正在討論一個議題，發現對方提出不著邊際的想法，他的說法文不對題，甚至語無倫次，有些時候，那位搞不清楚狀況的可能就是你我。

有那麼一刻，我們體會到過往針對一個事件的觀點與事實正好顛倒，我們誤解了真相，我們做了很糟糕的選擇。

為了展現身段，我們會做出很荒唐的決定，為了便宜行事，我們也會做出讓自己深覺匪夷所思的決定。

人生經常就是麼一回事，曾經天經地義的光明正大，如今卻是不攻自破的荒誕不經。

犯錯是小事，知錯不改是大事，貪小便宜是小事，上癮是大事。

嘗試用非自然的方式解決自然的事情，只有人類會做這樣的事情，而且越做越離譜，越活越不像高等生物的行為。

 

看著小朋友誤把桌上的烈酒拿來當飲料喝，你迅速的嚇阻，容許自己吞下一把化學藥品，你總是暗示自己合理。

小朋友必須在十點鐘之前就寢，你則容許自己半夜兩點上床，小朋友不會有睡眠障礙，你早已發現自己很難好好睡一覺。

你總是安慰自己老了、年紀不小了，不曾告誡自己糟了、積非成是了。

想起大學時翹了第一堂課，結果翹到變成習慣，最終被死當，人生為何總是「早知如此，何必當初」？

回想一下，日夜顛倒的生活是怎麼開始的？第一顆安眠藥是什麼情況開始吞的？再想一下，覺得夜深人靜的時候精神狀況特別好的情況有多久了？

聽到學者分析極端氣候和地球的危機，深覺所言甚是，就是想不到自己的身體正處於極端氣候的大自然反撲。

 

有一件留在我記憶深處的印象，關於睡眠，不知道有幾百人對我陳述睡眠障礙的困擾，這種現象是結果，原因必然存在。

好比所有文明疾病的共同生活背景，那種時間到了就得吃的現象，現代人經營疾病的現象很一致，理所當然的迷失也很一致。

長久對疾病的觀察紀錄，累積在身上的脂肪和食物毒是生病的基礎，在意別人觀點所累積的情緒毒是引爆點，睡覺的學分沒修好導致情況更加惡化。

食物毒和情緒毒都是干擾睡眠的因素，夜晚躺在床上仍然收到來自消化道的忙碌提醒是其一，委屈和憤怒留在思緒中導致腦袋無法放空是其二。

睡眠困難成為一種通病，把複雜成因細部分類，不好睡存在時代背景，夜間照明難辭其咎，夜間工作和夜生活是催生睡眠障礙的因素。

所有因素都不敵輕視睡眠的重要價值，價值順序不修正，怎麼努力都無濟於事，身體反撲，你無法抵擋。

 

每一個案例都苦於無從改善，那種急於導正的念頭還在，累積多年的壞習慣終究無解，急躁、困擾、愁眉不展都是干擾，都無濟於事。

有一個議題聽起來和睡不好的困擾無關，卻很值得你我深思，思考一下地球最原始的生物型態，那是沒有多細胞生物、只有單細胞生物的時代。

細菌成就了各式各樣的生態，沒有細菌就沒有食物鏈，沒有細菌就不會有你我的生命跳動，沒有細菌就沒有我們細胞內的粒腺體。

讓細菌拯救你的睡眠，這聽起來不可思議的論調，卻是你我都應該放進邏輯思考的重要題綱。

細菌是腸道內的全新器官，號稱我們身上的第三個腦，把這個聽起來極度虛擬的器官組織起來，讓身體重生，讓睡眠回歸。

如果這一切距離你的思維好遙遠，就是你得回歸學生身分的提醒，為何身處科技世代的我們要學習細菌學分，因為現代人身上幾乎沒有健全的細菌生態。

 

為什麼睡不著？為什麼睡覺成為現代人普遍的困境？因為我們打從心裡面輕視睡眠，因為我們打從心裡面忽視細菌的價值。

練就身體的思考模式，那是不偏不倚從身體的立場而存在的思考邏輯，那是不折不扣從不求回報的目的而行為的動機模式。

尊重晝夜的定律，敬重法則的規定，渺小的我們必然獲得生機，因為慈悲呼應慈悲，謙卑連結謙卑，誠懇理解誠懇。

珍惜所擁有，睡眠也是一種擁有。

 

（我熱愛睡眠，你知道嗎？我的生命在清醒時都有陷入分裂狀態的傾向。）

 

Why Can’t We Sleep?

When discussing a topic, we sometimes encounter someone whose ideas seem completely off-track, whose statements are incoherent or irrelevant. And sometimes, that confused person might be us.

There are moments when we realize that our previous views on an issue were completely opposite to reality. We misunderstood the truth, made terrible choices, and acted foolishly just to appear flexible or to take shortcuts, only to later find our decisions utterly baffling.

Life is often like this. What once seemed unquestionably right and justifiable now appears absurd and baseless. Making mistakes is one thing; failing to correct them is another. Seeking small advantages is minor, but becoming addicted to them is a major issue.

Only humans attempt to solve natural problems in unnatural ways—and the more we do it, the more extreme and irrational we become, behaving less like advanced beings.
—

Imagine a child mistaking a bottle of liquor on the table for a soft drink. You would immediately stop them. Yet, you allow yourself to swallow handfuls of chemical pills, convincing yourself it’s reasonable.

You enforce a strict bedtime of 10 PM for children, yet you let yourself stay up until 2 AM. Children sleep soundly, while you struggle to get a good night’s rest.

You reassure yourself that it’s just part of aging, but never do you warn yourself that you’ve been normalizing bad habits for too long.

Think back to skipping your first university class. One absence led to another until it became a habit, eventually resulting in failure. Why is life full of “If only I had known”?

How did your upside-down sleep schedule begin? When did you take your first sleeping pill? How long have you felt unusually awake in the dead of night?

We listen to scientists discuss climate change and global crises, agreeing with their warnings—yet we fail to realize that our bodies are also experiencing extreme climate changes and natural backlash.
—

One thing has remained in my memory: countless people have told me about their sleep disorders. Sleep issues are a symptom; there must be underlying causes.

Like all modern diseases, poor sleep shares a common background—a lifestyle of eating at fixed times rather than when truly hungry, a tendency to manage illness rather than prevent it, and a universal, unquestioned sense of being lost.

Years of observation have shown that accumulated body fat and food toxins form the foundation of illness, while suppressed emotions, influenced by external judgments, serve as the trigger. Failing to “study” proper sleep only worsens the condition.

Both food toxins and emotional toxins disrupt sleep. The digestive system remains overactive at night, sending signals of unfinished business, while unresolved grievances and anger keep the mind restless.

Sleep disorders are becoming a modern epidemic. Breaking down the causes, we see that they are tied to our era—artificial lighting, night shifts, and nightlife all contribute.

Yet, the most significant factor is our disregard for the value of sleep. No amount of effort will help if we don’t correct our priorities. Our bodies will eventually retaliate, and we will be powerless to resist.
—

Every case of sleep trouble stems from years of accumulated bad habits, making change seem impossible. The frustration, anxiety, and desperation only add to the problem.

But consider a seemingly unrelated question: what was life like in the earliest days of the Earth, before multicellular organisms existed, when only single-celled life thrived?

Bacteria created the foundation for all ecosystems. Without bacteria, there would be no food chain, no heartbeat in living creatures, and no mitochondria within our cells.

Can bacteria save your sleep? This idea may sound absurd, but it is a crucial topic we should seriously consider.

Bacteria act as a new “organ” within the gut, often called our “third brain.” Organizing and nurturing this seemingly invisible entity can restore our bodies and reclaim our sleep.

If this concept feels distant from your understanding, take it as a reminder to return to a student mindset. Why, in this age of advanced technology, must we learn about bacteria? Because modern humans have nearly lost a healthy bacterial ecosystem within their bodies.
—

Why can’t we sleep? Why has sleep become a universal struggle in modern society? Because we fundamentally underestimate its importance and overlook the value of bacteria.

We must train our bodies to think—not through biased reasoning, but through an impartial, body-centered logic. We must act not for immediate gains but from a selfless, intrinsic motivation.

Respect the natural laws of day and night. Follow the rhythms of nature. In our smallness, we will find vitality—because kindness responds to kindness, humility connects to humility, and sincerity understands sincerity.

Cherish what you have. Sleep is one of those treasures.

 

Articled By Li Wei Chen, Translated By ChatGPT