双语健康：什么颜色的光对睡眠最好？

What's the Best Colour Lighting for Sleep?

The idea artificial light from screens is keeping people awake at night is flawed, say scientists who have been studying the best type of lighting to nod off to.

一直研究打盹最佳光线的科学家称，屏幕上散发的人造光能让人保持清醒这一观点是错误的。

According to the researchers, from Manchester University, this blue light from devices is not the main problem.

曼彻斯特大学的研究人员认为，设备散发的蓝光并不是主要问题。

They exposed mice to different light settings to study the impact. The findings suggest the answer lies in how warm and bright a light is.

他们将老鼠放在不同的光线环境中研究其影响，研究结果表明答案在于光线的暖度和亮度。

Everyone has a natural, daily wake-sleep cycle. Their body clock synchronises with the environment so they are alert in the daytime and sleepy at night.

每个人都有一个自然的日常睡眠周期。人们的生物钟与环境同步，所以白天很机敏，晚上很倦困。

But experts have long suspected exposure to artificial light might be upsetting this alignment.

但专家们长期以来怀疑，暴露在非自然光下可能会扰乱这一规律。

And there is a popular view artificial blue light — the type that comes from computer screens and mobile phones — has a particularly strong effect.

有一个普遍的观点是蓝光 —— 电脑屏幕和手机发出的光 —— 有着特别大的影响。

The team did tests on mice, fixing the brightness to high or low and switching the colour from blue to yellow.

该研究团队对老鼠进行了实验，把亮度调高或调低，并且从蓝光换成黄光。

Bright light of either colour was stimulating, rather than restful, as expected. But when the light was dimmed, blue light was more restful than yellow light.

正如预期，任意一种颜色的亮光都会让人振奋，而不是让人放松。但是把光线调暗时，蓝光比黄光更舒缓。

Lead researcher Dr Tim Brown said the findings matched what happened in the natural world, with bright, warm daylight.

首席研究员蒂姆·布朗博士说，这项研究结果与在有明亮温暖日光的自然界中发生的情况相吻合。

"During the daytime, the light that reaches us is relatively white or yellow and has a strong effect on the body clock and around twilight, once the Sun sets, the bluer the light becomes," he said.

他说：“白天的时候，照到我们身上的光是白色或黄色的，并且对生物钟有很大的影响，而到了黄昏时分，一旦太阳落下，光线就会变得更蓝。”

"So if you want to avoid light having a strong effect on your body clock, dim and blue would be the way to go."

“所以，如果你想避免光线对你的生物钟产生强烈的影响，那么微暗的蓝色光是正确的选择。”

Conversely, bright white or yellow light was better for staying awake and alert.

相反，明亮的白光或黄光更有利于保持清醒和警觉。

Aren't mice more active at night? Mice are indeed nocturnal.

老鼠不是在晚上更活跃吗？老鼠确实是夜间动物。

But the researchers say the basic way light affects the body clock is the same across all mammals, including humans, meaning the findings should apply to people.

但研究人员称，光线影响生物钟的这一基本方式在所有哺乳动物身上都一样，包括人类，这意味着该项研究结果应该适用于人类。

2025年7月19日于翠湖宾馆