A consistent daily routine may ease physical pain and symptoms of depression, even for older adults who have trouble sleeping. Credit: Shutterstock 规律的作息习惯可以缓解身体疼痛和抑郁症状，即使对于睡眠困难的老年人也是如此。图片来源：Shutterstock
A consistent daily routine may offer meaningful benefits for both physical and mental health, according to new research from the University of Missouri. The study found that older adults who followed regular daily schedules reported less physical pain and fewer symptoms of depression, including those who experienced insomnia. 密苏里大学的一项最新研究表明，规律的作息习惯可能对身心健康都有显著益处。该研究发现，老年人如果遵循规律的作息时间，身体疼痛感和抑郁症状（包括失眠症状）都会减轻。
The findings suggest that everyday patterns, such as waking, eating, working, socializing, and going to bed at similar times, may support better overall well-being. 研究结果表明，规律的作息习惯，例如在相似的时间起床、吃饭、工作、社交和睡觉，可能有助于提高整体幸福感。
Insomnia, Pain, and Depression 失眠、疼痛和抑郁
About half of adults age 60 and older experience symptoms of insomnia, according to the National Council on Aging. To examine how sleep difficulties relate to health and quality of life, Eunjin Tracy, an assistant professor in the College of Education and Human Development, studied survey responses from 67 older adults. Of those participants, 37 had insomnia. 据美国国家老龄委员会统计，约有一半 60 岁及以上的老年人患有失眠症状。为了探究睡眠障碍与健康和生活质量之间的关系，教育与人类发展学院助理教授恩珍·特雷西（Eunjin Tracy）研究了 67 位老年人的调查问卷。其中，37 位参与者患有失眠症。
As researchers expected, the adults with insomnia generally reported more pain and stronger symptoms of depression. However, Tracy also identified an important pattern across the group. Participants who maintained regular daily routines tended to experience less pain and depression, regardless of how well they slept. 正如研究人员预期的那样，失眠患者普遍报告疼痛感更强，抑郁症状也更严重。然而，特雷西也发现了一个贯穿整个研究群体的重要规律：无论睡眠质量如何，保持规律作息的参与者往往疼痛感和抑郁程度更低。
“Regardless of sleep quality, those who reported having a regular daily routine had lower levels of physical pain and less depression compared to those without a daily routine,” Tracy said. “If we are consistent with when we wake up, eat, work or study, interact with others and go to bed, those time cues help synchronize our internal body clocks. Over the long term, that seems to be linked with improved health outcomes.” 特雷西说：“无论睡眠质量如何，那些表示自己有规律作息的人，与没有规律作息的人相比，身体疼痛程度更低，抑郁程度也更轻。如果我们能保持规律的起床、吃饭、工作或学习、与他人互动以及就寝时间，这些时间线索有助于同步我们的生物钟。从长远来看，这似乎与健康状况的改善有关。”
How Daily Routines Support the Body Clock 日常作息如何影响生物钟
Regular activities provide signals that help regulate the circadian rhythm, the body’s internal 24-hour timing system. This biological clock plays a major role in sleep, mood, and many other processes throughout the body. 规律的活动能够发出信号，帮助调节人体的昼夜节律，即人体内部的24小时生物钟。这个生物钟在睡眠、情绪以及身体的许多其他过程中都起着重要作用。
“When we regulate our circadian rhythm well, our bodies function well, but if it gets too distracted, our bodies don’t function as well,” Tracy said. “当我们的昼夜节律调节良好时，我们的身体就能正常运转；但如果昼夜节律被过度扰乱，我们的身体就无法正常运转，”特雷西说。
Changes in sleep times, meals, or other daily activities can disrupt that internal timing system. Even relatively small differences between weekday and weekend schedules may create what researchers often call social jet lag. 睡眠时间、饮食或其他日常活动的改变都会扰乱人体内部的生物钟。即使工作日和周末作息时间的差异相对较小，也可能造成研究人员所说的“社交时差”。
Tracy said following a similar routine throughout the entire week may reduce those disruptions and help the body remain more synchronized. 特雷西表示，在一周内遵循类似的作息规律可以减少这些干扰，并帮助身体保持更加协调的状态。
The Health Effects of Social Jet Lag 社交时差对健康的影响
“As someone who wakes up and goes to bed at the same time every day, I think a daily routine can be helpful for people of all ages across their lifespan,” Tracy said. “There is growing awareness about the concept of social jet lag — waking up and going to bed at different times on weekends compared to weekdays — and the disruptions it causes to our circadian rhythm, so hopefully this research helps more people consider the health benefits of a daily routine. Since one-third of our lives will be spent sleeping, I think health and well-being research should be looked at holistically from a 24-hour perspective and not just focus on when we are awake.” “我每天都按时起床睡觉，我认为规律的作息对各个年龄段的人都有益处，”特蕾西说。“人们越来越意识到‘社交时差’的概念——周末和工作日的作息时间不同——以及它对我们昼夜节律造成的干扰，所以希望这项研究能帮助更多人认识到规律作息对健康的益处。鉴于我们一生中有三分之一的时间都在睡眠中度过，我认为健康和福祉的研究应该从24小时的整体视角来看待，而不仅仅关注我们清醒的时候。”
The results indicate that maintaining predictable daily rhythms could be a simple way to support health, particularly for older adults dealing with insomnia. Rather than looking only at nighttime sleep, Tracy argues that researchers should consider how activities across the full day influence the body’s internal clock and overall well-being. 研究结果表明，保持规律的昼夜节律可能是促进健康的一种简单方法，尤其对受失眠困扰的老年人而言更是如此。特雷西认为，研究人员不应只关注夜间睡眠，而应考虑全天的活动如何影响人体的生物钟和整体健康。
The study, “Behavioral-social rhythms and insomnia symptoms: associations with pain, body mass index, and depressive symptoms among older adults,” was published in the Journal of Behavioral Medicine. 这项题为“行为社会节律与失眠症状：与老年人的疼痛、体重指数和抑郁症状的关联”的研究发表在 《行为医学杂志》 上。
