​成年人还听睡前故事，是过度怀旧吗？

你喜欢听播客吗？尤其是夜深人静的时候，当温柔的声音娓娓道来，它既抚平了我们一天以来的情绪起伏，也陪伴着我们进入梦乡。近期，纽约时报的一篇报导指出，睡前听故事已经成为越来越多人的习惯，疫情的出现更是激起了一波收听潮流。有趣的是，这仿佛对应着我们儿时听母亲讲睡前故事的习惯。睡前故事对睡眠有帮助吗？成年人又为什么会被睡前故事吸引？一起进入今天的讲解。

Once Upon a Time … Bedtime Stories Were Just for Kids

很久很久以前……睡前故事还只是孩子们的专属

By Hillary Richard

Around 10 p.m., Lindsay Colford settles into bed with the dulcet drawl of Matthew McConaughey, who is about to take her on an audio journey through the cosmos until she falls asleep.

晚上10点左右，伴随着马修·麦康纳悦耳而舒缓的声音，琳赛·科尔福德舒服地在床上躺下。麦康纳将通过音频的形式带她进行一次穿越宇宙之旅，直到她进入梦乡。

Ms. Colford is not alone. Thousands of other adults are now sleeping with storytellers. In our never-ending quest to get a good night's sleep, bedtime stories are the latest weapon in the arsenal.

科尔福德女士并不是一个人。现如今，成千上万的成年人都在故事讲述者的陪伴中入眠。在我们对一夜好眠无休止的追求之中，睡前故事是应对睡眠问题的一种最新“武器”。

No longer just for children, bedtime stories are now a key part of many mindfulness and meditation apps, which boomed in popularity throughout the pandemic. There's a reason adults are drawn to bedtime stories, and it goes beyond whimsy and nostalgia.

睡前故事如今不再是孩子们的专属，而开始在许多正念和冥想类手机应用中扮演关键的角色。在疫情期间，这类应用程序越来越受人们青睐。成年人被睡前故事吸引是有原因的，它所带来的不仅仅是奇思妙想和怀旧之感。

“A bedtime story works by detracting the mind from self-sabotaging thoughts and worries, which allows the body's adrenaline to come down so the brain can transition into the sleep state," said Dr. Christine Won, associate professor of medicine at Yale School of Medicine.

耶鲁大学医学院医学副教授，克里斯汀·袁博士表示："睡前故事的作用在于，把我们的注意力从自我破坏的想法和担忧中转移开来，这会使得身体的肾上腺素降低，从而让大脑能够进入睡眠状态。"

“Bedtime stories help me zone out. Sometimes I don't even remember going to sleep," said Ms. Colford.

科尔福德女士表示：“睡前故事有助于意识的放松。有时我甚至不记得自己什么时候睡着了。”

Rebecca Robbins, an instructor at Harvard Medical School, said bedtime stories for adults make perfect sense.

哈佛医学院的讲师丽贝卡·罗宾斯认为，给成年人讲睡前故事，是一件再合理不过的事情了。

“Children are among the most well-rested in our society," she said. "It is easy to think that we, as adults, are somehow immune or too mature for these habits. But the truth is we could all benefit from applying the techniques we use with kids."

她说：“儿童是我们的社会中休息最好的群体之一。人们很容易产生这样的想法，这些习惯在一定程度上对成年人无效，或者对于成人而言太过幼稚。但事实是，那些对孩子们使用的技巧，我们成年人也都能从中获益。