You’d think the human race would have sleep down to a science by now, but many of us are still sleeping poorly (and so we need top 10 guides to getting better sleep). Part of the problem is we have outdated¹ information and beliefs about this all-important health need. Let’s set the facts straight. Here are 10 things you might have been told about sleep but aren’t completely true.

你觉得人类已经对睡眠了解得很透彻了，但是仍然有很多人睡不好觉（所以我们需要睡眠十大指南）。一部分问题是，睡眠对我们的健康如此重要，但我们掌握的信息和对它的了解已经过时了。来，让我们把事实弄清楚。下面列举了你可能听说过的有关睡眠的十件事，这些都不是完全正确的。

10. More Sleep Is Better for You

10. 睡得越多越好

There could be such a thing as too much sleep. The amount of sleep we need varies by person and also changes as we age. Harvard researchers found that a lot of sleep (9 hours or more) is linked with poor sleep quality. So don’t aim for more sleep—even on the weekends. Aim for better sleep.

睡太多可能会导致睡眠过度。每个人需要的睡眠时间都不一样，且会随着年龄增长而变化。哈佛大学研究员发现，睡得过多（9个小时以上）和睡眠质量差有关。所以不要以睡得更久为目标——即便是在周末，而是要力图提升睡眠质量。

9. Alcohol Helps You Sleep

9. 酒精有助于入睡

Alcohol, the original nightcap, can help most people fall asleep. However, it also can cause you to wake up more during the night, wrecking² your sleep quality. Consider drinking non-alcoholic beer before bed instead.

人们过去常在睡前喝酒，大多数人都会在酒精作用下很快入睡，但是，酒精也会导致你在夜间醒来多次，破坏睡眠质量。考虑一下睡前喝点无酒精的啤酒吧。

8. If You Wake Up in the Middle of the Night, Lie in Bed Until You Eventually Fall Back Asleep

8. 如果半夜醒来，要躺在床上直到再次睡着

Waking up in the middle of the night is the pits, but it happens to all of us. We all hope to quickly fall back asleep, and so we tend to stay in bed hoping it’ll happen any minute now. If that doesn’t happen, though, within 15 minutes, most experts recommend getting out of bed to do something that occupies our bodies and brains without overstimulating us. Try not to check the clock either.

半夜醒来最糟心了，但我们都会遇到。我们都希望能很快再次入睡，所以我们会躺在床上期待着分分钟能睡着。如果，过了15分钟后还没有睡着，大多数专家建议我们应该起床做一些不太刺激的体力活或脑力活。也不要看表几点了。

7. Insomniacs Have Difficulty Falling Asleep

7. 失眠患者入睡困难

Insomnia³ is a complex sleep disorder⁴. Difficulty falling asleep is just one of its four symptoms. The others, according to the National Sleep Foundation are waking up early and not being able to fall back asleep, waking often, and waking up feeling unrefreshed. There are things you can do to alleviate⁵ insomnia and other sleep problems. The best treatment for the long-term usually isn’t medication; cognitive⁶ behavioral therapy may last longer.

失眠是很复杂的睡眠障碍。难以入睡只是四大症状之一。根据美国国家睡眠基金会，其它症状是：醒得过早、醒来以后难以再次入睡、经常中途醒来、醒来之后疲惫无力。你可以采取一些措施减轻失眠和其它睡眠问题。但治疗长期失眠的最有效的方法不是药；认知行为治疗的效果也许会更持久一些。

6. Everyone Should Get 7-8 Hours of Sleep Per Night

6. 每个人每晚都要睡够七八个小时

Everyone’s sleep needs are different, and the quality of your sleep matters more than how much time you spend asleep. That said, the National Sleep Foundation offers recommendations based on age group, from newborns who need 14-17 hours of sleep each day to adults 18-64 who should get 7-9 hours each day, and older adults who should get 7-8 hours each day. Children generally need more sleep. A Jawbone study found that people who sleep 8-9.5 hours each night report happier moods the next day.

每个人的睡眠需求是不一样的，你的睡眠质量比睡觉时间长短重要得多。因此，国家睡眠基金会根据不同的年龄段提出建议，新生儿每天需要14-17小时的睡眠，18-64岁的成人每天7-9小时，年龄更大的人每天7-8小时。孩子一般需要更多的睡眠。Jawbone公司的一项研究发现每晚睡8-9.5个小时的人第二天情绪会更好。

5. You Feel Sleepy During the Day Because You Didn’t Get Enough Sleep 5. 白天犯困说明没睡够

One night of bad sleep—or no sleep—can definitely make you feel awful the next day, but if you’re consistently tired or feel sleepy during the day, sleep might not be the issue. Your diet, stress, or an underlying⁷ medical problem could be the cause. Even allergies⁸ or the medications you’re taking could zap your energy. Consider your sleep quality, of course, but also look into other possible causes.

一晚上没睡好，或没睡，第二天一定会心情不好。但是如果你白天总是疲惫不堪或昏昏欲睡，也许就不是睡眠的问题了。饮食、压力、潜在的健康问题都可能是原因。即使是过敏或正在服用的药物都可能击溃你的能量。当然要关注你的睡眠质量，但也要找找有没有其它因素。

4. Power Naps Will Make You Feel Refreshed

4. 打个高质量的盹可恢复元气

Naps are awesome⁹, but they’re not all equally restorative. Depending on how long you nap, you might end up feeling groggy¹⁰ when you wake up. Aim for about 20 minutes if you want a boost in energy and mental alertness.

打盹的作用很神奇，但并不总能让你恢复活力。这要看你睡了多长时间，也许你醒来还是昏昏沉沉。如果你想变得精力充沛、头脑清醒，就睡20分钟吧。

3. You’re Either a Morning Person or a Night Owl¹¹ (and Morning People Are More Productive)

3. 你要么是个早起的鸟儿，要么是个夜猫子（且早起的人效率更高）

Most people think of themselves as either morning “larks¹²” or night owls¹³, but there’s more to sleep cycles than that. People have different energetic times during the day that aren’t necessarily tied to our preference for sleeping late or getting up early. And you know that saying “the early bird gets the worm”? While our society—the workplace and school systems—seem to reward morning people, night owls can be just as productive and creative as their counterparts. In fact, doctors say schools should start later in the day for the health of students, who aren’t getting enough sleep. (I’d be up for later workday start times too.)

大多数人都认为自己不是早起的鸟儿就是夜猫子，但睡眠周期不只是这些。人们一天之中精力充沛的时间各不相同，与喜欢睡得晚一点或早一点关系并不大。你知道有句俗话叫“早起的鸟儿有虫吃”吗？我们的社会——工作单位和学校，似乎都鼓励早起，但是夜猫子可以像早起的人一样高效且富有创造力。实际上，医生说现在的学生睡眠不足，学校应该把上学的时间推迟一点，这样有益于学生健康。（我觉得也应该把上班的时间推迟一点。）

2. You Can Catch Up on Sleep on Weekends

2. 周末可以补觉

When we lose sleep during the week, we accumulate a kind of sleep “debt.” Think you can pay that debt back by sleeping in on Saturday and/or Sunday? Not so fast. This might actually make you sleepier the next week. Instead of waking up later on the weekends, you’re better off going to sleep earlier or perhaps taking a nap in the afternoon.

如果我们工作日期间没有睡够，我们就欠下了睡眠“债”。你想的是周六日多睡一点就可以偿债吗？并不尽然，而且你下周很可能会更困倦。与其周末睡懒觉，你还不如早点上床，或者睡个午觉。

1. Snoozing Buys You Sleep Time

1. 小睡会增加睡眠时间

Finally, this might be painful to admit, but snoozing your alarm will only make you feel worse. It doesn’t give you more time to finish sleeping but instead jolts¹⁴ you out of an even deeper part of your sleep cycle after you’ve dozed¹⁵ off between snoozes. And then you’re a zombie for the rest of the day. So stop snoozing and drag yourself out of bed. You’ll have a better day and perhaps sleep better at night.

最后，尽管承认这点可能挺痛苦的，但把闹钟设置为催醒模式，你只会感觉更糟。小睡并不会增加完整的睡眠时间，闹钟响了你又睡过去，甚至会睡得更熟，闹钟再次响起会吓你一跳。然后这一天都是迟钝呆滞的状态。所以不要再睡了，挣扎着起床吧。这样你白天会过得更好，晚上也许还睡得更香。