Sleep is vital. We know that our brains remain highly active when we sleep. Lack of sleep have many negative effects, both on our health and mental functions. Sleep is necessary for having a fully functioning brain when we are awake; perhaps because sleep helps to restore the energy consumed by the body and brain throughout the day. Sleep may also enable removal of harmful material that accumulate in the brain when we are awake. Sleep seems to play a crucial role in learning and memory, especially by aiding long-term storage of memories. (https://www.lifebrain.uio.no/publications/e-newsletters/sleephedda.html)
If you are interested in learning more about the topic and practice your reading skills at the same time, go to these sites:
https://arley360.com/sleep-allows-immune-cells-to-do-maintenance-work-on-the-brain/
So… sleep more! Your brain needs it!
After introducing this week’s topic, now let’s work on it!
First, we will focus on idioms and fixed phrases connected with sleep, for example sleep like a log, a light sleeper or a short nap.
Next, you will learn grammar structures of used to, be used to and get used. Have a look at this video to understand the difference:
You can also go to your Student’s Book page 143, Grammar Bank 6B 'used to, be used to and get used to' for some grammar reference or check the grammar explanation and try the exercises online from https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/grammar/intermediate-to-upper-intermediate/used-to-infinitive-and-be-or-get-used-to-ing.
Finally, you will watch a video of a short talk about brain maintenance by Arianna Huffington where she discusses the importance of a well-rested mind and body and answer the comprehension questions on the speech and speaker’s ideas.
Click here to dowload the worksheet:
THE KEYS WILL BE UPLOADED ON THE BLOG FOR YOU TO CHECK YOUR ANSWERS.
Once you have done all your work, let’s move to a short discussion point and ‘talk’ about some issues connected with sleep. Then, WRITE A COMMENT ON THE BLOG answering one of the following questions: (Please, when you write it, copy the question first and then answer the question)
- When you were a child, did you use to… share a room with a brother or sister / have nightmares / wake up very early in the morning?
- Do you have problems if you have to sleep in a bed that you aren’t used to sleeping in (e.g. in a hotel)?
- Do you think you would find it difficult to get used to… getting up at 5.30 a.m. every day / only being able to sleep for six hours a night / not having breakfast in the morning?
- How many hours are you used to sleeping? Would you like to sleep more?
- Could you get used to leaving electronic devices like your mobile phone outside the bedroom?
- Have you ever tried meditation? Do you think it can make you feel better?
- Why nowadays do so many people brag about how little sleep they get?
- Are there more and more people who suffer from insomnia because of stress at work?
27 replies on “How much sleep do you get?”
First question
When I was a child I used to share my room with my only brother who is younger than me, but I hated it because he couldn’t breath through his nose so he used to breath through his mouth and this noise annoyed me and woke me up.
I have never suffered from nightmares, I used to have very nice dreams.
When I was a child I used to wake up early in the morning regardless the week day, what it was a pain for my parents.
First question.
When I was born, I used to sleep alone in my own bedroom, but when my little sister born we share it, until we moved on to another house,where we had one bedroom from eachother.
I used to get early every day because my parents worked so
we were going to kindergarten, and on weekends
the routine was still the same.
I almost never had nightmares, I can´t remeber one but sometimes I had more problems to sleep because I was very restless
First question:
When you were a child, did you use to… share a room with a brother or sister / have nightmares / wake up very early in the morning?
When I was a child I used to share room with both my brother and sister, but specifically I used to share the bed with my sister as she used to have nightmares and be light sleeper. I wasn’t happy with it as I had to go to bed at the same time as she had , and that was very early.
I used to have very nice dreams when I was a child and I used to get up very early to go to school from Monday to Friday.
Also on the weekends I had to help my mother with the cleaning, so I got used to get up early every day.
Nowadays, I’m used to getting up early.
How many hours are you used to sleeping? Would you like to sleep more?
I usually sleep about 5 or 6 hours because I wake up a lot at night, although is true that when I was a child I neither used to sleep a lot.
I would like to sleep more, but it is impossible because I get up with the slightest sound and I can’t find the correct posture. Luckily I am used to sleeping few.
Question nº 4: How many hours are you used to sleeping? Would you like to sleep more?
I’m used to sleeping 7 to 8 hours a day, it took me a while to get used to working shifts at the hospital, that’s why I normally have to stay up all night. But otherwise I consider myself a night person with a tendency to function better at dawn and gradually I’m adapting to different schedules.
When I was a university student, at the weekends I used to sleep for a long time. Nowadays the reality is another, my work allows me to sleep just enough, I actually settle for a short nap during the day. To be honest, I usually have a light sleeper but in fact I still can’t get used to it. In short, I admit that I’d like to sleep much more.
Fifth question:
Could you get used to leaving electronic devices like your mobile phone outside the bedroom?
I used to leave my cell phone in the room when i was a child.Due to the fact that i was worried about being called,but after many years,i got used to taking it out, because I heard on TV that it was harmful to health.And as a consequence today,I’m used to leaving all the electronic devices out of the bedroom.I had to get used to leaving them out.
Have you ever tried meditation?Do you think it can make you feel better?
When I was younger I used to sleep very well.I had no problem falling asleep.
However for a few years I have been sleeping very well.
In my case,I have tried different sleeping methods,such as yoga,meditation etc,despite,this I can’t get used to sleeping very well.
On the other hand I am also used to having relax infusions before sleeping.
Finally I don’t want to get used to taking sleep medication for some reasons,one because I don’t think they can help me feel better,but on the contrary this would cause me a new problem,because this medication creates addiction,so I prefer natural methods.
Sorry my question is number 6
2. Do you have problems if you have to sleep in a bed that you aren’t used to sleeping in (e.g. in a hotel)?
When I was a child I used to sleep in diferent places due to my father’s job. However I’m used to sleeping in my bed now therefore I couln’t sleep in any other.
2. Do you have problems if you have to sleep in a bed that you aren’t used to sleeping in?
Well, when I was a child I didn’t use to sleep in other bed than my own, and the few times I did it, it was really difficult for me to get used to the new bed and it took me a while to fall asleep.
Nowadays I am very used to change my bed: in holidays I usually visit my parents and also other relatives and friends; when we don’t do that, we go to a hotel or a campsite… Besides, until very recently, I would have to finish the night in my small son’s bed…
So, I’ve gotten used to changing my bed so much, that I sleep like a log in almost any situation.
8. Are there more and more people who suffer from insomnia because of stress at work?
There are really more and more people who didn´t use to sleep because stress at work. I think they have to deal with a lot of pressure, what is more, nowadays a lot of people have problems to sleep.
When I was a child I used to share a room with my brother and I think that, if you sleep with someone else, you’ll get used to sleeping like a log.
Question N°7Why nowadays do so many people brag about how little sleep they get?
Nowadays the sleeping culture is non-existent and complaints about sleep quality increase every day. Undoubtedly there are many factors that influence our lifestyle. According to some research, since the beginning of humanity, our rhythm of life we used to mark it by the alternating of light/darkness until the coming of light electric and it has led us to do things that we’re not used to doing physiologically. For instance, being awake and active when there is no more natural light, this is added other factors such as noise, stress, work overload, irregular schedules. Therefore, it’s very hard to get used to being active and awake in these circumstances.
I have practiced meditation regularly for more than 20 years and in my opinion meditation is a very useful tool not only for sleeping.
Meditation allows you to get out of your continuous thoughts and it is those thoughts that in most cases prevent us from sleeping, that’s why I think that meditating helps to sleep better and in general to be happier
6.-Have you ever tried meditation? Do you think it can make you feel better?
I have practiced meditation regularly for more than 20 years and in my opinion meditation is a very useful tool not only for sleeping.
Meditation allows you to get out of your continuous thoughts and it is those thoughts that in most cases prevent us from sleeping, that’s why I think that meditating helps to sleep better and in general to be happier
1- When you were a child, did you use to… share a room with a brother or sister/have nightmares/wake up very early in the morning?
When I was a child I would share my bedroom with my sister. She is a light sleeper and when we would go to sleep I used to fall asleep before her. She would say to me that I would speak in dreams and she couldn´t sleep. She didn´t get used to that. So when we moved to other house she had her own bedroom. Now she is used to sleeping alone.
About nightmares, I don´t remember it. But I remember that the weekends I would wake up very early in the morning because I was used to waking up very early to go to school from Monday to Friday.
Do you have problems if you have to sleep in a bed that you aren’t used to sleeping in (e.g. in a hotel)?
I’m used to slepping in my bed but for me it isn’t a problem to slep in other place. When I go to a hotel I can slep without any problem because I get used to slepping in a different bed very quite easily. But when I was a child we used to go to visit our family and I wouldn’t slep in a different bed.
Sorry Ana, I have realised that I made a mistake with a verb “sleep”
I’m used to sleeping in my bed but for me it isn’t a problem to sleep in other place. When I go to a hotel I can sleep without any problem because I get used to sleeping in a different bed very quite easily. But when I was a child we used to go to visit our family and I wouldn’t sleep in a different bed.
How many hours are you used to sleeping? Would you like to sleep more?
– Since I was a child,I don’t usually sleep much due to I am used to getting up very early since I have always got up very early to go to school. Normally, on weekdays I am used to sleeping 6 or 7 hours but on weekends I’m used to sleeping a little bit more.
The truth is that I would like to sleep a little more between weeks, since sometimes I feel very tired from having accumulated tiredness. Tiredness would be reduced by sleeping one or two hours more and being more rested.
Question 8: Are there more and more people who suffer from insomnia because of stress at work?
In the past, people used to have a normal working hours, but several bosses or companies decided to extend working hours, thereby workers have little time to rest. Nowadays, workers are not used to working to many hours. They suffer insomnia because stress, it is common in any person. I used to work in the mornings while studied and was going to class in the afternoons, and caused me a little bit of insomnia. So my answer is: yes, people normaly have insomnia because of stress at work.
How many hours are you used to sleeping? Would you like to sleep more?
-I’m used to sleeping 6 hours a day. I´m a very nervous person and I love having many hours a day to be able to do several things, because I work shifts.
-I wouldn’t like to sleep more, because luckily I sleep very deeply and I think that I don’t need more hours. When I wake up, I’m full of energy!! This happened to me since I was a child, so it’s not weird to me.
First Question
When I was child I used to share my romm with my sister who is younger than me. Every night my sister used to listen the radio very loud, she loved to listen to scary stories on the radio, I didn’t get used to sleeping with radio, for this reason I used to have nightmares.
Incredible !!!! but nowadays I can’t sleep without a radio under my pillow and my favourites programs are scary shows!!!!!
I used to wake up early on the weekend because my father used to buy churros and hot chocolate for breakfast.
Second question: Do you have problems if you have to sleep in a bed that you aren’t used to sleeping in (e.g. in a hotel)?
When I was a child I used to have problems sleeping in unknown places. I remember that I used to go to the camping and sleep with my cousins. Since I was the youngest, I used to going to bed earlier, but I didn´t fall asleep.
However, nowadays I´m used to sleeping anywhere. In fact, I´m used to changing places to sleep.
– Campsite.
– I used to go to bed earlier.
2 Question.
When I was a child I used to sleep in diferent places due to my father’s job. However I’m used to sleeping in my bed now, therefore I coulnd’t sleep in any other.
First question: When you were a child, did you use to… share a room with a brother or sister / have nightmares / wake up very early in the morning?
When I was a child I used to share my room with my four sisters. I didn’t care because I was afraid of the dark and therefore felt more protected.
We slept in bunks. He was used to sleeping in the bed above.
I used to have nightmares when I watched scary movies, so I would get into my sister’s bed.
When I was a child I used to get up early. I was the first to get up, but now I like the night and usually go to bed late and get up late when I don’t work.
6. Have you ever tried meditation? Do you think it can make you feel better?
I have tried meditation for several times, at the moment I´m like a beginner. I decide to begin meditation because I used to feel stress for work, and I had to do something with that situation. Currently, I´m getting used to doing meditation every night, twenty minutes before sleeping. So I hope to make meditation a habit, because I feel much better with it.
When you were a child, did you use to… share a room with a brother or sister / have nightmares / wake up very early in the morning?
Although my brother is ten years older than me when i was a child i used to share my room and my bed with him, because he had a lot of nightmares.
When i was a child i used to wake up very late and nowaday i like to wake up if i can.