VOA慢速英语2021--最新研究表明满月会影响睡眠

You may have noticed brighter night skies recently as we experienced¹ a full moon. NASA reports the event, called the Wolf Moon, began Thursday afternoon and ended Saturday morning. But did you notice any changes in your personal sleep patterns in the days leading up to the full moon?

As the latest full moon was beginning, a new study was released² suggesting that a full moon can affect human sleep cycles. Researchers confirmed that the nights leading up to a full moon have more natural light available after the sun goes down.

The new research found that in the days before a full moon, people go to sleep later in the evening and sleep for shorter periods of time.

The results were reported in a study appearing in the publication³ Science Advances. The research was led by biology professor Horacio de la Iglesia of the University of Washington.

"When we looked at the data it was right there - we didn't expect that pattern at all," de la Iglesia said in a video about the findings⁴. He said the study provided⁵ clear evidence that a person's sleep-wake cycle is "synchronized⁷" with changes the moon goes through.

The moon takes 27.3 days to orbit⁸ Earth, but it takes 29.5 days to complete a full cycle from New Moon to New Moon. The new study measured the sleep patterns of test subjects as the moon progressed through at least one whole 29.5-day cycle. Some subjects were tested through two moon cycles.

On average, people involved in the study slept about 52 minutes less on nights before a full moon. They also went to bed about 30 minutes later. The research showed that people had the latest bedtimes and the shortest amount of sleep during the nights that were three to five days before a full moon.

"I became one of the subjects of the study and when I looked back on my own data I could not believe how much my sleep changed," de la Iglesia said.

Effect on sleep in different areas

Past studies by de la Iglesia's team and other research groups have shown that access to electricity has a clear effect on sleep. So the team included this element in their research.

The study involved 98 individuals living in three different communities of Toba indigenous⁹ people in Argentina. Each community had different access to electricity. One rural¹⁰ community had no electricity access, while a second had only limited access. A third community was in a more populated area and had full access to electricity.

Sleep data was collected electronically from the individuals through wrist monitors. The research team said it believes this method resulted in more effective data than some past studies that depended only on user-reported sleep data.

In addition to the indigenous communities, the researchers also examined sleep data on 464 college students in the Seattle, Washington area. That data had been collected for a separate study. The researchers said they discovered the same moon cycle patterns in the sleep data from the students.

"Although the effect is more robust¹¹ in communities without access to electricity, the effect is present in communities with electricity," de la Iglesia said.

The scientists say further research is needed to help explain other possible causes for the changes in sleep patterns in the test subjects. Such causes could involve biological differences in individuals or social patterns within communities.

Words in This Story

pattern – n. a particular way that something is often done or repeated

cycle – n. a series of events that happen in a particular order and are often repeated

synchronize⁶ – v. make something happen at the same time as something else

access – n. the ability to use or take part in something

indigenous – adj. produced in or existing naturally in an area

monitor – n. a device¹² used to measure something, such as heart rate

robust – adj. strong and healthy

1 experienced   

adj.有经验的；经验丰富的，熟练的

参考例句：

• Experienced seamen will advise you about sailing in this weather.有经验的海员会告诉你在这种天气下的航行情况。
• Perhaps you and I had better change over;you are more experienced.也许我们的工作还是对换一下好，你比我更有经验。

2 released   

v.释放( release的过去式和过去分词 )；放开；发布；发行

参考例句：

• He was released on bail pending committal proceedings. 他交保获释正在候审。
• With hindsight it is easy to say they should not have released him. 事后才说他们本不应该释放他，这倒容易。

3 publication   

n.出版，发行；出版；公布，发表

参考例句：

• They don't think this article is suitable for publication.他们认为这篇文章不宜发表。
• The government has delayed publication of the trade figures.政府已将贸易统计数字延后公布。

4 findings   

n.发现物( finding的名词复数 )；调查（或研究）的结果；（陪审团的）裁决

参考例句：

• It behoves us to study these findings carefully. 我们理应认真研究这些发现。
• Their findings have been widely disseminated . 他们的研究成果已经广为传播。

5 provided   

conj.假如，若是；adj.预备好的，由...供给的

参考例句：

• Provided it's fine we will have a pleasant holiday.如果天气良好，我们的假日将过得非常愉快。
• I will come provided that it's not raining tomorrow.如果明天不下雨，我就来。

6 synchronize   

v.使同步 [=synchronise]

参考例句：

• The sound on a film must synchronize with the action. 影片中的声音必须与动作配合一致。
• You must synchronize your Inbox before selecting additional folders. 在选择其他文件夹前，您必须同步您的收件箱。

7 synchronized   

同步的

参考例句：

• Do not use the synchronized keyword in Managed Objects. 不要在管理对象上使用synchronized关键字。 来自互联网
• The timing of the gun was precisely synchronized with the turning of the plane's propeller. 风门的调速与飞机螺旋桨的转动精确同步。 来自辞典例句

8 orbit   

n.轨道；vt.使沿轨道运行；使进入轨道运行；vi.沿轨道运行，环行

参考例句：

• The space rocket was launched and went into orbit.宇宙火箭发射后进入轨道。
• We can draw the earth's orbit round the sun.我们可以画出地球绕太阳运行的轨迹。

9 indigenous   

adj.土产的，土生土长的，本地的

参考例句：

• Each country has its own indigenous cultural tradition.每个国家都有自己本土的文化传统。
• Indians were the indigenous inhabitants of America.印第安人是美洲的土著居民。

10 rural   

adj.乡下的，田园的，乡村风味的

参考例句：

• He lived a rural life.他过着田园生活。
• We left the city for a rural home.我们离开城市，去农村安家。

11 robust   

adj.强壮的，强健的，粗野的，需要体力的，浓的

参考例句：

• She is too tall and robust.她个子太高，身体太壮。
• China wants to keep growth robust to reduce poverty and avoid job losses,AP commented.美联社评论道，中国希望保持经济强势增长，以减少贫困和失业状况。

12 device   

n.器械，装置；计划，策略，诡计

参考例句：

• The device will be in production by the end of the year.该装置将于年底投入生产。
• The device will save much time and effort for us.这种装置会使我们节省大量时间和气力。