We've all heard advice about good sleep hygiene.
我们都听说过关于良好睡眠卫生的建议。
No phones or caffeine before bed, and make sure that we get a good eight hours' rest.
睡前不要使用手机或摄入咖啡因，确保获得八小时的良好休息。
But is this the best sleep pattern, or have we just been led to it by modern life?
但这是最佳的睡眠模式吗？还是我们只是被现代生活引导至此？
Artificial light in our houses and streets means that we no longer have to go to bed at sundown.
我们房屋和街道上的人造光意味着我们不再需要在日落时上床睡觉。
Having a job to go to at a set time in the morning can be the main determining factor on when we decide to rouse ourselves.
早上有固定时间的工作可能是我们决定何时起床的主要决定因素。
In past centuries, the time of sunset and sunrise had a much bigger impact on people's days.
在过去几个世纪，日落和日出的时间对人们的日常生活有更大的影响。
Historical studies have shown that in many parts of the world it was common for people to sleep in two sections, from dusk until around 11 and then from one in the morning until sunrise.
历史研究表明，在世界许多地方，人们普遍分两段睡觉：从黄昏到大约11点，然后从凌晨1点到日出。
This segmented or biphasal sleep pattern is referred to as far back in history as ancient Greece.
这种分段或双相睡眠模式可以追溯到古希腊时期。
So, if modern sleep patterns are in some part due to modern lifestyles and technologies, could segmented sleep patterns be more natural?
那么，如果现代睡眠模式部分归因于现代生活方式和技术，分段睡眠模式是否更自然？
Some studies suggest that they are.
一些研究表明它们确实如此。
The circadian rhythms that determine when we start to feel drowsy are greatly affected by light.
决定我们何时开始感到困倦的昼夜节律受光线影响很大。
Study participants subjected to 14 hours of complete darkness a day started to develop a biphasal sleeping pattern.
每天暴露在14小时完全黑暗中的研究参与者开始发展出双相睡眠模式。
As recently as 2017, similar patterns have also been seen in some communities in rural Madagascar that do not have access to electric light.
直到2017年，类似模式也在马达加斯加农村一些没有电光的社区中被观察到。
They may be more natural, but are these sleeping patterns healthier?
它们可能更自然，但这些睡眠模式更健康吗？
Experts caution that the small number of studies carried out means that the risks and benefits of segmented sleeping are not well understood.
专家警告说，进行的研究数量有限，意味着分段睡眠的风险和益处尚未被充分理解。
Nevertheless, some people have found it to be a useful way to find time to be creative.
尽管如此，一些人发现这是寻找时间进行创造性的有用方式。
Psychologist Gregg Jacobs suggests that the period of time that people used to spend awake in past centuries could have been used to regulate stress.
心理学家Gregg Jacobs提出，过去几个世纪人们醒着的时间可能被用来调节压力。
Other experts remind us that many people find that they wake in the night, and then get anxious at not being able to get back to sleep, which in itself exacerbates any sleeplessness.
其他专家提醒我们，许多人发现自己在夜间醒来，然后因无法重新入睡而感到焦虑，这本身会加剧失眠。
Making use of the awake time to do something restful could help people improve their sleep.
利用清醒时间做一些放松的事情可能有助于改善睡眠。
If you do want to try it, sleep researcher Mary Carskadon reminds us that we should stay away from bright lights to avoid disturbing our circadian rhythms.
如果你想尝试，睡眠研究员Mary Carskadon提醒我们应远离强光，以避免干扰昼夜节律。
You also might want to check that it won't disturb your work and social life too much.
你可能还需要确保它不会过多干扰你的工作和社交生活。
