Stolen sheets, snoring and hot flashes are just some of the annoyances that lead a quarter of U.S. couples to sleep apart, according to the National Sleep Foundation. But do the benefits of sharing a bed outweigh such costs? One neurologist, Rachel E. Salas, the assistant medical director for the Johns Hopkins Center for Sleep, shares her expert opinion.
据全美睡眠基金会(National Sleep Foundation)说，美国有四分之一的夫妇分床而睡，而对方喜欢抢被子、有打呼噜的毛病以及自己感觉潮热只是其中的部分原因。但是同床而眠的好处是否大于上述坏处呢？约翰・霍普金斯大学睡眠中心助理医学主任、神经学家萨拉斯(Rachel E. Salas)从专业的角度给出了她的观点。
Safety, Warmth
安全与温暖
People have slept in the same bed as a family unit for millennia-mainly for warmth and protection from predators and outsiders, says Dr. Salas, who has studied the history of sleep.
从事睡眠历史研究的萨拉斯说，几千年来，家人会睡在同一张床上，原因主要是为了取暖，保护自己不受捕食者和外人的侵袭。
'Back in the cave days and even through recent history, many people didn't bathe often or have lots of clothes, so they slept naked. Sleeping together was essential for warmth,' she says.
她说，早在穴居人时代，甚至是直到近代，很多人不经常洗澡，没有很多的衣服，所以他们会裸睡。同床而眠对保暖非常重要。
Then as now, she says, it is human to feel safer knowing someone is lying close beside you.
她说，和现在一样，那时候如果知道有人躺在你的身边，出于人的本能你会感觉更安全。
The Science of Spooning
同床共枕背后的科学
There have been few scientific studies on couples sleeping together. But experts say oxytocin, the so-called love hormone, is released during many types of touching, including cuddling. Increased oxytocin helps the body relax, reduces blood pressure and promotes healing, Dr. Salas says. It also results in emotional feelings related to affection, security and love.
鲜有科学研究是关于夫妇同床而眠的。但专家们说，催产素，也就是所谓的“爱情荷尔蒙”，会在人们拥抱或做很多其他种抚摸动作时释放出来。萨拉斯说，催产素分泌的增多有助于身体放松，降低血压，促进伤愈。此外，催产素还会使人产生与喜爱、安全和爱慕有关的情感。
A recent study showed a link between quality of sleep and couples' daytime interactions. For men, the better the sleep a couple got, the smoother their next-day spousal interactions, Dr. Salas says. For women, less negative interaction with their husbands during the day led to more restful sleep that night.
最近的一项研究显示，睡眠质量与夫妇白天的互动有关。萨拉斯说，对男性来说，夫妻两人睡得越好，第二天夫妻互动就越顺利。对女性来说，白天与丈夫的负面互动越少，当天晚上的睡眠质量就越高。
'I can't quote any studies, but from my neurology background, I would suspect that having a person that you are the protector for or who protects you nearby increases the release of neurotransmitters involved with good sleep,' Dr. Salas says.
萨拉斯说，我无法以任何研究为证，但根据我的神经学经验，我怀疑身旁有一个你可以保护的人或可以保护你的人，会增加与良好睡眠有关的神经递质的释放。
Wake-Up Calls
睡眠障碍
Getting quality sleep enhances a person's quality of life, Dr. Salas says. People with sleep disorders, such as apnea, night terrors or sleepwalking, may benefit from having a bed partner who can observe nighttime behaviors and help with a diagnosis.
萨拉斯说，拥有高质量的睡眠可以提高生活质量。患有睡眠呼吸暂停症、夜惊或梦游等睡眠障碍的人若有人与其同睡，可能有好处，因为床伴可以观察其夜间的行为，为诊断提供帮助。
But for some people, sleeping together could do more harm than good: 'If you wake up often from ambient noises or get hot in your sleep, keeping your bed to yourself may be exactly what you need.'
但对一些人来说，同床而眠可能弊大于利：如果你经常因周围环境中的声音而醒来，或在睡觉时感觉燥热，那么一个人睡可能正是你所需要的。
'Humans are Social Creatures'
人是社会动物
Sleeping apart is a relatively modern phenomenon and varies across cultures, Dr. Salas says. 'My father is from Mexico and my mom is from Texas, and both of them slept with all of their brothers and sisters when they were growing up,' she says. If you go to other countries, whole families still sleep together, she says. 'Humans are social creatures. We want someone nearby.
萨拉斯说，分床而睡是一种相对现代的现象，不同的文化会有不同的表现。我父亲来自墨西哥，我母亲来自得克萨斯州，他们两人小时候都和兄弟姐妹一起睡。她说，如果你去别的国家，有些地方全家人仍睡在一起。人是社会动物。我们希望有人在我们的身旁。