“大脑太忙”：为什么你总是睡不着？

是一个新的词。

It's a new word.

这个词，

This word —

我也是最近才听到的。

I only heard it recently myself.

先讲一个小故事。

First, a little story.

我有一个朋友。

I have a friend.

她叫小红。

Her name is Xiaohong.

小红今年八岁。

Xiaohong is eight years old.

她跟妈妈住一起。

She lives with her mom.

最近，

Recently,

小红有点担心。

Xiaohong has been a little worried.

她担心妈妈。

She's worried about her mom.

为什么？

Why?

我说给你听。

Let me tell you.

妈妈每天很忙。

Mom is busy every day.

早上很早起。

Gets up very early.

晚上很晚睡。

Goes to bed very late.

但是有一件奇怪的事。

But here's a strange thing.

妈妈说她累。

Mom says she's tired.

非常累。

Very tired.

但是她睡不着。

But she can't fall asleep.

小红想：

Xiaohong thought:

累了应该睡着啊。

when you're tired, you should fall asleep.

为什么妈妈睡不着？

Why can't Mom fall asleep?

妈妈也说：

Mom also said:

我不知道为什么。

I don't know why.

我躺在床上，

I lie in bed,

脑子里有很多事。

and there are so many things in my head.

都关不上。

None of them turn off.

小红问爸爸：

Xiaohong asked her dad:

"爸爸，妈妈怎么了？

"Dad, what's wrong with Mom?"

爸爸说：

Dad said:

"妈妈太累了。

"Mom is too tired."

"但是我们也不知道怎么办。

"But we also don't know what to do."

后来有一天，

Later, one day,

妈妈去看医生。

Mom went to see a doctor.

医生是一个女医生。

The doctor was a woman doctor.

她叫罗米。

Her name is Romie.

罗米是美国人。

Romie is American.

罗米看过很多病人。

Romie has seen many patients.

也学过很多年。

She's also studied for many years.

她不只看身体。

She doesn't only look at the body.

她也看脑子。

She also looks at the brain.

脑子是怎么想的，

How the brain thinks —

她也懂。

she understands that too.

罗米看了妈妈。

Romie examined Mom.

然后说：

Then she said:

"我给你说一个新词。

"Let me tell you a new word."

"这个词叫'忙脑'。

"The word is 'busy brain.'"

什么是"忙脑"？

What is "busy brain"?

我解释一下。

Let me explain.

"忙"就是事情很多。

"Busy" means having many things.

"脑"就是头里面的东西。

"Brain" is what's inside your head.

就是我们想问题的地方。

It's where we think.

"忙脑"的意思是：

"Busy brain" means:

你的脑子太忙了。

your brain is too busy.

关不上。

It won't turn off.

罗米医生说：

Romie the doctor said:

有"忙脑"的人，

people with "busy brain"

有三个一样的事。

have three things in common.

第一，

First,

做事不能专心。

they can't focus on what they're doing.

你在做一件事。

You're doing one thing.

但是脑子里在想别的事。

But your brain is thinking about something else.

第二，

Second,

心里总是担心。

their hearts are always worried.

担心今天。

Worried about today.

担心明天。

Worried about tomorrow.

担心很多事。

Worried about many things.

第三，

Third,

晚上睡不好。

they don't sleep well at night.

躺在床上，

Lying in bed,

还在想事。

they're still thinking.

罗米说：

Romie said:

你看，

look,

妈妈，

Mom,

你三个都有。

you have all three.

一点点。

A little bit.

不多。

Not a lot.

但是合在一起，

But put together,

就是"忙脑"。

this is "busy brain."

妈妈说：

Mom said:

"啊，原来是这样。

"Oh, so that's what it is."

"我一直不知道。

"I never knew."

罗米说：

Romie said:

"很多人都有。

"Many people have it."

"特别是工作很忙的人。

"Especially people who work a lot."

"特别是大人。

"Especially adults."

"在美国，"

"In the US,"

"很多人都有。

"many people have it."

"在中国，"

"In China,"

"也很多。

"a lot of people too."

"在日本也是。

"In Japan too."

"全世界都有。

"It's everywhere in the world."

"你不是一个人。

"You're not alone."

罗米说：

Romie said:

"我有一个办法。

"I have a method."

"八个星期。

"Eight weeks."

"我教你。

"I'll teach you."

第一两个星期：

For the first two weeks:

晚上别喝咖啡。

no coffee at night.

不要吃太多糖。

Don't eat too much sugar.

睡觉前别看手机。

Don't look at your phone before bed.

第三四个星期：

For weeks three and four:

早睡早起。

sleep early, wake early.

每天差不多时间睡。

Sleep at about the same time each day.

每天差不多时间起。

Wake at about the same time each day.

第五六个星期：

For weeks five and six:

吃好一点。

eat a little better.

菜多一点。

More vegetables.

水多一点。

More water.

糖少一点。

Less sugar.

第七八个星期：

For weeks seven and eight:

每天慢一点。

slow down a little each day.

深呼吸。

Take deep breaths.

不要什么事都答应。

Don't say yes to everything.

罗米说：

Romie said:

慢慢来。

take it slowly.

不要急。

Don't rush.

一个一个改。

Change one thing at a time.

不要一天都改。

Don't change everything in one day.

那样太难了。

That's too hard.

做不到的。

Nobody can do it.

她说：

She said:

人要爱自己。

people should love themselves first.

不是先爱别人。

Not love others first.

是先爱自己。

Love yourself first.

你好了，

If you're well,

别人才会好。

then others will be well too.

你妈妈也是。

Same for your mom.

她要先睡好。

She has to sleep well first.

然后才能照顾你。

Then she can take care of you.

妈妈听了。

Mom listened.

她想了一想。

She thought for a moment.

然后说：

Then she said:

"好。

"OK."

"我试试看。

"I'll try."

"我也想睡好。

"I also want to sleep well."

"我也想白天有精神。

"I also want energy during the day."

后来，

Later,

妈妈真的开始改。

Mom really did start to change.

她晚上不喝咖啡了。

She stopped drinking coffee at night.

睡前不看手机了。

She stopped looking at her phone before bed.

早一点睡。

She slept a little earlier.

早一点起。

She woke up a little earlier.

一个月以后，

A month later,

妈妈说：

Mom said:

"我好像睡得好一点了。

"I feel like I'm sleeping a bit better."

"白天也清楚一点了。

"My head is clearer during the day too."

小红很高兴。

Xiaohong was very happy.

她说：

She said:

"妈妈你看，"

"Mom, look,"

"医生的话有用。

"the doctor's words really work."

妈妈也笑了。

Mom also laughed.

她说：

She said:

"是。

"Yes."

"我以前不知道。

"I didn't know before."

"原来这个有名字。

"Turns out this has a name."

"原来这个有办法。

"Turns out there's a way to fix it."

好。

OK.

今天的故事到这里。

Today's story ends here.

我们学了：

We learned:

有一个新词叫"忙脑"。

there's a new word called "busy brain."

意思是脑子太忙了，关不上。

It means: your brain is too busy and won't turn off.

很多大人都有。

Lots of grown-ups have it.

不能专心，

Can't focus,

心里担心，

heart worried,

晚上睡不好。

can't sleep at night.

三个都有一点。

A little of each of the three.

一个叫罗米的医生发现了这个。

A doctor named Romie discovered this.

她教大家八个星期。

She teaches everyone an eight-week plan.

慢慢改。

Change slowly.

慢慢好。

Get better slowly.

最后，

Finally,

我想说一句话。

I want to say one thing.

如果你看到妈妈累，

If you see your mom tired,

看到爸爸累，

or your dad tired,

请你也帮一帮他们。

please help them too.

跟他们说：

Tell them:

"你慢一点。

"Slow down a little."

"你休息一下。

"Take a rest."

妈妈累的时候，

When Mom is tired,

我们更要爱她。

we should love her even more.

爸爸累的时候，

When Dad is tired,

也是一样。

the same thing.

好。

OK.

今天我们的故事就到这里。

Today's story ends here.

明天我们再聊别的有意思的事情。

Tomorrow we'll talk about other interesting things.

今天晚上你也好好睡觉。

Tonight, you should sleep well too.

晚安。

Good night.