人的一生中超過三分之一的時間是在睡眠中度過的。高質量的睡眠是健康和更好地學習、工作的保證。然而，你是不是也有過失眠的經歷？或者睡了一覺醒來還是覺得昏昏沉沉？其實，睡眠其實也是一門學問，掌握一些小竅門，你會睡得更香甜。

By James Leigh

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No one likes to toss and turn all night, or even worse, struggle with outright insomnia.

There are things you can do to help get a better night’s rest. Try any or all of the following relaxing behaviors just before bedtime to ensure a more restful night.

Shun p.m. stimulants

Skipping your normal cup of joe should help you fall asleep quicker, because caffeine is a stimulant. “I don’t like people having caffeine after noontime if they have poor sleep, because it can hang out in the system for a long time,” says Walsleben.

Even decaf drinkers should beware: A recent Consumer Reports study found that even decaffeinated coffees sold at several chain restaurants contained caffeine, with one from a big chain having 32 milligrams of caffeine per cup—about the same amount as in 12 ounces of cola.

Nicotine is also a stimulant; smoking to relax before bed can actually do the opposite, revving up your heart rate and keeping your brain alert, says Walsleben.

Limit evening food and drinks

A large meal or spicy snack too close to bedtime can leave your digestive system working overtime while the rest of your body lies awake. And alcohol may make you drowsy, but it will disrupt your sleep patterns later in the night and keep you from getting the deep, which you need to feel refreshed.

If you drink a lot of any liquid before bed, for that matter, you may be up throughout the night using the bathroom.

Take a hot bath

Your temperature naturally dips at night, starting two hours before sleep and bottoming out at 4 a.m. or 5 a.m., according to a study conducted by New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center in White Plains, N.Y. When you soak in a hot tub, your temperature rises—and the rapid cool-down period immediately afterward relaxes you.

Two hours before bed, soak in the tub for 20 or 30 minutes, recommends Joyce Walsleben, PhD, associate professor at New York University School of Medicine. “If you raise your temperature a degree or two with a bath, the steeper drop at bedtime is more likely to put you in a deep sleep,” she says. A shower is less effective but can work, as well.

Lay out your clothes

You can help your body recognize that bedtime is imminent by setting routines and repeating them every night.

“We suggest that people establish regular nightly routines before they get into bed, to help their brain shift into sleep mode,” says Gary Zammit, PhD, director of the Sleep Disorders Institute in New York. “Laying out your pajamas, brushing your hair and your teeth—these habits can be very sleep-conducive.”

Install a dimmer switch

Late in the evening, your body releases the chemical melatonin, which makes you sleepy—but only if it receives the right cues from your environment. “Melatonin is your hormone of darkness—it won’t flow with the lights on,” says Walsleben. Sitting in a dimly lit room before getting ready for bed can put you in the right mind-set for sleep.

Shut down electronics

You may find it relaxing to catch up on correspondence with friends just before turning in for the night, but the practice could increase the amount of time you toss and turn. Lit screens (that includes televisions too) are stimulating, says Walsleben, so it’s best to avoid them. “Before your targeted bedtime, begin slowing down your brain by doing something calming, like reading in a comfy chair—somewhere other than bed,” she says. “Stop watching TV and checking email.”

Wear socks to bed

If cold feet are keeping you awake—especially during the winter—warm them up with a soft pair of socks. The extra layer under the covers can help improve circulation in your extremities, which can help you fall asleep more quickly.

Vocabulary

toss and turn （因睡不著在床上）翻來覆去

outright 完全的，徹底的

insomnia 失眠

shun 避開，避免

stimulant 刺激（物），引起興奮的物質

joe 〈美俚〉咖啡

caffeine 咖啡因，咖啡堿

hang out 持續，滯留

decaf 〈口〉脫咖啡因的咖啡

decaffeinated （咖啡或茶）脫咖啡因的

milligram 毫克

ounce 盎司（一盎司等于28.35克）

nicotine 尼古丁

rev up 〈口〉使更活躍

digestive system 消化系統

drowsy 使人昏昏欲睡的

dip 降低，下降

bottom out 降至最低點

soak 浸，泡

tub 〈美〉浴缸

lay out 鋪開，展開

imminent 臨近的，即將發生的

pajamas （復）pyjamas的美式拼法，（一套）睡衣褲

sleep-conducive 有助于睡眠的

dimmer switch 調光器，變光器

melatonin 【生化】褪黑激素

cue 信號，暗號

hormone 激素，荷爾蒙

dimly 昏暗地，朦朧地

mind-set 思維定式

electronics （復）電子設備

catch up on 趕完，彌補（擱置下來的工作等）

correspondence 通信，通信聯系

turn in 〈口〉上床睡覺

comfy 舒服的

layer 層

circulation 循環

extremity （人體的）末端（如手指、腳趾）

（來源：英語學習雜志）