Lack of sleep takes mental toll (note 1)

Lack of sleep takes mental toll (note 1)

About 16 percent of those surveyed in a mental health (精神健康) study said they are sleepless (失眠) for most of the week, with two out of three having suffered the problem for at least two years.

Preliminary findings of the Hong Kong Mental Morbidity Survey 2010 indicate sleep problems are linked to "suboptimal mental health." The Food and Health Bureau commissioned the study, in the wake of (note 2) mental health problems that have resulted in suicides and domestic violence. The study involves interviews with 5,700 adults randomly (隨意) selected across the territory.





Eighty-five percent of those say they are insomniacs (失眠人士), and nearly 15 percent suffer hypersomnia (渴睡症). The main reasons for being unable to sleep include illness (20 percent) and anxiety(焦慮) (20 percent) with a small number blaming (埋怨) shift work, medication and noise.

Furthermore, 63.6 percent have been battling (note 3) sleeping problems for at least two years. While no one knows whether mental illness brings on sleeping problems or vice versa (反過來), both insomnia and hypersomnia breed general anxiety disorders and psychological discomforts. "They are both closely related," Chinese University psychiatry (精神病學) professor Linda Lam Chiu-wa said.

A medical officer expressed concern at the habit of tossing and turning (note 4) during sleepless nights. "Your bed is not for studying, worrying, or watching television. If you have not been able to fall asleep for 20 minutes or more, do not roll around and worry about it. Get up and walk around," he said. Both experts also expressed concern at the use of hypnotics (有催眠性的藥物), with more than a fifth of those with problems reportedly having taken sleeping pills (安眠藥).


From good to better English:

(note 1) take its toll= Be damaging or harmful, cause loss or destruction (損害)。Toll=通行稅、過境稅、過橋費。a heavy toll of lives=死傷慘重。

(note 2) in the wake of= as a consequence of (源於)。wake up=醒來，振作起來。a waking dream=白日夢

(note 3) battle=搏鬥、作戰。a battle of wills = 戰鬥意志。the battle lines are drawn = 劃分界線。win the battle, lose the war = 撿了芝麻丟了西瓜

(note 4 ) toss and turn=輾轉反側。Toss=拋來拋去。give a toss= 毫不介意。toss off = 輕而易舉地處理。toss up=匆匆準備。Turn=轉動。a turn for the better=好轉。a turn for the worse= 惡化。by turns = 輪流交替。take turns=依次。turn a blind eye=.視而不見。turn against=撕破臉。turn down=拒絕。turn one's back on =不理睬。turn the corner=轉危為安



Victor’s View: I am also one of those insomniacs who suffer a lot from deprivation of sleep. Well, this is what I do to help me get a better sleep every night: 1. Exercise at least for half an hour everyday; 2. Do 10 minutes of aerobic activity before jumping onto the bed; 3. Don’t put anything relating to work in the bedroom. Sleep well, folks!



(Victor Fung Keung, director of HK Baptist University’s M.A. in international journalism program, has published 3 books on English-enhancement and plans to write 7 more by the end of 2012. Write to him: deanfungenglish@gmail.com)