如果你每晚少睡兩個小時會怎樣？：英語精讀講義

For many people,

對很多人來說，

sleep is a burden which they would love to do away with. 片語動詞

睡覺是一種負擔，他們巴不得徹底擺脫它。

I mean, imagine how much more you could do in a day with two extra hours.

我的意思是，想像一下，如果每天多出兩個小時，你能多做多少事。

But what would actually happen if you cut out two hours of your sleep every night? 片語動詞

但如果你每晚少睡兩個小時，究竟會發生什麼事？

First, we need to understand how much sleep your body and brain actually need.

首先，我們得弄清楚你的身體和大腦究竟需要多少睡眠。

The vast majority of research on the topic 片語搭配

關於這個主題，絕大多數研究

has concluded that around 8 hours of sleep is optimal for the average person.

都得出結論：對一般人來說，睡大約 8 小時最理想。

But today, almost 50% of people get 6 hours or less each night.

但如今，將近 50% 的人每晚只睡 6 小時或更少。

Now, the first night of less sleep may actually trigger the mesolimbic system,

少睡的第一個晚上，實際上可能會啟動中腦邊緣系統，

releasing dopamine and giving you a sense of adrenaline.

釋放多巴胺，讓你產生一種腎上腺素飆升的感覺。

But your brain slowly begins to shut off the areas associated with planning and making decisions. 片語動詞

但你的大腦會逐漸開始關閉與規劃和做決定有關的區域。

And even though you may still feel fine getting 6 hours, 文法

即使只睡 6 小時，你可能仍覺得自己狀態不錯，

the truth is actually much darker and worrisome than you might realize.

但真相其實比你意識到的更可怕，也更令人擔憂。

Scientists use a technique known as psychomotor vigilance tasks or PVTs 文化背景

科學家在研究中會採用一種叫做「心理動作警覺測驗」（PVT）的方法

to understand the impact of sleep deprivation on humans in studies.

來了解睡眠不足對人類的影響。

Simply put, it's a reaction test. 表達脈絡

簡單來說，這是一項反應測驗。

A red button randomly turns green,

一個紅色按鈕會隨機變成綠色，

and people have to push it as fast as possible. 文法

受試者必須盡快按下它。

Not so surprisingly, those who get 8 hours of sleep over a 2-week period

不出所料，在兩週內每晚睡 8 小時的人

show very few lapses in attention and no cognitive declines. 用詞

幾乎不會出現注意力失誤，認知能力也沒有下降。

But those groups that received either 6 or 4 hours of sleep

但每晚只睡 6 小時或 4 小時的兩組人

see declining PVT results on almost a daily basis for the entire 2-week period. 片語搭配

在整整兩週內，PVT 測驗成績幾乎每天都在下降。

Of course, the 4-hour group performs the worst.

當然，4 小時組的表現最差。

But these results don't just show a loss of concentration, 表達脈絡

但這些結果顯示的不只是專注力下降，

they show full lapses in awareness called microsleeps. 用詞

還顯示他們出現了稱為「微睡眠」的短暫意識完全中斷。

In other words, their brains aren't just slower, 表達脈絡

換句話說，他們的大腦不只是反應變慢，

but shutting off for moments at a time.

而是會不時短暫「關機」。

When looking at the results deeper,

進一步分析這些結果後，

scientists concluded that getting 6 hours of sleep for 10 days in a row 片語搭配

科學家得出結論：連續 10 天每晚只睡 6 小時

was the same as not sleeping for 24 hours straight.

等同於連續 24 小時不睡覺。

That's the same cognitive decline as being legally drunk. 用詞

這種認知能力下降的程度，和達到法定酒醉標準時一樣。

And if you get 4 hours of sleep for 11 days,

如果連續 11 天每晚只睡 4 小時，

it's like you haven't slept for 48 hours straight.

就像連續 48 小時沒睡覺。

These studies also show that participants were not at all aware of their cognitive declines. 片語搭配

這些研究也顯示，參與者完全沒有察覺自己的認知能力正在下降。

In other words, when you're tired,

換句話說，當你很累時，

it's like being that drunk person at a party 表達脈絡

就像派對上那個喝醉的人，

who insists that they can drive home fine.

堅稱自己開車回家完全沒問題。

Other tests show that your ability to memorize and retain information 用詞

其他測驗顯示，你記住並保留資訊的能力，

or even do simple math or problem solving decline at similar rates. 片語搭配

甚至進行簡單計算或解決問題的能力，也會以相近的速度下降。

But perhaps the scariest fact is that even after one night of 4 or 5 hours of sleep,

但或許最可怕的是，哪怕只有一晚只睡 4 到 5 小時，

your natural killer cells, which stop cancer cells from proliferating in your body, 文化背景

體內負責阻止癌細胞增生的自然殺手細胞

drop by 70%. 文法

也會減少 70%。

You're also more likely to catch a cold because your immune system is weakened, 片語搭配

你也更容易感冒，因為你的免疫系統會變弱，

which is why when we're sick, we feel compelled to sleep so much. 講解

這也解釋了為什麼生病時，我們會特別想睡覺。

Chronic lack of sleep is also linked to bowel, prostate, and breast cancer, 片語搭配

長期睡眠不足也與腸癌、攝護腺癌和乳癌有關，

and people over 45 who sleep under 6 hours a night

而每晚睡眠少於 6 小時的 45 歲以上族群

are also 200% more likely to have a heart attack or a stroke. 用詞

心臟病發作或中風的風險也會增加 200%。

Even the World Health Organization

就連世界衛生組織

has classified any form of nighttime shift work as a probable carcinogen. 講解

也已將任何形式的夜間輪班工作列為很可能致癌的因素。

So, even though you may swear that cutting 2 hours of sleep makes you so much more productive 講解

所以，即使你信誓旦旦地說，少睡 2 小時能讓你的效率大幅提升，

and that you don't feel any worse, 文法

而且你並沒有覺得狀態變差，

just remember that every single day your cognitive abilities continue to decrease,

也要記住，你的認知能力其實每天都在持續下降，

costing you much more than you may have bargained for. 講解

讓你付出的代價遠比預想中更大。

Be sure to check out our latest video

別忘了看看我們最新的影片，

where we challenged ourselves to wear every single piece of plastic we used for 7 days

在影片中，我們挑戰自己，把 7 天內用過的每一件塑膠製品都穿戴在身上，

while living our normal life in public, which was insanely embarrassing.

同時還要在公共場合照常生活，簡直尷尬到爆。

We really want to make more content that can affect people's lives and the planet,

我們真的很想製作更多能對人們的生活和地球產生影響的內容，

and this one has a ton of cool science in it, 用詞

而這支影片裡有大量超酷的科學知識，

but wasn't seen by that many people,

但看過的人並不多，

so we really appreciate you checking it out. 語氣意圖

所以非常感謝你願意去看看。

And if you want to learn more about sleep and pushing yourself,

如果你想進一步了解睡眠和挑戰自我，

our latest podcast is about hustle culture and touches on a variety of studies related to stress, sleep, 講解

我們最新一集 Podcast 探討了「拚命工作文化」，也談到多項與壓力、睡眠有關的研究，

and how much you should be working to optimize your results.

以及為了獲得最佳成果，你到底該工作多久。

We'll leave links in the description.

我們會把連結放在說明欄中。

Otherwise, be sure to subscribe for more,

另外，別忘了訂閱，查看更多內容，

and we'll see you next time for another video.

我們下支影片再見。