Why do we wake up during the night- and how can we train ourselves to nod off again?
为什么我们夜间会醒，怎样才能训练自己再次入睡呢？

Here, writing for Healthista, nutritionist and stress expert Charlotte Watts, author of De-Stress Effect, reveals the reasons - and how you can overcome the problem to wake up feeling refreshed...
在这里，营养学家兼压力专家、同时也是《缓解压力的影响》的作者夏洛特•沃茨为Healthista网站撰文中揭示了原因，以及如何克服这些问题以便醒来时能精神焕发。

HOW YOUR DIET CAN BE TO BLAME
你的饮食要为此负责

Sudden waking in the night can often be traced back to blood sugar irregularities during the preceding day.
夜间突然惊醒通常是由于前一天血糖不正常造成的。

Nightmares can add to this state and combined with dropping blood sugar levels, waking becomes more likely.
恶梦也会使情况恶化，加之血糖水平下降，就更容易醒来。

4am waking can also be linked to a shift in our metabolic states, when the body moves from a catabolic (building up) phase to heal and renew during the night, to anabolic (breaking down) through exertion in the active daytime.
凌晨4点醒来也与体内新陈代谢变化有关，此时身体正从分解代谢（异化作用）这一夜间自愈更新阶段过渡到白天活跃的合成代谢（同化作用）阶段。

Stress in the day can unbalance the hormones that make this a smooth transition and also contribute to energy dips around the opposite shift at 4pm, when we shift back into restful catabolic mode to prepare for bed.
白天承受的压力会破坏维持转换过程平稳进展荷尔蒙的平衡，也会导致下午4点这个过程逆向进展时能量下降，此时我们转换到了休息状态的分解代谢，身体准备入睡。

As many of us aren’t seeing this late afternoon time as the beginning of a natural wind-down to bed, our sleep quality may be affected by keeping up activity and stimulus too late into the evening.
因为我们很多人不知道，下午稍晚的这个时间正处于身体自然入睡阶段，我们睡眠质量会受到持续活动和熬夜的影响。

THE EFFECTS OF SLEEP DEPRIVATION
失眠的影响

Chronic sleep deprivation has shown to increase appetite and decrease satiety, a crucial link to weight gain.
已证实，长期失眠会使食欲增加，降低饱腹感，这是体重增加的关键所在。

It has also shown to reduce empathy, meaning on less sleep we make decisions from a more analytical than compassionate place.
失眠也会减少同情心，这意味着睡眠较少时我们做出的决定更理性，而不那么富有同情心。

Our bodies also heal and repair overnight. But not fully reaching this phase can compromise skin quality, immune health and ability to cope with stress, all adding up to premature ageing and increased risk of chronic disease.
我们的身体在夜间会自愈和修复。但没有完全到达这一阶段就会损害皮肤、免疫系统健康和缓解压力的能力，所有这些都会导致过早衰老，增加患慢性病的风险。

EAT CARBS, TURKEY AND BANANAS TO NOD OFF
吃碳水化合物、火鸡和香蕉来使你入睡

Serotonin is a brain chemical with a central role in sleep cycle regulation.
血清素是一种大脑中的化学物质，在睡眠周期中起着主要作用。

We produce serotonin from an amino acid (protein) called tryptophan. This is found in bananas, figs, milk, lentils, tuna, turkey, wholegrain crackers and yoghurt – basing a light supper around these foods can help to promote sleep.
我们用一种叫色氨酸的氨基酸（蛋白质）制造血清素。它存在于香蕉、无花果、牛奶、小扁豆、金枪鱼、火鸡、全麦饼干和酸奶中，以这些食物为主进食少量晚餐有助于改善睡眠。

Choose complex carbohydrate (plant-based food) sources that release sugars more slowly, such as fruit, oats and other wholegrains, and maintain blood sugar levels throughout the night.
要选择合成碳水化合物（植物性食物），这样的食物中糖类释放慢，比如水果、燕麦和其他全谷物，还能在夜间维持血糖水平。

FORGET ALCOHOL AND PILLS - TAKE MAGNESIUM
不要喝酒吃药了——要吸收镁

Alcohol has the illusion of a quick-fix ‘cure’ for sleeplessness.
酒精给人能“快速治疗”失眠的错觉。

We should be able to produce adrenaline(to calm the nervous system )naturally around bed-time, but we need the mineral magnesium to do so and many of us receive too little in our diets (from green leafy vegetables, fish, nuts and seeds) whilst using it up quickly through stress, as it is a relaxant in its own right.
我们睡眠期间能自然分泌肾上腺素（平复神经系统），但我们需要无机物镁来完成这一过程，我们很多人从食物（绿叶蔬菜、鱼、坚果和种子）吸收的镁太少了，同时缓解压力时还要快速消耗镁，因为它本身就有弛缓作用。

Supplementing as magnesium citrate (300-400mg) with dinner may help support quality sleep.
晚餐搭配柠檬酸镁补充剂（300-400mg）可以保证睡眠质量。

HOW MODERN LIFE AFFECTS OUR SLEEP
现代生活如何影响睡眠

Ideally our nervous systems need to move from the state that keeps us energised throughout the day to the evening state that allows healing, recovery and sleep.
理想状态下，我们的神经系统需要从白天的兴奋状态过渡到夜间状态，其间身体会自愈、恢复和睡眠。

Eating large meals late, having stimulants such as caffeine and sugar and getting overexcited beyond 7pm are not conducive to this idyll of tranquillity.
晚餐过饱过晚，饮食含刺激性食物，如咖啡因和糖，晚上过了7点还过于兴奋，以上这些都不益于身体保持平静。

Let’s face it, modern life sets us up against this tide of good sleep.
我们要承认现代生活使我们远离良好睡眠。

If your job means you get up earlier than your natural body rhythm, you will need to go to bed earlier. This is not wasted time, it improves the quality of your life when you are awake.
如果你的工作需要早起，起床时间比你起床的生物钟要早，你就需要早点上床睡觉。这不是浪费时间，而是要提高你清醒时的生活质量。

If you’re waking up with a crick neck or aches or sense you haven’t moved much during the night, you’re possibly sleeping too deeply from over-tiredness. In healthy sleep, our bodies move us around to ensure we don’t hold muscles in the same place for too long periods.
如果你醒来时脖子僵硬或疼痛，或者感觉夜间身体没怎么动，你就可能是由于过度疲劳而睡得过沉。健康睡眠中，我们的身体经常移动，以确保我们的肌肉不会长时间保持一个姿势。

5 WAYS TO IMPROVE YOUR OVERALL SLEEP HYGIENE
5种方法改善睡眠质量

Consistent bedtimes and length of sleep.
按时睡觉，保证睡眠时间。

Dark bedrooms create better sleep.
卧室暗睡眠质量好。

Write a diary. Write things down to empty your mind.
写日记，把事情都写下来以便清空大脑。

Keep the bed for sleeping in only.
床只用来睡觉。

Wear ear plugs if you are easily disturbed or your partner snores. The wax ones are best.
如果你睡眠轻或者同床的人打鼾的话就戴个耳塞。蜡制耳塞效果最好。

6 WAYS TO STOP WAKING IN THE NIGHT
6种方法使你夜间不醒

Don’t get up (and if you do, don’t put lots of light on) unless briefly to the toilet and even then, turn as few lights on as possible and go straight back to bed.
不要起来（如果起来了，也不要开太多灯），除非只是上个厕所，甚至去厕所时都要尽量少开灯，方便完直接回床上。

Turn the alarm clock in your bedroom to face the other way.
把卧室里的闹钟背对着你。

Don’t worry about waking up.
不要担心醒来。

Remind yourself you’re safe.
提醒自己你是安全的。

Fantasise. Bring to mind a lovely vision, fantasy (any kind) or memory and let your more creative right brain have the reins.
幻想。脑袋里想着美好的场景，幻想（任何事）或者回忆，让你更具创造力的右脑占据主动权。

Listen to something (that isn’t your own thoughts). If you have racing thoughts, listening to audio books or podcasts satisfies the language centres of the brain, providing voices other than your own internally generated ones.
听点东西（不要倾听自己的想法）。如果你思绪万千，就听听有声读物或播客来满足大脑的语言中心，给大脑点声音，而不是只想着你的心声。

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