重力毯有健康益处吗？
📖 逐句对照翻译
From VOA Learning English, this is the Health & Lifestyle report.
这里是VOA慢速英语的健康与生活方式报道。
When her husband gave her a weighted blanket to help her sleep, Rhonda James did not think it would work.
当丈夫给她一条重力毯帮助睡眠时，朗达·詹姆斯并不认为它会起作用。
In other words, she was skeptical.
换句话说，她持怀疑态度。
But five minutes after covering herself with the blanket, she was asleep.
但盖上毯子五分钟后，她就睡着了。
“It felt like a really big hug,” said James.
詹姆斯说：“感觉就像一个大大的拥抱。”
She is a banker who lives in Charleston, South Carolina.
她是一位住在南卡罗来纳州查尔斯顿的银行家。
As temperatures drop, a weighted blanket can be a popular choice to help you keep warm.
随着气温下降，重力毯可以成为帮助您保暖的热门选择。
But some people say the extra pressure of the cover also helps to ease their worries and fall asleep faster.
但也有人说，被子的额外压力也有助于缓解他们的忧虑，让他们更快入睡。
However, research on the effectiveness of weighted blankets is limited.
然而，关于重力毯有效性的研究还很有限。
The Associated Press recently reported on what is known about weighted blankets.
美联社最近报道了有关重力毯的已知信息。
First, what is a weighted blanket?
首先，什么是重力毯？
Weighted blankets are filled with small glass balls, cotton or another filling.
重力毯内填充有小玻璃球、棉花或其他填充物。
This makes them heavier than usual blankets.
这使得它们比普通的毯子更重。
Scientists may not know exactly how the blankets comfort, but they have a few ideas.
科学家们可能并不确切知道毯子是如何提供安慰的，但他们有一些想法。
The heavy, even feeling from a weighted blanket may calm the brain’s fight-or-flight response, said Dr. Neal Walia.
尼尔·瓦利亚博士表示，加重毯带来的沉重而均匀的触感可能会平复大脑的“战斗或逃跑”反应。
He is a sleep medicine expert at University of California, Los Angeles Health.
他是加州大学洛杉矶分校健康中心的睡眠医学专家。
He said, “The evenly distributed weight on you tells your body..." you are in a "...calm environment.’”
他说：“均匀分布在你身上的重量告诉你的身体……”你处于一个“……平静的环境。”
The extra pressure also may cause the brain to release the hormone oxytocin.
额外的压力还可能促使大脑释放催产素。
Sometimes called the “love hormone,” the body creates oxytocin during loving moments, such as hugging.
有时被称为“爱的荷尔蒙”，人体在拥抱等充满爱的时刻会分泌催产素。
Oxytocin can also lower anxiety, Walia said.
瓦利亚说，催产素还能减轻焦虑。
How do you use a weighted blanket?
如何使用重力毯？
For most healthy adults, experts say to choose a blanket that is about 10 percent of your body weight.
专家表示，对于大多数健康成年人来说，应选择重量约为自身体重10%的毯子。
However, the blankets are not good for everyone.
然而，毯子并不适合所有人。
For example, some people may find them too hot to use, especially during warmer weather.
例如，有些人可能会觉得它们用起来太热，尤其是在天气较暖的时候。
People with breathing problems or disorders such as sleep apnea should check with a doctor before using a weighted blanket.
有呼吸问题或睡眠呼吸暂停等疾病的人，在使用重力毯之前应咨询医生。
Experts say to not use weighted blankets for children under three years old.
专家表示，不要给三岁以下的儿童使用重力毯。
The weight can limit their movement and breathing.
重量会限制它们的活动和呼吸。
Some people may not be able to buy them.
有些人可能买不起它们。
They can be costly.
它们可能很昂贵。
A quality weighted blankets can cost between $50 to over $300.
一条优质的加重毯价格可能在50美元到300美元以上。
This depends on the size, weight and material.
这取决于尺寸、重量和材料。
Some people use them for other reasons than sleep.
有些人使用它们的原因并非为了睡眠。
Rhonda James gets under her blanket to relax as she watches television or drinks a glass of wine.
朗达·詹姆斯钻进毯子里放松，一边看电视或喝杯葡萄酒。
Lucy Taylor, a writer from Wales, also uses a weighted blanket.
来自威尔士的作家露西·泰勒也使用重力毯。
Her anxiety increases during the winter.
她的焦虑在冬天会加剧。
So, she uses her blanket during cold months to fall asleep.
所以，她在寒冷的月份里用毯子来入睡。
She says when her body is relaxed, her mind relaxes too.
她说当身体放松时，头脑也会随之放松。
Can weighted blankets improve sleep?
重力毯能改善睡眠吗？
There is little scientific research on whether weighted blankets help with sleep, anxiety, or other health issues.
关于重力毯是否有助于改善睡眠、焦虑或其他健康问题，目前几乎没有科学研究。
The studies that exist involve small groups of people.
现有的研究涉及的人群规模都很小。
And most of the study subjects are people with conditions including sleep problems, long-term pain, and mental and developmental disorders.
而且大多数研究对象都患有一些疾病，包括睡眠问题、长期疼痛以及心理和发育障碍。
A study on 120 people with insomnia, an inability to get enough sleep, found that the weighted blankets helped them sleep better compared to a light blanket.
一项针对120名失眠患者（即无法获得充足睡眠的人）的研究发现，与轻薄的毯子相比，加重毯能帮助他们睡得更好。
Another study considered 67 children with the developmental and brain disorder autism.
另一项研究考察了67名患有发育和大脑障碍自闭症的儿童。
That research found that weighted blankets did not affect the children’s sleep at all.
那项研究发现，重力毯对孩子们的睡眠完全没有影响。
However, it also found that the study subjects liked the weighted blankets more than non-weighted blankets.
然而，研究还发现，研究对象比非加重毯更喜欢加重毯。
A third study on 94 adults with chronic pain found that a heavier weighted blanket did not affect sleep.
第三项针对94名慢性疼痛成年人的研究发现，较重的加重毯并未影响睡眠。
But it was better at reducing pain than a lighter blanket.
但它比更轻的毯子在减轻疼痛方面效果更好。
So, there is not much scientific evidence to support health improvement claims about weighted blankets.
因此，没有太多科学证据支持关于重力毯改善健康的说法。
However, in most cases they also cannot hurt, sleep experts say.
然而，睡眠专家表示，在大多数情况下，它们也不会造成伤害。
Dr. Daniel Barone is a sleep medicine expert at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City.
丹尼尔·巴罗内博士是纽约市威尔康奈尔医学院的睡眠医学专家。
He suggests the use of weighted blankets to his patients after they try other traditional treatments and medicines.
他建议患者在其他传统疗法和药物治疗无效后，使用重力毯。
“If it doesn’t hurt and it may help, it’s worth a shot,” he said.
“如果它不会造成伤害，而且可能有所帮助，那就值得一试，”他说。
And that’s the Health & Lifestyle report.
这就是健康与生活方式报告。
I’m Anna Matteo.
我是安娜·马特奥。
Adithi Ramakrishnan reported this story for The Associated Press.
阿迪蒂·拉马克里希南为美联社报道了这则新闻。
Anna Matteo adapted it for VOA Learning English.
安娜·马特奥为VOA英语学习频道改编了此内容。
