VOA慢速英语2016 为何在新环境中不易入睡?

Why It's Harder to Sleep in New Place 为何在新环境中不易入睡?

Have you ever had trouble sleeping in a new place?

换了新环境你是否会辗转反侧，难以入睡？

Lots of people do. And now researchers from Brown University in Rhode Island think they know why.

相信大多数人都是这样的。美国罗得岛州布朗大学的研究员们找到了这一问题的根源。

They found that one-half of the brain “remains more awake” than the other half when people are trying to sleep in a new place.

当人们在陌生的环境中睡觉时，大脑的左半球比右半球更清醒。

This appears a case of the brain keeping people ready for trouble in a new place, the researchers said.

研究人员表示，这是因为大脑在陌生环境中随时准备应付突发状况。

The sleep findings¹ were reported in Current² Biology and by Brown University.

布朗大学将该研究结果发表在《当代生物学》杂志上。

In their report, the researchers said many people report they have a harder time sleeping the first night at a hotel or other places outside their home. 

研究人员在报告中指出，许多人都表示在酒店或外地的第一晚都难以入睡。

They call it, “first-night effect.”

他们称之为“第一夜现象”。

“In Japan they say, ‘if you change your pillow³, you can’t sleep,’’’ said Yuka Sasaki, one of the report’s authors. “You don’t sleep very well in a new place. We all know about it.”

该研究的作者之一佐佐木优香（Yuka Sasaki）表示，“在日本人们常说，‘如果换了枕头就会睡不着。’”她说，“陌生环境会影响睡眠，我们都知道这一点。”

The researchers measured brain waves for 35 volunteers over two nights in a laboratory⁴. The two nights were a week apart.

研究人员对35位志愿者进行了两次晚间睡眠状况的测量。两次测量时间相距一周。

They found during the first night the left hemisphere⁵ of the brain was more active than the right hemisphere. This was during the first deep-sleep period, the researchers said.

他们发现，第一晚大脑左半球比右半球活跃。研究人员表示，这是第一次深度睡眠的测量结果。

Sasaki said a lot of questions remain.

佐佐木优香表示仍有很多问题尚待研究。

Researchers did not keep measuring brain waves all night long. So, they don’t know if the left hemisphere keeps “watch” all night. Or whether it “works in shifts” with the right hemisphere later in the night.

研究人员并没有整晚测量脑电波。因此，不知道整晚是左脑一直在“值班”，还是随后与右脑进行轮班。

They also do not know why the extra brain activity, at least during the first phase⁷ of deep sleep, is always on the left hemisphere.

也不知道为什么大脑活动总是发生在大脑左半球，至少第一晚的深睡眠阶段是如此。

For some, this research may be calming. It is good to know that our brain is “looking out for us,” in a new place.

对某些人来说，这项研究结果让他们喜出望外。知道大脑在陌生环境中“为我们站岗放哨”的确是件值得高兴的事情。

But it may not help with sleep. That extra brain activity, at least according⁸ to this new research, makes it harder to get the sleep people need to wake up well rested in the morning.

但是这并不能改善睡眠。据这项新研究显示，这一大脑活动让人们难以获得充足睡眠。

Words in This Story

pillow – n. a bag filled with soft material that is used as a cushion⁹ usually for the head of a person who is lying down

hemisphere – n. either of the two halves of the brain

active – adj. doing things that require energy

shift⁶ – n. work done in a period of time

1 findings   

n.发现物( finding的名词复数 )；调查（或研究）的结果；（陪审团的）裁决

参考例句：

• It behoves us to study these findings carefully. 我们理应认真研究这些发现。
• Their findings have been widely disseminated . 他们的研究成果已经广为传播。

2 current   

n.涌流，趋势，电流，水流，气流；adj.当前的，通用的，流通的，现在的，草写的，最近的

参考例句：

• Electric current is often powerful enough to kill a man.电流常强得足以致命。
• There is a story about her in the current number.最近一期上有关于她的故事。

3 pillow   

n.枕头；枕垫；vt.作…的枕头；垫；枕于；vi.靠在枕上

参考例句：

• He fell asleep as soon as he touched the pillow.他脑袋一碰枕头就睡着了。
• She was found asleep on a pillow of leaves.有人看见她枕着树叶睡着了。

4 laboratory   

n.实验室，化验室

参考例句：

• She has donated money to establish a laboratory.她捐款成立了一个实验室。
• Our laboratory equipment isn't perfect,but we must make do.实验室设备是不够理想，但我们只好因陋就简。

5 hemisphere   

n.半球，半球地图

参考例句：

• This animal is to be found only in the Southern Hemisphere.这种动物只有在南半球才能找到。
• In most people,the left hemisphere is bigger than the right.多数人的左脑比右脑大。

6 shift   

n.交换，变化，移动，接班者；vt.更替，移转，变声；vi.改变，定责，更衣

参考例句：

• Lend me a hand to shift this box,will you?来帮一下忙，把这箱子搬开，好吗？
• A sudden shift in the wind warned of the coming storm.风向的突然改变预示暴风雨来临。

7 phase   

n.相位，时期，局面，阶段；vt.逐步执行，实行，按计划进行

参考例句：

• The first phase of the project has been completed.第一期工程已经告一段落。
• It was a very important phase of history.它是一个非常重要的历史阶段。

8 according   

adj.按照，根据

参考例句：

• According to the Bible we are all the seed of Adam.根据《圣经》所说的，我们都是亚当的后裔。
• We must cut our coat according to our cloth this year.今年我们必须学会量入为出。

9 cushion   

n.垫子，橡皮软垫&vt.加垫褥，缓冲，掩盖

参考例句：

• He lay on the floor with a cushion under his head.他躺在地板上，头下枕着一个垫子。
• His hat helped to cushion the blow.他的帽子帮助缓冲了打击。