Sleep difficulties are a common problem for millions of adults. Even if you can get to sleep, you might have trouble staying asleep. Does this sound familiar? You drift off to dreamland, but find yourself wide awake at 3 a.m., or maybe you wake up every few hours throughout the night. Adequate sleep is supposed to leave you feeling refreshed and ready to start your day. But if your sleep is interrupted, you’re likely to feel fatigued and sleepy the next day. So what gives? There are several factors that may interfere with getting your zzz’s including the following:
數百萬成年人受到睡眠問題的困擾。即使你能夠睡著，往往也可能睡不沉。聽起來很耳熟？你睡著了，結果凌晨三點又醒了，或者你每隔幾個小時就會醒一次。充足的睡眠理應讓你軟然一新，并使你為新的一天做好準備。但如果你的睡眠質量不高，第二天你就會感到疲勞和昏昏欲睡。這到底是什么造成的呢？下面列出了幾點會影響你正常睡眠的原因：

1. Too much caffeine:
攝入了過多的咖啡因：

You probably already know caffeine is a stimulant and can affect your ability to fall asleep. But it can also lead to poor quality sleep including waking up in the middle of the night. Caffeine has a three to five-hour half-life, which means it takes your body that many hours to get rid of half the caffeine you consumed. The bottom line is you may feel the effects of caffeine several hours after you consume it. Keep in mind, energy drinks, cola, chocolate and certain teas also contain caffeine. Your best bet is to avoid caffeine about six hours before bed.
你可能已經知道咖啡因是一種刺激物且能防止你打瞌睡。但是它同樣會造成睡眠質量不佳，會讓你睡到半夜就清醒?？Х纫虻陌胨テ谕ǔＳ?-5個小時，這意味著如果你攝入了咖啡因就需要這么長的時間來排出其中的一般。結果是，攝入咖啡的幾個小時后你仍能感受到咖啡因的效力。要記住功，能性飲料、可樂、巧克力、還有特定的茶葉都含有咖啡因，睡前大約六小時就最好不要碰還有含有咖啡因的食物。

2. Stress:
壓力：

Stress and lack of sleep seem to go hand in hand. If you’re stressed, it can be hard to sleep well and may lead to middle of the night insomnia. When you don’t get enough sleep, that can also lead to more stress and it becomes a vicious cycle. According to the American Psychological Association, adults who get less than eight hours of sleep each night report higher levels of stress symptoms than those who sleep longer. Although it can be easier said than done, it’s important to unwind and unplug before bed.
壓力和缺覺從來都是一起來的。如果你感到壓力大，那么晚上就睡不好，會半夜失眠。你睡不好，又會覺得壓力很大，然后就造成惡性循環(huán)。按照美國心理學協會的研究表明，每天誰不滿8個小時的成人比每天能睡的滿8個小時或是更長的成人，感覺到更大的壓力。盡管說的比做的容易，但是睡前的放松會讓你有好的睡眠。

3. Sleep environment:
睡覺的環(huán)境：

Your sleep environment can contribute to poor sleep. For example, loud noises can jolt you from a sound sleep or light peeking through the shades can wake you. Fortunately, there are ways to make your bedroom more sleep-friendly. Invest in a quality mattress and comfy bedding and consider keeping your bedroom cool, which most people find helps sleep. Make sure your curtains are heavy enough to block out sunlight and use a white noise machine or earplugs to block sounds from outside.
睡覺的環(huán)境也可能是糟糕睡眠的原因。突如其來的噪音會把你從沉睡中吵醒，或是昏暗中的出現的光線也會讓你醒來。幸運的是，這里我們提供了幾個營造睡眠環(huán)境的妙招。下點血本買個質量好的床墊和舒適的床上用品，保證臥室清涼，很多人都發(fā)現這樣對于睡眠很管用。窗簾要夠厚且保證遮光，用白噪音發(fā)生器或是耳塞來組個外來噪音。

4. An aching back:
背痛：

Back pain can?disrupt?sleep and leave you struggling to find a comfortable position. If you have?chronic?back pain, it’s important to treat the underlying cause. Also, your sleep position can make a big difference in your comfort level. The right position for you may depend on whether your upper or lower back ache. To take the pressure off your back, the Mayo Clinic recommends sleeping on your side with your knees slightly pulled up towards your chest with a pillow between your knees.
背痛會打斷你的睡眠，你在床上輾轉反側就為找到一個舒服的姿勢睡覺。如果你患有慢性背部疼痛，那么你很有必要去查出潛在原因。其次，不同疼痛程度，睡覺的姿勢也大有講究，正確的睡覺姿勢取決于你是上背部疼還是下背部疼。為了減輕你背部的壓力，Mayo診所推薦側睡姿勢，且膝蓋朝胸部彎曲，在膝蓋間夾一個枕頭的睡覺姿勢。

5. Hormones:
荷爾蒙：

Your hormones play a role in several functions including sleep. When there is an imbalance or a fluctuation, shifting hormones can contribute to sleep disturbances. A woman’s menstrual cycle, pregnancy, perimenopause and menopause often cause hormonal changes that may affect their quality of sleep. For example, decreased estrogen can lead to hot flashes, which wake you up at 2 a.m. You can’t always control your hormones, but you can make your environment conducive for sleep, unwind before bed and stick to the same sleep schedule. If those strategies don’t help, talk with your doctor. Hormonal replacement therapy or additional treatment may be an option.
你的荷爾蒙有諸多功能，其中就包括睡覺。如果荷爾蒙分泌不平衡或是有波動，則會造成你的睡眠紊亂，婦女的經期，懷孕，停經，還有更年期通常都會造成體內荷爾蒙變化從而影響睡眠質量。比如，雌性激素分泌的降低會導致潮熱，讓你在半夜兩點醒來。你不能控制自己的荷爾蒙，但你可以創(chuàng)造一個利于睡眠的環(huán)境，身體放松，并堅持規(guī)律的作息。如果以上都不管用，那就要去看醫(yī)生，荷爾蒙代替治療或者其他的附加治療都是可供選擇的。

6. Alcohol:
酒精：

If you enjoy a cocktail before bedtime, you know alcohol may help you get to sleep. But the bad news is it actually can interfere with your quality of sleep. As the alcohol metabolizes and the effects wear off, it prevents deep sleep, which causes restless sleep throughout the night. Consider limiting alcohol a few hours before you hit the sack.
如果你喜歡睡前來杯雞尾酒，你應該知道它能讓你更容易入睡。但壞消息是，酒精會影響你的睡眠質量。隨著酒精在體內進行新陳代謝并逐漸被消耗殆盡，它會妨礙你進入深度睡眠，這會讓你一晚上都睡不安穩(wěn)。要保證好的睡眠質量，那么在睡前幾小時最好不要飲酒。

7. Eating too late:
吃的太晚：

A light midnight snack may be fine, but a heavy meal too close to bedtime may leave you tossing and turning during the night. Eating large portions before you turn in for the night can lead to indigestion and acid reflux. If you want a snack before bed, keep it light and stay away from spicy and greasy foods.
半夜吃點零食沒事，但是睡前吃一頓大餐，那就等著翻來覆去一整夜吧。睡前吃的太多會引起消化不良和胃酸倒流。如果睡前是在想吃零食，那就少吃一點，而且不能辛辣油膩。

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