【英语时差8，16】数羊不是入睡的唯一途径

 It's 3 a.m., pitch dark, and you can't sleep. How can you survive the next day after being awake so long the night before? Difficulty sleeping is a common problem, but there are ways to escape it.

"Falling asleep is something passive¹ and not forceable," said Cornelius Kellner, a sleep specialist. "If you offered someone 1 million euros to fall asleep in 10 minutes, he would not win the money."Limit your evening activities to a routine² pattern, recommends Martin Muehlensiep of the sleep clinic at the University of Cologne. First read, then put on pajamas³ or a nightgown, then brush your teeth, for example.

"Each of these activities will become a signal to the body that it's going to go to bed soon," Muehlensiep said. But what should one do when that doesn't help? Constantly looking at the clock puts pressure on the body.

"When that happens, it's better to get out of bed and do a simple activity," Kellner said. Put pictures into an album or iron, for example, until fatigue⁴ sets in.

People who can't sleep often are those who brood⁵ or worry a lot. Kellner advises people who have difficulty sleeping to let their thoughts take them on a journey. "Place yourself consciously in a pleasant situation: on a beach or in a meadow⁶. This can replace the worries at hand."

1 passive   

adj.被动的；消极的

参考例句：

• He has a passive expression on his face.他脸上有一种漠然的表情。
• It lands the manager in a passive position.它使经理处于被动地位。

2 routine   

n.例行公事，惯例；adj.例行的，常规的

参考例句：

• It is everyday routine.这是每天的例行公事。
• She found the hospital routine slightly dull.她感到医院的工作有点枯燥乏味。

3 pajamas   

n.睡衣裤

参考例句：

• At bedtime,I take off my clothes and put on my pajamas.睡觉时，我脱去衣服，换上睡衣。
• He was wearing striped pajamas.他穿着带条纹的睡衣裤。

4 fatigue   

n.疲劳，劳累

参考例句：

• The old lady can't bear the fatigue of a long journey.这位老妇人不能忍受长途旅行的疲劳。
• I have got over my weakness and fatigue.我已从虚弱和疲劳中恢复过来了。

5 brood   

n.同窝幼鸟一个家庭的孩子；v.孵蛋，闷想

参考例句：

• The hen brought off a brood of young.母鸡孵出了一窝小鸡。
• It is time for hens to brood.该是母鸡孵蛋的时候了。

6 meadow   

n.草地，牧草地

参考例句：

• The children ran free across the meadow.孩子们在草地里自由地奔跑。
• The meadow is peopled with wild flowers.草地长满了野花。