许多人都有睡前读书的习惯，不只是因为他们是书虫，还因为读书的助眠功效实在太赞了。你可曾好奇过，为什么自己一看书就犯困呢？

 

You've finally tucked yourself into bed and cracked open the detective novel you've been waiting all day to get back to. Three pages later, you're fighting a losing battle against two suddenly very heavy eyelids¹.

你终于上了床，打开那本你想了一天的侦探小说。才看了3页，你突然感觉眼皮沉重起来，挣扎一番之后还是支撑不住睡着了。

 

You were wide awake mere² minutes ago, and the protagonist³ just uncovered a promising⁴ new lead in the case. So, what gives?

几分钟之前，你明明毫无睡意，书中的主人公刚刚揭示了一条关键的新线索。到底是哪里出了问题？

 

As the BBC's Science Focus explains, the coziness of your covers could be working against you. People usually try to read in a quiet, comfortable atmosphere, and those conditions happen to be ideal for sleep. Reading also eases your mind and draws its focus away from whatever preoccupations might otherwise keep you awake.

根据BBC频道《科学聚焦》栏目的解释，和你对着干的可能正是你那舒适的被窝。人们通常会试图在一个安静、舒适的氛围中阅读，而这些条件恰巧很适合睡眠。阅读还会让你的精神放松，远离那些会让你难以入眠的思绪。

 

"For many [people], reading can be relaxing and enjoyable, which can put your mind and body in the appropriate mindset or mood to go to sleep,” Dr. Raman Malhotra, a neurologist and member of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine's board of directors, told Refinery29. “The main reason reading may help some fall asleep is that it allows your mind some time to rest and relax before turning out the lights to fall asleep.”

美国睡眠医学会董事会成员、神经学家拉曼·马尔霍特拉博士告诉Refinery29网站说：“对许多人而言，阅读是让人放松和愉悦的，可以让你的身心进入适合睡眠的状态。阅读有助于某些人睡眠的主要原因在于，阅读让你的大脑在你关灯睡觉前有时间休息和放松。”

 

The concentration required to process every word can be pretty exhausting, too, especially if your chosen tome is dense⁵. And reading line after line of anything can make you feel like giving your eyes a break.

逐字阅读需要你集中注意力，也会让你感到疲倦，尤其是如果你选的书是一本大部头的话。不论读什么书，一行又一行地看下来，都会让你的眼睛渴望休息。

 

These factors all make reading a great activity to add to your pre-sleep routine if you're looking for ways to fall asleep faster. But if your body's snoozing impulse is continually keeping you from enjoying a good book, there are some tricks to thwart⁶ it. Book Riot suggests reading in the morning, or trying an audiobook instead. Reading in a spot that isn't your bed—preferably one where you're sitting up, rather than lying down—can help, too. Reading in a public place like a coffee shop or park can also discourage dozing⁷.

对于想要更快入睡的人而言，上述这些因素都使得睡前读书成了催眠妙法。但如果打瞌睡的冲动让你总是无法读完一本好书，这里有几个消除睡意的窍门。Book Riot网站建议你在早上读书，或者尝试一下有声读物。不要在床上读书，要在一个你能坐而不能躺的地方读书，这对你会有帮助。在咖啡馆或公园这样的公共场所读书也可以赶跑睡虫。

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