Parents of small children tend to be very careful about bedtimes.

小孩子們的家長對睡覺時間往往非常謹慎。

They favor early nights, they give their babies plenty of naps throughout the day, they think a lot about black-out curtains, they are quick to diagnose many instances of bad temper as stemming from a background deficit of rest.

他們喜歡早睡、他們在白天時給自己的寶寶們大量的午睡時間、他們費盡心思設置遮光窗簾、他們能很快就判斷出孩子開始鬧性子是因為休息不足的關係。

And while they may be indulgent in some areas, they are likely to be entirely implacable in any negotiation over routines: seven p.m. lights out, no ifs, ands or buts.

而他們雖然在其他方面可能會放任自流，但關於固定的睡覺時間可是完全沒得商量的：晚上七點就熄燈，沒有可是、但是或例外。

None of this is remotely altruistic: tired small children are a nightmare to look after.

這一切並不是出於無私的考量：畢竟要照顧疲憊的小孩子簡直是場噩夢。

Every reversal becomes a drama, every disappointment turns into a catastrophe, and every excitement shifts into mania.

每一次反對都會變成一場戲劇、每一次讓孩子失望都會變成一場災難、每一次興奮的情緒都會轉化為瘋狂。

A half-way decent adult existence is impossible alongside a tired child.

一個尚未有歷練的成人完全不可能與一個疲憊的小孩相處。

Self-interest necessitates totalitarianism.

而這樣的自身利益便引導成他們運用極權主義。

But while a draconian philosophy is useful in the early years, it can set up an awkward dynamic in an off-spring's mind as adolescence sets in.

然而雖然嚴苛的規矩在成長出氣的幾年確實有用，但隨著青春期的到來，它可能會在孩子的腦中建立起一種微妙的動態關係。

Growing up and asserting one's independence and individuality can then become associated with a newly defiant and cavalier approach to bedtimes.

人的成長與宣稱自己的獨立性與個人性，可能會予以挑釁且輕率的方式睡眠聯繫起來。

Not for the newly empowered young adult, the strictures and denying rules of the past.

對於剛剛獲得權力的年輕小大人們來說，過去的束縛和否定性的規則並不適用。

Why bother to put the light out by ten, or even midnight or one in the morning, given that one is so obviously no longer a toddler?

既然自己已經顯然不是個小孩子了，為什麼還非得在十點前，甚至是午夜前或是凌晨一點前熄燈呢？

What is thereby missed is how much every adult shares in a young child's sensitivity to a shortfall of sleep.

但這種行為忽略掉了，其實每個成人都和年幼的孩童一樣，對於睡眠的缺乏有著一定的敏感度。

Just like our younger selves, we do not have an impregnable command over a reasonable view of our own prospects or condition.

就像我們年幼時的自己一樣，我們對自己的前途或身體狀況並無法完全合理的進行審視。

There are many different ways of telling the story of our lives, ranging from an optimistic tale of progress mixed with noble defeats, to a tragic narrative of thorough-going stupidity and unforgivable errors.

我們有許多方式能述說自己人生的故事，從混合著各個可惜的失敗，角度樂觀地描述著進展的故事，到以充滿著愚蠢與不可抹滅失誤的失誤，以悲劇性的敘事手法來描述自己的人生。

What can determine the difference between madness and sanity may be nothing grander, but then again nothing more critical, than how long our minds have been allowed to lie on a pillow in the preceding hours.

決定我們神智瘋狂與正常的界線並不是麼大不了的事，卻也是比什麼都要關鍵的事：那就是我們能躺在枕頭上讓心神安寧下來的時間長短。

It's especially unfortunate that this connection is so easy to miss.

然而特別不幸的是，我們很容易會忽略這種聯繫。

No bells go off in our minds warning us that we are running low on nocturnal nectar.

我們的腦中並沒有警鐘會警告我們，我們該去和周公下棋了。

As a result, we start to believe many dark things with doomful ease: that our relationship is over, that everyone hates us, that our lives are meaningless and that human existence is a cosmic joke.

結果我們便很容易相信黑暗的事件即將發生，並相信都是厄運的緣故：我們的感情完蛋了、周遭每個人都恨我們、我們的人生毫無意義，而人類的存在本身就是場天大的笑話。

'When we are tired, we are attacked by ideas we conquered long ago,' knew Friedrich Nietzsche.

「當我們疲勞時，我們便會被過去早已克服的想法給攻擊，」尼采如此說過。

We go mad from tiredness long before we notice the role of exhaustion in stealing our sanity.

在發現疲勞正在竊取我們的心神前，我們便會因為疲憊而瘋狂。

The thinking we do when tired is vindictive and sloppy.

我們在疲憊時的思考是報復性且草率的。

It misses important details, it gives the advantage over to our enemies, it hands victory to the evangelists of sadness.

它忽略了重要的細節，把優勢讓給了我們的敵人，把勝利交給了悲傷的傳播者。

Being careful doesn't just apply to the night.

而我們不只要在晚上小心注意而已。

At varied points in the day, when possible and we are overwhelmed, we should know to stop, hoist the white flag and have a nap.

在白天當中的眾多時刻，要是我們感到不堪重荷而情況允許的話，我們應該要立刻停止手邊工作，舉起白旗，好好小睡一下。

When we lie in bed, it makes sense to think of ourselves as akin to a smaller, furry mammal, a rabbit or perhaps a squirrel.

當我們躺在床上的時候，試著把自己想象成一種嬌小的、毛茸茸的小動物，像是隻兔子或是松樹會是個很好的做法。

We should lift our knees up very close to our chests and pull the duvet over our heads.

我們應該把膝蓋抬起來到非常接近我們胸口的位置，然後把被子蓋過頭上。

We might soak a whole patch of the pillow with our tears.

我們的淚水可能會沾濕枕頭上的一整塊地方。

We should—metaphorically—stroke our own weary foreheads as a loving adult might once have done.

我們應該—比喻性地—像一個慈愛的成年人曾經對我們做的那樣，輕輕撫摸自己疲憊的額頭。

Grown-up life is intolerably hard and we should be allowed to know and lament this.

成年後的生活令人難以忍受，而我們應該被允許了解並感嘆這樣的現實。

We shouldn't feel weird in our weepy squirrel position.

我們不應該覺得自己的啜泣松鼠姿勢很奇怪。

Other people go to immense lengths to hide that they do, or would like to do, the very same sort of thing.

其他人其實是拼命想掩蓋他們其實也做過，或想要做這種類似的事情。

We need to know someone extremely well—better than we know 99% of humanity—before they will let us in on the scale of their despair and anxiety and their longings for a cozy, safe nook.

我們得要極為熟知一個人－要比其他 99% 的人還理解他－才能讓他們敞開心胸，告訴我們他們心中潛藏的絕望與焦躁，以及對一個舒適、安全睡眠的渴望。

It looks child-like but it is in fact the essence of adulthood to recognize, and give space for, one's regressive tendencies.

這樣的行為看起來很幼稚，但是認知到自己負面的傾向，並給予空間來處理這些問題其實是成年人必經的過程。

What the curled squirrel position indicates is that not all mental problems can be solved by active reasoning. Not thinking consciously should also be deemed a part of the mind's work.

蜷縮在一起的松鼠姿勢顯現了並不是所有的心理問題都能藉由積極的推理論證來解決。不去有意識地思考，也是腦袋的任務之一。

Being curled up in bed allows our minds to do a different sort of thinking, the sort that can take place when we are no longer impatiently looking for results, when the usual hectoring conscious self takes a break and lets the mind do what it will for a time.

蜷縮在床上能讓我們的腦袋以不同的想法，以不再急於求成的方式思考，讓我們慣於挑剔的意識自身休息一下，讓腦袋自由放空一段時間。

It is then, paradoxically, that certain richer, more creative ideas can have the peace and freedom to coalesce—as they may do when we are out for a walk in the countryside or idling while having a drink in a café.

矛盾的是，只有如此我們才能提供足夠的平靜和自由，讓更加豐富、富含創意的點子能夠凝聚在一起－它們會在我們在鄉間小道上散步，或是在咖啡館中放空發呆時出現。

Thinking isn't what we do best when it's all we're meant to do.

當我們僅只能專注在思考上時，我們其實無法真正好好思考。

There remain plenty of reasons to live.

生命中還有許多其他讓我們活下去的意義。

We simply may not be able to see them until we have allowed ourselves the privilege of a weepy nap or a long night's sleep.

我們可能只是單純還沒找到它們，直到允許自己有可以邊哭邊小睡一會，或是深深的在晚上沉眠的權利為止。

Follow the link on your screen now to explore our range of books, games and gifts, all designed to help you better understand yourself.

點擊螢幕上的連結來探索我們的書籍、遊戲與禮物，全是為了讓你能更加理解自己所設計的。