讲解人 · John
原文
A 2022 study labeled this phenomenon the “mind after midnight hypothesis, “ noting that people’s mood plummets from roughly 1 a.m. to 4 a.m.
Certain biological signals keep you alert throughout the day, but those signals drop off at night.
If you’re awake as they drop and “sleep pressure” builds, cognitive function often suffers, explains Rebecca Cox, an assistant professor of psychological and brain sciences at Washington University.
Your brain also has fewer distractions at night.
During the day, you’re likely preoccupied with errands, chores, family and social obligations, and the constant ping of your phone.
But at night, much of that falls away, creating a perfect setup for that runaway anxiety, that ruminative thinking about “what if” and “what about, “ and then also replaying the prior day.
Prevention is often the best medicine, says Lily Brown, director of the University of Pennsylvania’s Center for the Treatment and Study of Anxiety.
She recommends setting aside 10 minutes well before bedtime to have structured “worry time”.
Set a timer and use those entire 10 minutes to run through everything that’s nagging at you.
If anxiety still comes flooding back at night, Brown recommends keeping a journal by your bed to jot down a quick note about whatever is troubling you.
Research bears that out, suggesting that people who journal end up worrying less overall.
It’s also important to get out of bed if you find yourself spiraling into anxiety — otherwise, you may begin to subconsciously associate your bed with worry and wakefulness.
Head back to bed when you’re feeling sleepy again — and, hopefully, calmer.
带着问题听讲解
- 如何理解 rumination 这个词？
- 根据文章，为什么“睡眠压力”会增加？
- 根据文章，发现自己焦虑时应该怎么做？
讲解
重点词汇
spiral
/ˈspaɪr.əl/
v. 陷入（某种境地）（数量、水平）急剧变化；螺旋式地上升、下降
- 相关词汇：spiral（adj. 螺旋式的）
- 搭配短语：a spiral staircase（螺旋阶梯）
例句：The plane began to lose control, spiraling rapidly downward.（螺旋式地上升、下降）例句：Since the announcement of new tariffs, import costs have started to spiral upwards uncontrollably.（（数量、水平）急剧变化）英文释义：to continuously become worse, more, or less搭配短语：spiral into …（陷入（某种境地））- 例句：His life spiraled into chaos after the accident, with mounting medical bills and the loss of his job adding to his stress.
rumination
/ˌruː.məˈneɪ.ʃən/
n. 深思，沉思
- 相关词汇：ruminate（v. 反复思考，深思；（动物）反刍）
- 文化补充：ruminate 最早来自拉丁语中的 ruminare，指“动物反刍”的行为。
- 搭配短语：to ruminate on / over / about sth.
- 例句：He often lies awake at night, ruminating over the challenges he faces at work.
相关词汇：ruminative（adj. 冥思苦想的，深思熟虑的）
plummet
/ˈplʌm.ɪt/
v. 骤降，暴跌；快速下落
- 例句：The company's stock price plummeted by 20% in a single day.近义词：plunge（v. 急剧下降；猛地跳入、扎进）近义词：slump（v. 猛跌，锐减；重重地坐下、倒下）
alert
/əˈlɝːt/
adj. 警惕的，戒备的
- 词性拓展：alert（n. 警戒，警惕）
- 搭配短语：to be on the alert for sth.（对某事保持警惕，留意某事）
- 例句：Parents should be on the alert for any signs of illness in their children during flu season.
搭配短语：to be alert to sth.（对某事保持警惕）
preoccupy
/ˌpriːˈɑːk.jə.paɪ/
v. 使全神贯注，使入神
- 例句：The boss has been preoccupied with finding a solution to the company's financial troubles.相关词汇：preoccupied（adj. 忧心忡忡的，心事重重的）
- 例句：He looked preoccupied as he walked down the street.
obligation
/ˌɑː.bləˈɡeɪ.ʃən/
n. 义务，责任
- 搭配短语：to have an obligation to do sth.（有义务做某事）
- 例句：We all have an obligation to protect the environment for future generations.
搭配短语：to meet / honor / fulfill an obligation（履行义务）
runaway
/ˈrʌn.ə.weɪ/
adj. 失控的，难以控制的
- 相关词组：run away（逃跑）
- 例句：When the fire alarm went off, residents ran away from the building as quickly as possible.
英文释义：not under the control of its owner搭配短语：a runaway horse（一匹脱缰的马）；a runaway car（一辆失控的汽车）例句：The meeting ended in a runaway argument that lasted for hours.
set aside
留出，空出，攒下来；把……放在一旁
- 相关词汇：aside（adv. 到一旁，到旁边）
- 相关词汇：side（n. 一边）
例句：The government has set aside a large portion of the budget to improve public transportation.
run … through
快速浏览……，匆匆过目……
- 相关词组：run through …（遍布，贯穿）
- 例句：A deep sense of nostalgia runs through most of her paintings.（贯穿）
例句：I ran through the agenda to familiarize myself with the topics that would be discussed before the meeting.（快速浏览）
nag
/næɡ/
v. 不断地困扰、烦扰；唠叨，抱怨
- 例句：My mother often nags me about cleaning my room.（唠叨）搭配短语：nag at …（不断地困扰，纠缠）
- 例句：The unresolved issue continued to nag at his mind.
flood
/flʌd/
v.（情绪、情感）涌上心头；（洪水般地）涌入、涌现
- 词性拓展：flood（n. 洪水）例句：Since the new product was promoted in the media, customer orders have been flooding in non-stop.例句：Fear flooded through him as he realized the danger he was in.
jot … down
匆匆写下，草草记下
- 近义词组：write … down；note … down英文释义：to write something quickly
bear … out
为……作证，证实……
- 例句：The research findings bear out the theory that increased sunlight exposure can improve mood.
subconsciously
adv. 潜意识地，下意识地
- 相关词汇：conscious（adj. 有意识的；意识到的）
- 搭配短语：to be conscious of sth.（意识到某事）
- 近义词组：to be aware of sth.
- 例句：The architect was conscious of the historical significance of the building while designing its renovation.
- 相关词汇：unconscious（adj. 无意识的；没有意识到的）
- 相关词汇：subconscious（adj. 下意识的，潜意识的）
- 例句：She believes that her dreams are a window into her subconscious thoughts.
associate … with …
将……与……联系在一起
- 例句：Many students associate their school years with some of the best memories of their lives.近义词组：connect … with …；link … with …；correlate … with …
拓展阅读
