总是迟迟不愿睡觉？科学方法解决你的晚睡拖延症

“好困啊，但不想睡。”你是否也经常这样，夜色已深，却不舍得睡去，仿佛睡眠是自己最大的敌人。

Sleep is my greatest enemy.

这句话完美地道出了一种心理斗争——你明知道自己应该睡觉了，但就是不肯去睡！

This perfectly sums up the psychological battle you might experience when you know that you should be in bed but avoid going.

一面是短视频（short-form video）、热播剧（hit show）、电子游戏（video game）构成的花花世界。

一面是对晚睡、熬夜、睡眠不足的危害的清晰认知。

明知道越熬会越糟却自愿地做一些非必要的事情来推迟睡觉时间，这种现象被研究者称为晚睡拖延（bedtime procrastination）。

The phenomenon that involves needlessly and voluntarily delaying going to bed, despite foreseeably being worse off as a result, is called “bedtime procrastination” by researchers.

研究发现，与没有晚睡拖延的人相比，那些特别爱拖延的成年人最终睡得更少，也更加疲惫。

Research showed that adults who procrastinated significantly about going to bed were more fatigued and slept less compared to those who did not procrastinate.

“我总是不愿面对睡眠的必要性”

然而，摆脱这样的恶性循环（vicious circle），或许只需要一些小小的改变。

哈佛医学院（Harvard Medical School）总结了对抗晚睡拖延的四条干货，或许能帮到你：

我们常常忽略两个重要的节点：你开始感到想睡的时间（when you want to go to bed）和你实际睡觉的时间（when you actually go to bed）。

试着将这两个节点记录一到两周，你就能清晰地看出自己的晚睡拖延有多严重，也为下一步的计划制定做好准备。

Writing this down for a week or two will help you understand how serious the problem of bedtime procrastination is for you and make preparation for the next step.

假如，你知道自己只要每晚11点前入睡，第二天早上就会神清气爽，而实际上你每晚都凌晨1点才睡，那么11点睡觉的目标可能不太现实。

Let’s say you know that you need to be in bed by 11 pm to feel clear-headed and well the next morning. If you typically go to bed at 1 am, aiming for 11 pm every night is probably not realistic.

可以先试着将睡眠时间提早15或30分钟。如果成功，就继续保持。

Start by trying to move your bedtime back by 15 or 30 minutes. If that’s successful, keep the momentum going.

例如，第一周，规定自己凌晨12:30必须熄灯入睡；第二周，规定自己零点前必须入睡……如此循序渐进地（progressively）将入睡时间调成晚上11点。

对他人的承诺是帮助你的一大利器。承诺带给你责任，提高了坚持到底、最终实现改变的可能性。

One of the most powerful tools you can bring to the table is a promise to another person. It holds you accountable, and greatly increases the likelihood that you will follow through on making a change in your life.

bring to the table: 提供好处、利益

follow through: 坚持到底

你有没有想过，为什么那些请了私教的人更有愿意去健身房？同样的道理，为了纠正晚睡拖延，你可以考虑和伴侣、父母、孩子、朋友或同事分享你的目标和实际结果。

Have you ever wondered why you are more likely to go to the gym if you have a personal trainer? In this case, consider sharing your aims and actual results with a partner, parent, child, friend, or coworker.

在尝试改变的过程中，注意是什么在阻碍你的睡眠。

例如，你可能因为感到夜里一个人很孤独，只好通过不停玩手机来建立和他人的联系。

For example, you might find yourself feeling lonely at night, which drives you to use your smartphone more than you should to feel connected with others.

最后，研究者也提醒，偶尔的晚睡拖延是正常的，也不会影响身体健康。然而，当持续的拖延已经导致你睡眠不足，是时候想办法做出改变了！

In the end, the researchers warn that occasional bedtime procrastination is a normal part of life unlikely to affect your health. However, if you find that consistent procrastination leads to getting less sleep than you need, consider trying strategies designed to curb the habit.

编辑：朱迪齐

实习生：傅晗淑

来源：Harvard Health Publishing