More than one in five people in Taiwan suffers from insomnia likely caused by stress due to the economic woes, a figure higher than the global average, researchers said on Wednesday.

逾1/5的台灣人有失眠困擾，這可能肇因於經濟衰退的壓力。這個數字高過全世界的平均值，研究人員週三表示。

The survey of 4,005 people found that 21.8 percent of the population has chronic trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, said Lee Hsin-chien, psychiatry chairman at government-run Shuang-Ho Hospital in Taipei.

這項對4,005人進行的調查發現，21.8%的人口有慢性入睡困難或難以保持睡眠狀態的問題，台北的署立雙和醫院精神科主任李信謙說。

Overseas, averages of 10 to 15 percent of the population reports insomnia, he said, while Taiwan’s rate was about 10 percent in 2000.

他說，在國外，平均10-15%的人有失眠問題，而台灣2000年失眠人口的比例約為10%。

Stress due to recession on the export-reliant island earlier this year might have contributed to the increase, Lee said.

這個仰賴出口之島今年稍早經濟衰退造成的壓力，可能與失眠人數上升有關，李表示。

Diabetes, hypertension, anxiety and depression may also be driving insomnia as health generally declines in the face of an increasingly Western lifestyle, he added.

隨著生活方式日益西化，人們整體健康狀況下滑，糖尿病、高血壓、焦慮、抑鬱等都可能導致失眠症狀，他補充說。

《新聞辭典》

make for：意指造成、有助於；例句：The large print makes for easier reading. （大型字體有利閱讀。）此片語亦可當作移向、衝向解釋，且通常用在速度很快且已有目標的情況；例句：It started raining, so she made for the nearest shelter. （開始下雨了，所以她衝向最近的躲雨地方。）

insomnia：醫學名詞，失眠症。例句：I suffer from insomnia and have to rely on sleeping pills.（我患有失眠，要吃安眠藥。）

woe：名詞，困難；災難；不幸。例句：She told him all her woes.（她向他傾訴全部苦惱。）

自由時報-981219

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