The more we understand about sleep the more important we realise it is. We now know that disturbed sleep is linked to many serious conditions, such as obesity¹, diabetes², heart disease and stroke to name but a few. To that list we can add another condition, ADHD .

我们对睡眠了解的越多，就越会意识到睡眠的重要性。现在我们知道睡不安稳与很多严重的疾病相关，比如：肥胖、糖尿病、心脏病和中风等等。在这张疾病清单上，还可以再加一个：注意力缺失多动症。

Research has now revealed that poor sleep is linked to difficulty in concentrating, having too much energy and being unable to control behaviour - the main traits of attention deficit³ hyperactivity disorder⁴.

研究现已揭示，睡眠差与注意力很难集中相关，导致精力充沛、无法控制自己的行为--这是注意力缺失多动症的主要特征。

Hopefully, this study could lead to the development of treatments that don't involve drugs. Speaking at a pharmacology conference in Paris, Professor Sandra Kooij, from Amsterdam, outlined research which shows poor sleep is a sign that our biological clocks aren't properly synchronised.

本研究有望研发不涉及药物的治疗方法。在巴黎的药理学会议上，来自阿姆斯特丹的桑德拉·科艾（Sandra Kooij）概述了本研究，表明睡眠差是生物钟未能合理同步的一个迹象。

This is also the case with ADHD. "Our research is making clear that sleep disruption and ADHD are intertwined," she said. "Essentially⁵, they are two sides of the same physiological⁶ and mental coin."

注意力缺失多动症也是如此。"我们的研究表明，睡不安稳与注意力缺失多动症是相互交织的，"她说道。"基本上，它们是同一身心'硬币'的不同面。"

Symptoms of ADHD, which also include impulsiveness⁷ and mood swings, are generally noticed at school age. It's thought that between 2% and 5% of people are affected⁸ by ADHD at some time in their lives.

注意力缺失多动症的症状包括冲动和情绪不稳，通常在学龄期有所表现。据说，2%至5%的人都会在人生中的某个阶段受到注意力缺失多动症的影响。

In addition, about 80% of cases have profound sleep disturbances⁹, often delays in the onset¹⁰ of sleep. "These people simply cannot go to bed and fall asleep at the end of the day like others," said Prof Kooij. "And that has consequences. Affected individuals sometimes cannot get to sleep until around 3am but they still have to get up to go to work or school. The result is a drastic loss of sleep."

此外，80%的病例都深受睡不安稳的困扰，经常延迟睡眠时间。"这些人就是无法像其他人一样，在一天结束之时上床睡觉，"科艾教授说道。"这会导致一些不好的后果。受影响的人有时候直到凌晨3点才能睡着，但还是得正常起床、上班、上学。结果就是严重缺少睡眠。"

This is linked, in turn, to disturbances in levels of dopamine and melatonin in the brain, she added. These chemicals control when we fall asleep and when we wake up through our internal biological clock.

转过来，这就与大脑中的多巴胺和褪黑激素紊乱水平相关，她补充说。这些化学物质通过我们的内部生物钟控制着我们的睡觉时间和起床时间。

Other conditions linked to disturbed dopamine and melatonin levels include restless leg syndrome¹¹ - an ?irresistible¹² urge to move your legs - and sleep apnoea, where breathing is disturbed during sleep.

与紊乱的多巴胺和褪黑激素水平相关的其它症状包括不宁腿综合征--无法遏制的动腿--和睡眠呼吸暂停，也就是说，在睡觉的过程中，呼吸收到了干扰。

These disorders¹³ are also linked to ADHD, said Prof Kooij. Professor Andreas Reif, of University Hospital in Frankfurt, agrees. The crucial point is ADHD appears to be triggered by disruptions to the body clock. Would restoring a patient's body clock help treat ADHD?

这些症状也与注意力缺失多动症相关，科艾教授说道，法兰克福大学医院的安德烈亚斯·雷夫教授同意科艾教授的观点。关键就是注意力缺失多动症似乎是由生物钟紊乱引起的。恢复病人的生物钟是否有助治疗注意力缺失多动症呢？