24 ways to achieve a Deep, Uninterrupted Sleep

1. Create a transition routine. This is something you do every night before bed. It could be as simple as letting the cat out, turning out the lights, turning down the heat, washing your face, and brushing your teeth. Or it could be a series of yoga or meditation exercises. Regardless, it should be consistent to the point that you do it without even thinking about it. As you begin to move into your "nightly routine," your mind will get the signal that it's time to chill out and tune down, dialing down stress hormones and physiologically preparing you for sleep.

1.建立睡前過渡計劃。即每晚睡覺前必做的事。這些事可以簡單到放貓咪出門、關燈、關暖氣、洗臉刷牙，也可以是瑜伽或冥想。不管怎樣，記住不要刻意去做這些。當你開始你的 “夜間慣例”時，你的大腦會收到信號，知道是時間放松下來，減少壓力荷爾蒙分泌，并做好睡覺的生理準備。

2. Figure out your body cycle. Ever find that you get really sleepy at 10 p.m., that the sleepiness passes, and that by the time the late news comes on, you're wide-awake? Some experts believe sleepiness comes in cycles. Push past a period of sleepiness and you likely won't be able to fall asleep very easily for a while. If you've noticed these kinds of rhythms in your own body clock, use them to your advantage. When sleepiness comes, get to bed. Otherwise, it might be a long time until you are ready to fall asleep again.

2.掌握你的身體周期。有沒有發(fā)現(xiàn)在晚上十點的時候你特別困，隨后這股困勁過去了，在晚間新聞開始的時候你又一點都不想睡了？一些專家認為困意具有周期性。一定階段的困意消失后，在接下來的一段時間內(nèi)你會很難入睡。如果你注意到自己的生物鐘里存在這種節(jié)奏，學著好好利用。當困意襲來，趕緊上床睡覺。不然，你得等上好一段時間才能再次入睡。

3. Sprinkle just-washed sheets and pillowcases with lavender water and iron them before making up your bed. The scent is scientifically proven to promote relaxation, and the repetition and mindlessness of ironing will soothe you. Or, instead of ironing your sheets, do the next best thing: Put lavender water in a perfume atomizer and spray above your bed just before climbing in.

3.在洗干凈的床單和枕頭套上撒點薰衣草香水，熨好再鋪上床。科學證實香味可以幫助放松，熨燙床單時無意識的重復動作也能緩和心緒?；蛘?，不熨床單也可以，有個很好的替代方法：把薰衣草香水裝進噴瓶，上床前在床的上空噴灑一遍。

4. Hide your clock under your bed or on the bottom shelf of your night stand, where its glow won't disturb you. That way, if you do wake in the middle of the night or have problems sleeping, you won't fret over how late it is and how much sleep you're missing.

4.把鬧鐘藏在床下，或放在床頭柜最下面的格子里，這樣就不會受到鐘面光的干擾。而且，如果你真的在半夜醒來，或者翻來覆去睡不著，你也不會因為知道是深夜幾點而煩躁，惱火自己又錯過了不少睡眠時間。

5. Switch your pillow. If you're constantly pounding it, turning it over and upside down, the poor pillow deserves a break. Find a fresh new pillow from the linen closet, put a sweet-smelling case on it, and try again.

5.換枕頭。如果你不停地捶打枕頭，把它翻過來翻過去，那你可憐的枕頭也該歇歇了。從櫥里找個新枕頭，套上一個好聞的枕頭套，再閉上眼睛嘗試入睡。

6. Choose the right pillow. One Swedish study found that neck pillows, which resemble a rectangle with a depression in the middle, can actually enhance the quality of your sleep as well as reduce neck pain. The ideal neck pillow should be soft and not too high, should provide neck support, and should be allergy tested and washable, researchers found.

6.選一個合適的好枕頭。一項來自瑞典的研究表明長方形、中間有下凹的頸枕能增加睡眠質(zhì)量，同時減少頸部酸痛。研究指出，理想的頸枕應該柔軟舒適，不能太高，能支撐頸部，經(jīng)過過敏原測試，而且可以清洗。

7. Switch to heavier curtains over the windows, and use them. Even the barely noticeable ambient light from streetlights, a full moon, or your neighbor's house can interfere with the circadian rhythm changes you need to fall asleep.

7.換上厚重的窗簾。即便是街燈、滿月，或者鄰居家傳來的微弱光線，也能干擾入睡所需的晝夜節(jié)律變化。

8. Clean your bedroom and paint it a soothing sage green. Or some other soothing color. First, the more clutter in your bedroom, the more distractions in the way of a good night's sleep. The smooth, clean surfaces act as a balm to your brain, helping to smooth out your own worries and mental to-do lists. The soothing color provides a visual reminder of sleep, relaxing you as you lie in bed reading or preparing for sleep.

8.打掃臥室，并粉刷成令人安心的灰綠色，或者其他舒緩的色調(diào)。首先，臥室越亂，睡眠就越容易受干擾。平整干凈的畫面有如香油，能放松大腦，消除憂慮，讓你不再去想明天要做的事。當你躺在床上看書或準備睡覺時，溫和的顏色也能提供視覺暗示，讓你的身心平緩下來。

9. Move your bed away from any outside walls. This will help cut down on noise, which a Spanish study found could be a significant factor in insomnia. If the noise is still bothering you, try a white noise machine, or just turn on a floor fan.

9.把你的床從外墻那邊移開。來自西班牙的一項研究表明噪音是導致失眠的重要因素，與外墻隔開便能遠離外部噪音。要是還不行，試試使用白色噪音機（能發(fā)出諸如海浪聲、雨聲之類有助睡眠的聲音），或者直接開一個落地風扇。

10. Tuck a hot-water bottle between your feet or wear a pair of ski socks to bed. The science is a little complicated, but warm feet help your body's internal temperature get to the optimal level for sleep. Essentially, you sleep best when your core temperature drops. By warming your feet, you make sure blood flows well through your legs, allowing your trunk to cool.

10.在兩腳間塞一個裝熱水的瓶子，或者穿雙滑雪短襪。其中的科學原理有些復雜，不過暖腳能幫助身體內(nèi)部體溫達到適合睡眠的最佳溫度。基本上，當你身體中心溫度下降的時候你睡得最香。通過腳的加溫，腿部血液流動加快，軀體的溫度就會下降。

11. Kick your dog or cat out of your bedroom. A 2002 research study found that one in five pet owners sleep with their pets (and we're not talking goldfish here). The study also found that dogs and cats created one of the biggest impediments to a good night's sleep since the discovery of caffeine. One reason? The study found that 21 percent of the dogs and 7 percent of the cats snored!

11.把狗或貓咪關在臥室外邊。2002年一項研究顯示有五分之一的寵物豢養(yǎng)者與自己的寵物一起睡覺（這里不包括養(yǎng)金魚的）。研究也顯示貓狗是影響睡眠的最大障礙之一，僅次于咖啡因。理由呢？研究發(fā)現(xiàn)有21%和7%的貓狗打呼嚕！

Lose Some, Gain Some

有得必有失

12. Sleep alone. Sure you love your spouse or partner, but studies find one of the greatest disruptors of sleep is that loved one dreaming away next to you. He might snore, she might kick or cry out, whatever. In fact, one study found that 86 percent of women surveyed said their husbands snored, and half had their sleep interrupted by it. Men have it a bit easier; just 57 percent said their wives snored, while just 15 percent found their sleep bothered by it. If you absolutely will not kick your partner out (or head to the guest room yourself), then consider some anti-snoring tips.

12. 一個人睡。當然，你舍不得你的配偶或伴侶，但研究表明睡眠的一大影響因素就是枕邊的人。他可能會打鼾，她可能會踢你或者在夢中大叫大嚷，任何情況都可能。事實上，一項研究顯示，被調(diào)查的女性中有86%承認自己的丈夫打鼾，有一半的人因此睡眠受到干擾。男人們的問題沒那么嚴重，只有57%說自己的妻子打鼾，僅15%覺得自己因此睡不好覺。如果你實在不愿意把你的伴侶攆出去（或者你自己住到客房），想寫對付打呼嚕的招吧。