季节会影响我们的睡眠吗？根据最新研究，答案是肯定的。本期节目介绍我们的睡眠模式是如何演变而成的，以及光和温度是否会对睡眠时间产生影响。

词汇：sleep 睡眠

After a long winter, the arrival of spring can be a welcome relief. The days grow longer, the temperatures increase, and the natural world around us comes to life again. But when the seasons change, our sleep patterns change with them.

在漫长的冬天之后，春天的到来是一种受欢迎的解脱。白天变长了，气温上升了，我们周围的自然世界又恢复了生机。但当季节变化时，我们的睡眠模式也会随之改变。

New research suggests that humans may need more sleep in the winter than they do in the summer. A German study found that participants slept an hour longer in December than in June, regardless of their exposure to light. "Our study shows that even while living in an urban environment, with just artificial light, humans [experience] seasonal sleep," says Dieter Kunz, one of the study's lead authors and head of the clinic of sleep and chronomedicine at St Hedwig Hospital in Berlin, Germany. The study found that the participants experienced seasonal variations in their rapid eye movement sleep, also known as REM sleep, as well as in their slow wave sleep, also known as deep sleep. REM sleep, which is when we dream and our heart rate increases, was 30 minutes longer in the winter than during the summer. Slow wave sleep, which is when our muscles are repaired, our immune system is strengthened and our memory is consolidated, was 30 minutes shorter in September than in February.

新的研究表明，人类在冬天可能比在夏天需要更多的睡眠。德国的一项研究发现，与光照情况无关，参与者在12月比6月多睡了一个小时。“我们的研究表明，即使生活在只有人造光的城市环境中，人类也会经历季节性睡眠，”该研究的主要作者之一、德国柏林圣海德威格医院睡眠和生物钟医学诊所主任迪特尔·昆兹说。研究发现，参与者在快速眼动睡眠(也被称为REM睡眠)和慢波睡眠(也被称为深度睡眠)中经历了季节性变化。快速眼动睡眠，也就是我们做梦和心率加快的时候，冬天比夏天长30分钟。慢波睡眠是指我们的肌肉得到修复、免疫系统得到加强、记忆得到巩固的时候，9月份的慢波睡眠时间比2月份短了30分钟。

But why do our bodies and brains need more rest at certain times of year? The answer could lie in our evolutionary past. That's according to Neil Stanley, who's a sleep expert at Sleep Station, an online provider of cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia. "We have evolved to dark-light cycles, so when we wake up on a winter's morning and it's dark, our brain is going 'I can't do anything… there's no point leaping out of bed.'" Particularly in summer, temperature also plays a role – our bodies require a skin temperature of between 31-35 degrees centigrade [Celsius] for a good night's sleep, but this can be harder to control during the warmer months.    
但是为什么我们的身体和大脑在一年中的某些时候需要更多的休息呢?答案可能就在我们的进化史中。尼尔·斯坦利(Neil Stanley)是睡眠站(sleep Station)的睡眠专家，该网站是一家提供失眠症认知行为治疗的在线提供商。“我们已经进化到暗-光循环，所以当我们在冬天的早晨醒来时，天很黑，我们的大脑会想‘我什么都做不了……没有必要从床上跳起来。’”特别是在夏天，温度也起着一定的作用——我们的身体需要31-35摄氏度的皮肤温度才能睡个好觉，但在温暖的月份，这可能更难控制。

Of course, nowadays, it is our school and work times – not the Sun – that determine when we get up in the morning. But, as autumn approaches, it seems we now have a good excuse for an early night.

当然，现在，是我们的学校和工作时间，而不是太阳，决定我们早上什么时候起床。但是，随着秋天的临近，我们现在似乎有了早睡的好理由.

词汇表

relief （不快后的）解脱
come to life 复苏，恢复生机
sleep pattern 睡眠模式
exposure to 接触
artificial light 人造光
seasonal sleep 季节性睡眠
chronomedicine 时间医学
variation 变化
rapid eye movement sleep 快速眼动睡眠
slow wave sleep 慢波睡眠
deep sleep 深度睡眠
repair 修复
immune system 免疫系统
consolidate 加强，加固
rest 休息
cognitive behavioural therapy 认知行为疗法
insomnia 失眠
evolve 逐渐进化
dark-light cycle （昼夜）光暗循环
leap out of bed 跳下床，起床
early night 早睡

测验与练习

1. 阅读课文并回答问题。

1. Is seasonal sleep affected by light?

2. True or False? Participants experienced seasonal variations only in REM sleep.

3. In total, how much longer do we need to sleep in winter compared to summer, according to the study?

4. How does our past influence our sleep patterns?

5. Why can it be harder to sleep in the summer months?

2. 选择意思恰当的单词或词组来完成下列句子。

1. I think photographs look better when taken in natural light, not _______.

relief                             sleep pattern                exposure to               artificial light

2. We are studying the global temperature _______ over the past 100 years.

artificial lights               variations                      dark-light cycles        early nights              

3. It took a long time to _______ the damage after the flood.

come to life                  repair                            consolidate                rest    

4. The idea for the business _______ from a small coffee stand to a bakery.  

came to life                  consolidated                  evolved                     leapt out of bed

5. You look exhausted! You should get an _______ if you can.

sleep pattern                seasonal sleep              deep sleep                early night

答案

1. 阅读课文并回答问题。 

1. Is seasonal sleep affected by light?

No. According to Dieter Kunz, "even while living in an urban environment, with just artificial light, humans [experience] seasonal sleep."

2. True or False? Participants experienced seasonal variations only in REM sleep.

False. Participants experienced seasonal variations in REM sleep, as well as in slow wave sleep.

3. In total, how much longer do we need to sleep in winter compared to summer, according to the study?

One hour. Both REM and slow wave sleep were 30 minutes longer in the winter months.

4. How does our past influence our sleep patterns?

Humans evolved to dark-light cycles, says Neil Stanley.

5. Why can it be harder to sleep in the summer months?

Because our bodies require a skin temperature of between 31-35 degrees centigrade [Celsius] for a good night's sleep, and this can be harder to regulate when it's hot.

2. 选择意思恰当的单词或词组来完成下列句子。

1. I think photographs look better when taken in natural light, not artificial light.

2. We are studying the global temperature variations over the past 100 years.

3. It took a long time to repair the damage after the flood.

4. The idea for the business evolved from a small coffee stand to a bakery.  

5. You look exhausted! You should get an early night if you can.

文章来源BBU，侵权删，本文仅用于英语学习。