科学美国人60秒：关掉电脑，立马睡觉

This is Scientific American’s 60-Second Science, I’m Allie Wilkinson.Got a minute.

这里是《科学美国人》的60 秒科学，我是艾利•威尔金森,一起来看。

Our homes glow at night. Lightbulbs, TVs, and now computers, e-readers, tablets and smartphones expose people to an increasing amount of light after dark. And the color of that light may influence mood and brain function. That’s according to a study in the Journal of Neuroscience. [Tracy A. Bedrosian et al., Nocturnal Light Exposure Impairs Affective Responses in a Wavelength-Dependent Manner]

每到夜晚，我们的家会被电灯泡、电视、电脑、电子书、平板电脑和手机的发出的光线照亮，这些灯光的颜色会对人们心情和大脑运作产生影响。该研究成果发表在《神经科学杂志》上。

Researchers looked at the role of specialized photosensitive cells in the retina. The cells, called ipRGCs, are responsible for regulating circadian rhythms. And recent evidence suggests these cells may also play a role in mood and cognition.

研究人员观察了视网膜中负责调解昼夜节律的光敏细胞ipRGCs。近期的一些证据表明,这些细胞参与到了情绪和认知过程中。

To test how nocturnal lighting color affects mood, the researchers exposed hamsters to nighttime conditions of no light, red light, white light or blue light for four weeks each. Hamsters exposed to red light at night had the fewest brain changes associated with depression in humans, while blue and white light had the worst effects on mood.

为探究夜间灯光如何作用于情绪，研究人员利用仓鼠进行实验，将其分别暴露在夜晚无光、红光、白光、和蓝光下，试验周期为4周。仓鼠大脑中的一些区域发生了改变，而在人类的大脑中，这些区域与抑郁有关。暴露在夜晚红光下的仓鼠，大脑发生的改变最为轻微，而蓝光和白光对情绪的影响最为明显。

So late-night work e-mail may not be the only thing ticking you off—the blue glow of your machine may also be getting you down. The best bet: shut down and get some shut-eye.

我们都讨厌在深夜加班，而令我们如此不爽的原因，很可能也包括电脑屏幕发出的恼人的蓝色光线。最好的办法就是，关掉电脑，立马睡觉!

Thanks for the minute for Scientific American’s 60-Second Science, I’m Allie Wilkinson.

感谢收听《科学美国人》的60秒科学，我是艾利•威尔金森。