許多人都有睡前讀書的習慣，不只是因為他們是書蟲，還因為讀書的助眠功效實在太讚了。你可曾好奇過，為什麼自己一看書就犯困呢？
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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 eyelids。
你終於上了床，開啟那本你想了一天的偵探小說。才看了3頁，你突然感覺眼皮沉重起來，掙扎一番之後還是支撐不住睡著了。
You were wide awake mere minutes ago， and the protagonist just uncovered a promising new lead in the case。 So， what gives？
幾分鐘之前，你明明毫無睡意，書中的主人公剛剛揭示了一條關鍵的新線索。到底是哪裡出了問題？
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。
根據BBC頻道《科學聚焦》欄目的解釋，和你對著幹的可能正是你那舒適的被窩。人們通常會試圖在一個安靜、舒適的氛圍中閱讀，而這些條件恰巧很適合睡眠。閱讀還會讓你的精神放鬆，遠離那些會讓你難以入眠的思緒。
‘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。”
美國睡眠醫學會董事會成員、神經學家拉曼·馬爾霍特拉博士告訴Refinery29網站說：“對許多人而言，閱讀是讓人放鬆和愉悅的，可以讓你的身心進入適合睡眠的狀態。閱讀有助於某些人睡眠的主要原因在於，閱讀讓你的大腦在你關燈睡覺前有時間休息和放鬆。”
The concentration required to process every word can be pretty exhausting， too， especially if your chosen tome is dense。 And reading line after line of anything can make you feel like giving your eyes a break。
逐字閱讀需要你集中注意力，也會讓你感到疲倦，尤其是如果你選的書是一本大部頭的話。不論讀什麼書，一行又一行地看下來，都會讓你的眼睛渴望休息。
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 thwart 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 dozing。
對於想要更快入睡的人而言，上述這些因素都使得睡前讀書成了催眠妙法。但如果打瞌睡的衝動讓你總是無法讀完一本好書，這裡有幾個消除睡意的竅門。Book Riot網站建議你在早上讀書，或者嘗試一下有聲讀物。不要在床上讀書，要在一個你能坐而不能躺的地方讀書，這對你會有幫助。在咖啡館或公園這樣的公共場所讀書也可以趕跑睡蟲。
英文來源：Mental Floss
翻譯&編輯：丹妮