From VOA Learning English, this is the Health & Lifestyle report.
这里是美国之音慢速英语健康和生活方式报道。
We spend about one-third of our lives asleep. This may sound like a lot of time, but it is not wasted.
我们一生中有三分之一的时间在睡觉，这听起来可能是很多时间，但是这些时间并没有浪费。
Our bodies need sleep to stay healthy. Not getting enough sleep, or as we sometimes say shut-eye, can make us sick.
我们的身体需要睡眠才能保持健康。没有充足睡眠会让我们生病。
Sleep and our immune system
睡眠和免疫系统
The immune system protects the body from diseases and infections. Not getting enough sleep hurts this protective system.
免疫系统保护身体免患疾病和感染。未获得充足睡眠会伤害这一保护系统。
The Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit research hospital in the United States. Its website explains that when we sleep our bodies release proteins that support sleep and help us fight infections.
梅奥诊所是美国一家非盈利性研究医院。它的网站解释说，当我们睡觉时，身体会释放支持睡眠和帮助我们对抗感染的蛋白质。
They add that infection-fighting antibodies and cells are reduced during periods when you don't get enough sleep.
他们补充说，当睡眠不充分时，对抗感染的抗体和细胞就会减少。
A new study from the University of Washington in the U.S. seems to confirm this. Dr. Nathaniel Watson was the lead writer of the study. He is also co-director of the university's Medicine Sleep Center at Harborview Medical Center.
美国华盛顿大学一项新的研究似乎证实了这点。纳撒尼尔·沃森（Nathaniel Watson）博士是这篇研究的主要作者。他也是港景医疗中心下属的华盛顿大学睡眠医学中心的联席主任。
Watson says his study shows that the immune system works best when the body gets enough sleep.
沃森表示，他的研究表明，当身体获得充足睡眠时，免疫系统的工作状态最好。
For the study, Watson and his team studied 11 pairs of identical twins. This is an important difference from other sleep studies. Other research did not study identical twins.
对于这项研究来说，沃森和他的团队研究了11对同卵双胞胎，这跟其它睡眠研究相比有重要的区别。其它研究没有研究过同卵双胞胎。
The identical twins, however, had different sleep patterns. Researchers found that the twin who slept less had a weaker immune system.
然而同卵双胞胎有着不同的睡眠模式。研究人员发现，双胞胎中睡眠较少的那位免疫系统更弱。
Watson says his study showed for the first time that a long-term lack of sleep shuts down parts of the immune system. He says parts that move white blood cells around the body are affected.
沃森表示，他的研究首次证明，长期缺乏睡眠会关闭免疫系统的部分功能。他说，在身体内部运输白细胞的部分功能会受到影响。
White blood cells fight infection in the body.
白细胞负责对抗体内的感染。
Watson adds that the results confirm a finding of other sleep studies. They found that when sleep-deprived people are given a vaccine, fewer antibodies are produced. If sleep-deprived people are then exposed to a virus, he says, "they are more likely to get the virus."
沃森补充说，该结果证实了其它睡眠研究的一项发现。他们发现，当睡眠不足者接种疫苗时会产生比较少的抗体。如果睡眠不足者随后接触到病毒，他说，“他们更可能感染病毒。”
Watson's study provides more evidence that sleep is important to "overall health and well-being." And sleep is especially important to immune health.
沃森的研究提供了更多证据证实睡眠对整体健康和福祉至关重要，而且睡眠对免疫系统至关重要。
The researchers published their findings in the journal Sleep.
研究人员在《睡眠》杂志上发表了他们的研究结果。
How much sleep is enough?
多少睡眠足够？
To stay in good health, experts at the Mayo Clinic say that adults should get seven to eight hours of sleep. Teenagers need nine to 10 hours. And school-aged children may need more than 10 hours of sleep a night.
梅奥诊所的专家表示，为了维持身体健康，成年人需要睡七到八个小时，青少年需要睡九到十个小时，而学龄儿童一晚上可能需要超过10个小时的睡眠。
Experts say the quality and quantity of our sleep becomes poor as we age. This happens because brain circuits that control sleep slowly begin to weaken.
专家表示，随着年龄增长，我们睡眠的质量和数量都会变差，这是因为控制睡眠的脑电路慢慢开始减弱。
Experts say the process begins in our 30s. By the time we reach our 50s, the average person has lost 50 percent of their ability to have a restful sleep.
专家表示，这个过程从30多岁起开始，到了50多岁，普通人失去了50%的睡个好觉的能力。
These people also have trouble falling asleep and staying asleep through the night. From middle age on, they say these problems only get worse, and they can affect our health.
这些人还难以入睡，难以整晚睡熟。从中年开始，这些毛病只会变得更加糟糕，而且会影响我们的健康。。
Signs you may not be getting enough sleep
睡眠不足的迹象
The website Health.com lists several signs that may mean you are not getting enough sleep.
Health.com网站列出了几条可能意味着睡眠不足的迹象。
You're always hungry or you've gained weight. A lack of sleep can affect the hormones that tell your brain you have eaten enough.
老是饿或是变胖。睡眠不足会影响提示大脑你已经吃饱的激素。
You have trouble making decisions. A lack of sleep may affect your higher level brain functions, such as problem solving.
做事犹豫不决。缺乏睡眠会影响大脑高级功能，例如解决问题的能力。
You have trouble remembering things. Sleep helps prepare the brain for new memories.
记忆力不好。睡眠帮助大脑迎接新的记忆。
You feel very emotional. People who are sleep deprived may feel unable to control their emotions, whether they be angry, sad or happy.
感觉情绪化。睡眠不足者可能会感觉无法控制自己的情绪，无论是生气、悲伤还是快乐。
Your skin doesn't look good. When we sleep, the body repairs damaged cells, like skin cells. (We don't call it beauty sleep for nothing!)
皮肤暗淡。当我们睡觉时，身体会修复受损细胞，如皮肤细胞。（我们称之为美容觉不是没有缘由的。）
You are having trouble seeing. When you're tired you may not be able to control your eye muscles.
视力不好。当你疲劳时可能无法控制你的眼睛肌肉。
How to improve your sleep
如何改善睡眠
There are things people can do get better sleep.
有几种办法可以让人们睡得更好。
Health experts recommend exercise and avoiding work on computers and electronic devices before bed. A cool room is also a better environment for sleeping.
健康专家建议在睡觉前锻炼，避免使用电脑和电子设备。凉爽的房间也是更好的睡眠环境。
And that's the Health & Lifestyle report.
以上就是本期美国之音慢速英语健康和生活方式报道的全部内容。
I'm Anna Matteo.
我是安娜·马特奥。(51VOA.COM对本文翻译保留全部权利，未经授权请勿转载，违者必究！)
