結論。
詞匯：sleep 睡覺，睡眠
“I’m knackered – have you got any tips for a good night’s sleep?” Not only is sleep a common feature of our small talk, we’ve also spent decades trying to understand and explain it. After all, we spend on average 26 years of our lives asleep. So, what do we know? Here are the highlights of the last decade of research.
One of the most intriguing developments is in the study of lucid dreaming – it seems it’s possible to communicate with people while they’re sleeping. In a study called ‘Real-time dialogue between experimenters and dreamers during REM sleep‘, researchers asked questions to participants in a lucid dream. The dreamers signalled the answers using pre-agreed eye or facial movements. They were accurate, suggesting they could access their cognitive functions such as working memory while sleeping. This interaction between dreamworld and reality has brought excitement to the sleep science community.
Sleep can also help our memory and problem-solving. A 2023 review of research by Denis and Cairney noted that brain regions that are used to learn new things, are reactivated during sleep. That means while we’re sleeping, our brains replay our memories of what happened during the day, which is believed to be crucial for memory retention. And, if you’ve ever felt it was best to sleep on a tricky problem and solve it in the morning, you might have scientific backing! A 2019 study by Sanders and colleagues found that people were more likely to solve a tricky problem the next day if the problem had been activated in their brains during sleep. So, if you’re stuck, rest up and return to it in the morning.
What if you’re unlucky enough to suffer with sleep deprivation? Unfortunately, you may be at higher risk of negative moods and worse emotional regulation, according to a 2021 meta-analysis called ‘The effect of sleep deprivation and restriction on mood, emotion, and emotion regulation’. The good news is there are plenty of tips to help you with your sleep hygiene. The UK’s National Health Service recommends having a set time to start winding down, meditation before bed, which they call ‘beditation‘, and avoiding caffeine before bed.
詞匯表
knackered 筋疲力盡的
a good night’s sleep 睡個好覺
asleep 睡著的
lucid dreaming 清醒夢，在做夢時保持思考和記憶能力
dreamer 睡夢中的人
REM sleep 快速動眼睡眠
cognitive functions 認知功能
working memory 工作記憶，一種持續時間較短的記憶
dreamworld 夢中世界，夢境
memory retention 記憶保持，在記憶中保留信息或經驗
sleep on something 把…留到下一天再作決定
rest up 得到充分休息
sleep deprivation 睡眠不足
sleep hygiene 睡眠健康
wind down 逐漸放松
beditation 睡前冥想
caffeine 咖啡因
測驗與練習
1. 閱讀課文並回答問題。
1. What discovery has been made about lucid dreaming?
2. What does our brain do to help us retain memories?
3. True or False? Sleeping on a problem can help us to solve it.
4. What are two things that can be negatively impacted by sleep deprivation?
5. What are some tips to help improve sleep quality?
2. 選擇意思恰當的單詞或詞組來完成下列句子。
1. Before making any big decisions, it’s always best to ________ it.
sleep on rest up wind down beditate
2. After eight hours’ hiking, he was absolutely ________ and ready for bed.
wound down asleep rested knackered
3. After a stressful day, all you need is a ________.
sleep deprivation dreamworld sleep hygiene good night’s sleep
4. Practising good ________ can greatly improve the quality of your rest.
sleep deprivation sleep hygiene sleep loss sleep dreams
5. She couldn’t stop thinking about work, so she read a book to ________ before going to sleep.
sleep on rest up wind down beditate
答案
1. 閱讀課文並回答問題。
1. What discovery has been made about lucid dreaming?
Researchers have found it’s possible to communicate with people during lucid dreams, and that dreamers seem to be able to access cognitive functions such as working memory.
2. What does our brain do while sleeping to help us retain memories?
While we’re sleeping, our brains replay our memories of what happened during the day, which is believed to be crucial for memory retention.
3. True or False? Sleeping on a problem can help us to solve it.
True. A 2019 study by Sanders and colleagues found that people were more likely to solve a tricky problem the next day if the problem had been activated in their brains during sleep.
4. What are two things that can be negatively impacted by sleep deprivation?
According to a 2021 meta-analysis, those suffering from sleep deprivation are at higher risk of negative moods and worse emotional regulation.
5. What are some tips to help improve sleep quality?
The UK’s National Health Service recommends having a set time to start winding down, meditation before bed, which they call ‘beditation’, and avoiding caffeine before bed.
2. 選擇意思恰當的單詞或詞組來完成下列句子。
1. Before making any big decisions, it’s always best to sleep on it.
2. After eight hours’ hiking, he was absolutely knackered and ready for bed.
3. After a stressful day, all you need is a good night’s sleep
4. Practising good sleep hygiene can greatly improve the quality of your rest.
5. She couldn’t stop thinking about work, so she read a book to wind down before going to sleep.
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