【英文阅读】This Sleep Habit Could Be Secretly Wrecking Your Health

New research reveals that irregular sleep patterns, not just how long we sleep, may significantly raise the risk of numerous diseases.

最新研究发现，不规律的睡眠模式（而不仅仅是睡眠时长）可能显著增加多种疾病的风险。

A major international study published in Health Data Science has revealed strong links between sleep patterns and the development of 172 different diseases.

一项发表在《健康数据科学》上的大型国际研究揭示了睡眠模式与172种不同疾病之间存在强烈关联。

By examining Objective sleep data from 88,461 adults in the UK Biobank, researchers uncovered compelling evidence that consistent sleep routines, including stable bedtimes and Circadian rhythms, play a much larger role in long-term health than previously thought.

通过分析英国生物样本库中88,461名成年人的客观睡眠数据，研究人员发现了有力证据表明，规律的睡眠习惯（包括稳定的就寝时间和昼夜节律）对长期健康的影响远比以前认为的要大。

The research, led by scientists from Peking University and Army Medical University, tracked participants using actigraphy over an average of 6.8 years.

该研究由北京大学和陆军军医大学的科学家主导，平均追踪参与者达6.8年，并使用活动记录仪（actigraphy）进行监测。

The findings showed that poor sleep habits contributed to more than 20 percent of the risk for 92 diseases.

研究结果显示，不良睡眠习惯对92种疾病的风险贡献超过20%。

Among the most striking results, going to bed after 12:30 a.m. (irregular bedtime) was associated with a 2.57 times greater risk of developing liver cirrhosis.

最引人注目的发现之一是：凌晨12:30之后入睡（即入睡时间不规律）与肝硬化发病风险增加2.57倍相关。

Additionally, low interdaily stability, a sign of disrupted sleep-wake cycles, was linked to a 2.61 times higher risk of gangrene.

此外，日间稳定性低（表明昼夜节律紊乱）与坏疽风险增加2.61倍有关。

Rethinking Long Sleep: Myth vs. Reality

重新审视长时间睡眠：误解与现实

Importantly, the study challenges previous claims that “long sleep” (≥9 hours) is harmful.

值得注意的是，这项研究对过去关于“长时间睡眠”（≥9小时）有害的说法提出了质疑。

While subjective reports have linked long sleep to stroke and heart disease, objective data revealed this association in only one disease.

尽管主观报告将长时间睡眠与中风和心脏病联系起来，但客观数据仅在一种疾病中发现这种关联。

Misclassification may be to blame: 21.67% of “long sleepers” actually slept less than 6 hours, suggesting that time spent in bed is often confused with actual sleep time.

这种误差可能源于分类错误：有21.67%的“长睡者”实际上睡眠时间少于6小时，表明“躺床时间”常被误认为“实际睡眠时间”。

“Our findings underscore the overlooked importance of sleep regularity,” said Prof. Shengfeng Wang, senior author of the study.

“我们的研究结果强调了睡眠规律性这一被忽视的重要性。”该研究的资深作者王胜峰教授如是说。

“It’s time we broaden our definition of good sleep beyond just duration.”

“我们是时候**将‘良好睡眠’的定义从仅仅‘睡眠时长’扩展到‘睡眠规律性’**了。”

The team confirmed several associations in U.S. populations and identified inflammatory pathways as a possible biological link.

研究团队在美国人群中也证实了多个关联，并指出炎症通路可能是其中的生物学机制。

Future research will explore causality and assess the impact of sleep interventions on chronic disease outcomes.

未来的研究将探讨因果关系，并评估改善睡眠干预对慢性病结局的影响。

精选词汇

【irregular】/ɪˈreɡjələr/ adj. not consistent or uniform 不规律的；不规则的

例句：Irregular sleep patterns may lead to metabolic dysfunction.

不规律的睡眠模式可能导致代谢功能障碍。

【significantly】/sɪɡˈnɪfɪkəntli/ adv. in a way that has a noticeable or important effect 显著地；重大地

例句：Sleep quality significantly influences cardiovascular health.

睡眠质量显著影响心血管健康。

【compelling】/kəmˈpelɪŋ/ adj. convincing or very interesting 引人注目的；令人信服的

例句：The study presents compelling evidence linking sleep disruption to disease risk.

该研究提供了令人信服的证据，将睡眠紊乱与疾病风险联系起来。

【circadian】/sɜːˈkeɪdiən/ adj. relating to biological processes that follow a roughly 24-hour cycle 昼夜节律的；生理节律的

例句：Circadian misalignment is associated with metabolic disorders.

昼夜节律失调与代谢紊乱有关。

【actigraphy】/ækˈtɪɡrəfi/ n. the use of a device to monitor human rest/activity cycles 活动记录法；活动测量法

例句：Researchers used actigraphy to monitor participants’ sleep patterns over time.

研究人员利用活动记录仪长期监测参与者的睡眠模式。

【consistency】/kənˈsɪstənsi/ n. the quality of always behaving or performing in a similar way 一致性；连贯性

例句：Consistency in sleep schedule is vital for mental and physical health.

保持睡眠时间的一致性对身心健康至关重要。

【disrupted】/dɪsˈrʌptɪd/ adj. interrupted or disturbed from a normal state 被打乱的；中断的

例句：Disrupted sleep cycles can weaken the immune system.

被打乱的睡眠周期可能削弱免疫系统。

【stability】/stəˈbɪləti/ n. the state of being stable or not changing 稳定性；持续性

例句：Low sleep stability has been linked to chronic inflammation.

睡眠稳定性差与慢性炎症有关。

【misclassification】/ˌmɪsklæsɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/ n. incorrect categorization 错误分类；误判

例句：Misclassification of sleep duration may distort health outcome assessments.

睡眠时长的误判可能会扭曲健康结果的评估。

【underscore】/ˌʌndərˈskɔːr/ v. to emphasize or highlight 强调；突出

例句：The findings underscore the need for regular sleep routines.

研究结果强调了保持规律睡眠习惯的必要性。

【reveal】/rɪˈviːl/ v. to make known something that was previously hidden 揭示；透露

例句：The study revealed a strong correlation between sleep irregularity and disease risk.

研究揭示了睡眠不规律与疾病风险之间的密切关系。

【biobank】/ˈbaɪoʊˌbæŋk/ n. a repository that stores biological samples for research purposes 生物样本库；生物资源库

例句：Data from the UK Biobank provided valuable insights into sleep patterns and disease.

来自英国生物样本库的数据为睡眠模式与疾病研究提供了宝贵见解。

【objective】/əbˈdʒektɪv/ adj. based on observable phenomena and uninfluenced by emotions 客观的；实证的

例句：Objective sleep data were used to eliminate reporting bias.

研究使用了客观睡眠数据以消除报告偏差。

【routine】/ruːˈtiːn/ n. a regular and predictable pattern of activity 规律；惯例

例句：Establishing a consistent bedtime routine improves sleep quality.

建立固定的睡前习惯可以改善睡眠质量。

【chronic】/ˈkrɑːnɪk/ adj. persisting for a long time or constantly recurring 慢性的；长期的

例句：Irregular sleep has been linked to chronic conditions like diabetes and hypertension.

不规律睡眠与糖尿病、高血压等慢性病相关。

【interdaily】/ˌɪntərˈdeɪli/ adj. occurring between days 日与日之间的；跨日的

例句：Low interdaily stability is a sign of disrupted circadian rhythms.

日间稳定性差是昼夜节律紊乱的表现。

【gangrene】/ˈɡæŋɡriːn/ n. death of body tissue due to lack of blood flow 坏疽

例句：Disrupted sleep-wake cycles were associated with a higher risk of gangrene.

睡眠-觉醒周期紊乱与较高的坏疽风险有关。

【liver cirrhosis】/ˈlɪvər səˈroʊsɪs/ n. chronic liver disease marked by degeneration of cells 肝硬化

例句：Late bedtimes may increase the risk of liver cirrhosis.

晚睡可能增加患肝硬化的风险。

【duration】/djʊˈreɪʃn/ n. the length of time something lasts 持续时间；时间长度

例句：Many people confuse time in bed with actual sleep duration.

许多人将躺在床上的时间误认为是真正的睡眠时间。

【inflammation】/ˌɪnfləˈmeɪʃn/ n. the body’s response to injury or infection 炎症

例句：Chronic inflammation has been linked to poor sleep quality.

慢性炎症与睡眠质量差有关。

【misclassification】/ˌmɪsklæsɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/ n. incorrect categorization of something 错误分类

例句：Misclassification of sleep duration may lead to misleading conclusions.

对睡眠时间的错误分类可能导致误导性的结论。

【underscore】/ˌʌndərˈskɔːr/ v. to emphasize or highlight 强调；突出

例句：The study underscores the need for consistent sleep habits.

这项研究强调了保持规律睡眠习惯的必要性。

【circadian】/sɜːrˈkeɪdiən/ adj. relating to the biological processes that occur in a 24-hour cycle 昼夜节律的

例句：Circadian disruption has been linked to various health disorders.

昼夜节律紊乱与多种健康问题有关。

【stability】/stəˈbɪləti/ n. the quality of being steady and unchanging 稳定性

例句：High sleep-wake cycle stability is crucial for long-term health.

高睡眠-觉醒周期的稳定性对长期健康至关重要。

【author】/ˈɔːθər/ n. a person who creates a written work, especially a scientific paper 作者；研究人员

例句：The lead author emphasized the importance of sleep regularity.

主要作者强调了睡眠规律性的重要性。

【confirm】/kənˈfɜːrm/ v. to establish the truth or correctness of something 证实；确认

例句：The results were confirmed in an independent U.S. population.

研究结果在美国人群中得到验证。

【compelling】/kəmˈpelɪŋ/ adj. evoking interest or admiration in a powerful way 引人注目的；令人信服的

例句：The study offers compelling evidence linking sleep and disease.

该研究提供了令人信服的证据，表明睡眠与疾病相关。

【disrupted】/dɪsˈrʌptɪd/ adj. interrupted or disturbed 中断的；紊乱的

例句：Disrupted circadian rhythms may impact immune function.

昼夜节律紊乱可能影响免疫功能。

【association】/əˌsoʊsiˈeɪʃn/ n. a connection or relationship between things 联系；关联

例句：There was a strong association between irregular bedtime and liver disease.

不规律的就寝时间与肝病之间存在强关联。

【population】/ˌpɑːpjəˈleɪʃn/ n. a group of individuals studied in research 群体；人口

例句：The findings were validated across different populations.

研究结果在不同人群中得到验证。