睡眠经济 The Sleep Economy

上个月shàng ge yuè我wǒ总是zǒngshì失眠shīmián，朋友péngyou建议jiànyì我wǒ试试shìshi“助眠zhùmián”产品chǎnpǐn。

Last month I kept having trouble sleeping, so a friend suggested I try some "sleep aid" products.

我wǒ先xiān买mǎi了le一瓶yìpíng褪黑素tuìhēisù，又yòu买mǎi了le一台yìtái白噪音机器bái zàoyīn jīqì，一共yígòng花huā了le三百多sānbǎi duō块钱kuài qián。

I first bought a bottle of melatonin, then a white-noise machine, spending over three hundred yuan in total.

后来hòulái我wǒ才cái知道zhīdào，这些zhèxiē都dōu属于shǔyú“睡眠经济shuìmián jīngjì”：一个yí gè专门zhuānmén为了wèile帮助bāngzhù人们rénmen睡好觉shuì hǎo jiào而ér出现chūxiàn的de市场shìchǎng。

Later I learned that all of these belong to the "sleep economy" — a market that has emerged specifically to help people sleep well.

据说jùshuō，仅仅jǐnjǐn去年qùnián一年yìnián，这个zhège市场shìchǎng的de规模guīmó就jiù超过chāoguò了le四千亿元sìqiān yì yuán。

It's said that in just last year alone, the size of this market exceeded 400 billion yuan.

除了chúle褪黑素tuìhēisù和hé白噪音机器bái zàoyīn jīqì以外yǐwài，还有háiyǒu专门zhuānmén帮人bāng rén计算jìsuàn睡眠shuìmián时间shíjiān的de智能手环zhìnéng shǒuhuán。

Besides melatonin and white-noise machines, there are also smart wristbands specifically designed to track people's sleep time.

说实话shuō shíhuà，买mǎi了le这些zhèxiē东西dōngxi以后yǐhòu，我wǒ确实quèshí睡得shuì de稍微shāowēi好hǎo了le一点儿yìdiǎnr。

To be honest, after buying these things, I really did sleep a little better.

可是kěshì有yǒu一天yìtiān晚上wǎnshang，我wǒ突然tūrán发现fāxiàn自己zìjǐ躺tǎng在zài床上chuángshàng，一边yìbiān戴着dàizhe手环shǒuhuán，一边yìbiān还hái在zài刷shuā手机shǒujī。

But one night, I suddenly noticed myself lying in bed, wearing the wristband on one hand while still scrolling on my phone.

那一刻nà yíkè我wǒ才cái明白míngbai，真正zhēnzhèng让ràng我wǒ睡不着shuì bu zháo的de，也许yěxǔ不是bú shì缺少quēshǎo工具gōngjù，而是érshì舍不得shěbude放下fàngxià手机shǒujī。

At that moment I finally understood: what was really keeping me awake probably wasn't a lack of tools, but my reluctance to put down my phone.

从那以后cóng nà yǐhòu，我wǒ睡前shuì qián先xiān把bǎ手机shǒujī放在fàng zài另一个lìng yí gè房间fángjiān，效果xiàoguǒ比bǐ任何rènhé产品chǎnpǐn都dōu好hǎo。

Since then, I've started putting my phone in another room before bed, and the effect has been better than any product.

🔊 Audio uses your device's Chinese voice for now — teacher recordings are coming. Tap any word to see its meaning.

Key words 生词

失眠shīmiáninsomnia; to have trouble sleeping

褪黑素tuìhēisùmelatonin

白噪音bái zàoyīnwhite noise

睡眠经济shuìmián jīngjìsleep economy

规模guīmóscale; size

智能手环zhìnéng shǒuhuánsmart wristband

Grammar note 语法点

属于… — to belong to

属于 classifies something as part of a larger category or group.

这些都属于“睡眠经济”。 — All of these belong to the "sleep economy."

除了…以外，还… — besides X, there is also Y

This pattern introduces an additional item beyond what has already been mentioned.

除了褪黑素和白噪音机器以外，还有智能手环。 — Besides melatonin and white-noise machines, there are also smart wristbands.

一边…一边… — to do two things at the same time

一边…一边… describes two simultaneous actions performed by the same subject.

我一边戴着手环，一边还在刷手机。 — I was wearing the wristband while still scrolling on my phone.

Check yourself 小测验

1. What did the writer buy first?

2. How large was the sleep economy market last year, according to the text?

3. What did the writer realize was really keeping them awake?

After this reading

Reading is the easy part. Speaking is where you get stuck.

I'm Fei, and I teach Mandarin one-on-one on Preply. Bring this text to a trial lesson — we'll fix your tones and turn it into a real conversation.

Book a trial lesson →

睡眠经济Shuìmián jīngjìThe Sleep Economy

Key words 生词

Grammar note 语法点

Check yourself 小测验

Reading is the easy part. Speaking is where you get stuck.

More HSK 5 reading practice