People who enjoy a dream-filled sleep are significantly better at recalling information and making links between facts when they wake, scientists found.

科学家发现，那些睡觉时梦境连连的人们，醒来时记忆力和关联事物的能力都会显著增强。

But recharging with a shallow nap offers no such mental boost, the research suggests.

但同时该研究显示，如果仅仅是打个小盹，不会对脑力产生如此奇效。

The results of the study add to the growing body of evidence that Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep is crucial to the brain’s ability to lay down and consolidate¹ memories.

此前不断有证据表明，快速眼动睡眠对大脑巩固记忆的能力至关重要，而这一研究结果再次印证了该说法。

People who enjoy a dream-filled sleep are significantly better at recalling information and making links between facts when they wake, scientists found.

科学家发现，那些睡觉时梦境连连的人们，醒来时记忆力和关联事物的能力都会显著增强。

But recharging with a shallow nap offers no such mental boost, the research suggests.

但同时该研究显示，如果仅仅是打个小盹，不会对脑力产生如此奇效。

The results of the study add to the growing body of evidence that Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep is crucial to the brain’s ability to lay down and consolidate memories.

此前不断有证据表明，快速眼动睡眠对大脑巩固记忆的能力至关重要，而这一研究结果再次印证了该说法。

This means that adults who get less than the recommended seven to eight hours a night – and therefore insufficient² REM sleep – may be damaging their mind’s ability to form strong memories.

这意味着，睡眠时间不足7-8小时的成年人形成牢固记忆的能力受到严重影响，因为他们无法保障充分的快速眼动睡眠时间。

Although REM sleep is not classified as a type of deep sleep, it is only reached after the brain has passed through deep sleep stages.

尽管快速眼动睡眠并不属于深度睡眠的范畴，但只有在经过深度睡眠后，大脑才能进入快速眼动睡眠状态。

For the most recent study, participants were shown groups of three words – such as “cookie”, “heart” and “sixteen” – and asked to find another word that can be associated with all three words.

在最新研究中，研究人员向参与者展示三个单词——譬如“cookie（曲奇）”、“heart（爱心）”以及“sixteen(16)”，同时他们需要找到与这三个词语相关的一个词。

In this example, the answer would have been "sweet”.

在这个例子中，正确答案应该是“sweet（甜蜜）”这个词。

Participants were tested once in the morning and then given the same task again in the afternoon. In between, some were allowed a nap with REM sleep, some a nap without REM sleep, while the others had a quiet rest period.

参与者在早上和下午各进行了同样的测试。而在两次测试的中间，一些人进行了短暂的快速眼动睡眠；一些人虽然小睡但并未进入快速眼动睡眠状态；还有一部分人只是安静地休息了一会儿。