-
![]()
-
![]()
次の英文を読み, 下記の設問に答えなさい。
There are few things on this planet that give me greater joy than making my home the most
comfortable, relaxing place possible. So, one winter a few years ago, when my fiancé had a bout of
insomnia, I sprang into action, gathering all the things that held promise for a great sleep: black-out
curtains, a white noise machine, and the cult favorite
a weighted blanket.
Weighted blankets, which cost anywhere from $100 and up, are a sleep aid usually made in a duvet
style, with the many squares throughout filled with heavy beads. Lovers of the weighted blanket claim
that under its weight they can relax faster, leading to a better and deeper sleep. These blankets weigh
anywhere from 5 to 14 kg, and manufacturers generally recommend choosing one that's not more than
10 percent of your body weight, although this seems to be just a rule of thumb and not based on
scientific study.
[1]
"Absolutely love it," my friend Greg Malone tells me over Facebook one day. "Rotating shifts makes
[a] to sleep hard, but my girlfriend got me one as a gift, and I have found it's made a big difference in
falling and staying asleep.'
However, Deep Pressure Therapy (DPT)— the act of using firm but gentle pressure on the
body to reduce anxiety has been practiced for centuries in various forms.
In 1987, a limited study found that many college students who used DPT reported feeling less anxious
after [b] full-body pressure for 15 minutes (in an adorably titled "Hug'm Machine"), although the
researchers did not note any physical changes like lowered heart rate or blood pressure that would
indicate the participants were more relaxed.
That being said, a 2016 study found that patients who used a weighted blanket while having their
wisdom teeth removed tended to have a slower heart rate than (2)patients who underwent the procedure
without, which may indicate that they were more relaxed. However, many patients didn't report feeling
more relaxed, and since they each only went through the procedure once, it's difficult to tell if the
weighted blanket was the key to calming down.
2 Some say that simply the fact that a weighted blanket makes it more difficult to toss and turn
at night makes for a better night's sleep, while others claim it has something to do with [c] the blood
vessels on the surface of our skin that causes our heart rate to slow down. It also could be that the
feeling reminds us of times when we felt the safest, like getting a hug from someone who cares for us or
when our parents would swaddle us as newborns.
3 Similar to how many people adore the feeling of a soft blanket against their skin or can't
relax without their favorite scented candle burning, others might connect with the feeling of gentle, full-
body pressure. The trick is finding the sensory cue that makes you the most comfortable.
"Weighted blankets have been around for a long time, especially for kids with autism or behavioral
disturbances," Dr. Cristina Cusin, an assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, told
Harvard Health. "It is one of the sensory tools commonly used in psychiatric units. Patients who are in
distress may choose different types of sensory activities holding a cold object, [d] particular
aromas, manipulating dough, building objects, doing arts and crafts - to try to calm down."
My fiancé immediately disliked the 9-kg blanket I had picked up and said it made him feel
like he was trapped. He's not alone in (3) this.
"I liked it at first, but then as the night went on, I felt trapped," Heather Eickmann, a family friend,
told me. "Also, I sleep on my side, and it really started to make my hip and knee joints ache."
With the weighted blanket making my partner's sleep worse, I decided to give it a try myself. And
(4)
while I didn't find it too heavy to curl up under, the 9-kg blanket did turn making the bed into a small
strength exercise. Overall, I tend to be a good sleeper, so swapping out blankets didn't make any
outstanding differences to the quality of my snooze. However, later that summer, (5) ²
を使ってみたら, まったく別の理由で夜中に目をさましているのに気づいた。 The blanket was HOT.
[ Jones, Emma. "Can Weighted Blankets Help You Sleep Better?" Healthing 15.
11 May 2021. 出題の都合上、原文の一部に変更を加えている。】
設問
1. 下線部(1)を日本語に訳しなさい。 ただし, "one” の具体的内容を文脈に即して明らかにすること。
2. 下線部(2)の具体的内容を文脈に即して30字以内 (句読点も含む) の日本語で説明しなさい。
3. 下線部(3)の具体的内容を文脈に即して35字以内 (句読点も含む) の日本語で説明しなさい。
4. 下線部(4)を日本語に訳しなさい。
5. 下線部(5) を英語に訳しなさい。
