Does“Melatonin”really help you sleep? Expert:the more you take, the harder to sleep｜吃“褪黑素”真的能助眠吗？专家：小心越吃越失眠……

Sleep-promoting supplements such as melatonin are not a one-size-fits-all solution for insomnia and may cause side effects, said an expert on sleep disorder.

睡眠障碍专家表示，像褪黑素这样可以促进睡眠、治疗失眠的药物并不是万能的，还可能引起副作用。

Melatonin mainly functions to alter sleep-wake cycle, particularly in cases of shift work systems or jet lags, but has no evident effect on insomnia, and may even impose negative impacts on the human secretion system if used for a long period, said Lu Lin, the director of Peking University Sixth Hospital who specializes in areas including sleep disorders and depression.

北京大学第六医院院长陆林院士主要研究睡眠障碍和抑郁症等领域，他表示褪黑素主要起着改变睡眠周期的作用，但对于需要倒班或者倒时差的人来说，褪黑素在解决失眠问题上没有明显的效果。如果长期使用，甚至可能会对人体的分泌系统产生负面影响。

This is a warning as melatonin is increasingly treated as a fix for insomnia by youngsters, who have difficulty falling asleep after they get used to staying up late browsing Weibo or watching shows via electronic products.

对于越来越视褪黑素为失眠解药的年轻人来说，这是一个警告。他们总是习惯于熬夜用电子产品刷微博、看节目，以至于难以入睡。

Lu advised that instead of spending too much time on electronic products, they can pick up some paper books or develop some other habits that can help you feel drowsy.

陆林建议人们不要在电子产品上花费太多时间，看点纸质书或养成一些其他习惯也可以让你感到困意。

Statistics from a domestic e-commerce platform showed that from January to August in 2019, 62 percent of buyers for imported sleep aids are post-1990s consumers, and 85 percent of their purchased products were melatonin.

国内一个电商平台的统计数据显示，2019年1至8月期间，62%的进口助眠药消费者是90后，而他们购买的产品中85%都是褪黑素。

It's not a long-term solution.

这不是一个长久之计。

Taking melatonin an hour or two before bedtime can be effective for sleep issues related to your circadian rhythms. There is some evidence that it could be effective for those with temporary jet lag from traveling across time zones, but this research has limitations and the possible benefits appear to be modest.

睡前一两个小时服用褪黑素可以有效解决生物钟相关的睡眠问题。一些研究表明，这种方法对那些因跨越时区而产生短暂时差反应的人来说是有效的。但该研究具有局限性，褪黑素带来的益处似乎并不大。

Shift workers with irregular schedules may also benefit from melatonin use, as may those with delayed sleep-wake phase disorder - a condition that makes it difficult to fall asleep at night, resulting in daytime fatigue. Since melatonin production also declines with age, older people may have trouble falling asleep, and melatonin could provide relief in this case.

轮班工作者也可能从褪黑素中受益，就像那些睡眠周期紊乱的人一样，工作时间不规律会让他们晚上难以入睡，从而使他们在白天感到疲惫。由于人体褪黑素的产生会随着年龄的增长而下降，老年人可能会面临入睡困难的问题，而褪黑素可以缓解这种症状。

Short-term use of melatonin may not be harmful but there is insufficient evidence on its long-term safety, according to the US National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. And in some cases, relying on melatonin could simply mask another problem.

根据美国国家补充和综合健康中心的说法，短期服用褪黑素可能无害，但没有足够证据证明其长期安全。在某些情况下，对褪黑素的依赖可能会掩盖其他的问题。

For example, sleeplessness could signal a hormonal imbalance, a mental health issue such as anxiety or depression, or a sleep disorder, like sleep apnea. If left untreated, these issues could worsen or possibly lead to complications.

例如，失眠可能是荷尔蒙分泌失调、精神健康问题（如焦虑或抑郁）或者睡眠障碍（如睡眠呼吸暂停）的信号。如果不及时治疗，这些问题可能会恶化并导致并发症。

When to steer clear

何时避开褪黑素

Certain people should be more cautious about melatonin use, particularly if it triggers a negative reaction, including those with:

以下患者在使用褪黑素时应更加谨慎（尤其是对其引发的不良反应）：

► Chronic insomnia. Having trouble falling asleep or staying asleep that lasts a month or more shouldn't be managed with melatonin. These groups are recommended for other more proven remedies (a combination of lifestyle changes, cognitive-behavioral therapy and/or medication).

慢性失眠症：入睡困难持续一个月以上的患者不应服用褪黑素。建议使用其他经过检验的治疗方法（如包括改变生活方式在内的认知行为治疗和/或药物治疗）

► Dementia. This progressive cognitive deterioration is often associated with insomnia, which can tax both patients and their caregivers. But melatonin may do more harm than good among those with dementia since the condition causes people to metabolize the supplement more slowly, resulting in daytime drowsiness.

痴呆：这种进行性认知退化通常与失眠症有关，失眠会加重患者及其护理者的负担。褪黑素对于痴呆症患者来说可能弊大于利，因为痴呆会降低患者代谢褪黑素的速度，从而导致白天嗜睡。

► If you've been drinking alcohol, it's also not safe to take melatonin.

如果你有饮酒的习惯，服用褪黑素也是不安全的。

► Melatonin is also not for you if you're pregnant or breastfeeding. Researchers simply don't have enough data to know if it's safe for fetuses or breastfedbabies.

如果你正处于怀孕或哺乳期，褪黑素也不适合你。研究人员没有足够数据确保褪黑素不对胎儿或母乳喂养的婴儿产生危害。

Reduce your reliance

降低你对褪黑素的依赖

Quick fixes are often tempting - and unfortunately often too good to be true. Before reaching for melatonin, consider making some simple lifestyle adjustments that can improve your sleep hygiene and help you sleep more soundly. Moves you can try:

快速的解决方法往往是诱人的，但不幸的是，这往往都是假象。在服用褪黑素之前，你可以简单调整一下生活方式，这可以帮助你改善睡眠卫生、睡得更香。你可以尝试：

► Stick to a sleep schedule. If possible, go to bed at the same time each night, and get up at the same time in the morning.

固定睡眠时间。如果可能的话，晚上在同一时间入睡，早晨在同一时间起床。

► Make your bedroom cool and comfortable. Set the room temperature between 15.5 and 19.4 degrees Celsius. Make sure it's dark and quiet.

让你的卧室凉爽舒适。将室内温度设置在15.5至19.4摄氏度之间，确保周围环境是黑暗且安静的。

► Use light to your advantage. Expose yourself to bright light in the morning but avoid it in the evening. This can help keep your circadian rhythms in sync.

利用光线。晚上要避免暴露在强光下，但白天可以，这可以同步你的生物钟。

► Wind down. As bedtime approaches, read or do something relaxing like taking a warm bath. Avoid using your laptop, phone or tablet because the blue light they emit can interfere with your sleep.

放松。随着就寝时间的临近，可以读些东西，或洗个热水澡，做一些令人放松的事情。避免使用笔记本电脑、手机或平板，因为它们发出的蓝光会干扰你的睡眠。

► Don't stare at the ceiling. If you can't sleep, get out of bed and do something relaxing until you feel drowsy again.

不要盯着天花板发呆。如果你睡不着，可以下床做一些放松活动，直到你再次感到困倦。

►Limit caffeine intake. Be sure to avoid caffeinated foods or beverages, including coffee, soda and chocolate, at least four to six hours before going to bed.

限制咖啡因的摄入。至少在睡前4到6个小时内，避免摄入含咖啡因的食物或饮料，包括咖啡、苏打水和巧克力。

► Skip other potential sleep disrupters. Avoid cigarettes, alcohol and heavy meals too close to bedtime.

避免其他干扰睡眠的潜在因素。不要在睡前吸烟、饮酒或吃难以消化的事情。

jet lag

英 [ˈdʒet læɡ]；美 [ˈdʒet læɡ]

n. 飞行时差综合征；时差反应

complication

英 [ˌkɒmplɪˈkeɪʃn]；美 [ˌkɑːmplɪˈkeɪʃn]

n. 并发症

steer clear

英 [stɪə(r) klɪə(r)]；美 [stɪr klɪr]

巧妙避开；逃避

tax

英[tæks]；美[tæks]

v.使用尽，耗尽(力气、耐心、资源等)

wind down

英 [wind daun]；美 [wɪnd daʊn]

放松；松弛

英语知识丨吃“褪黑素”真的能助眠吗？专家：小心越吃越失眠 05:26 Share

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英语知识丨吃“褪黑素”真的能助眠吗？专家：小心越吃越失眠