LESSON 12: HUMAN BEING

We all do it! But do we get enough sleep? Read on to find out if you are sleep deprived.

Sleepy teenagers
It’s official. Teenagers need more sleep than their parents. According to sleep experts, people aged between
10 and 17 need to sleep between 8.5 and 9.25 hours each night. Are you tired at the moment? What time did
you go to bed last night? Have you ever fallen asleep in a class? Recent research shows that 25 per cent of
the UK population suffer from some sort of sleep disorder and two-thirds of British children may be sleep
deprived.
Sleep lessons
Research in Scotland has shown that teenagers are suffering from sleep deprivation which is causing
problems with behaviour, concentration and learning. To get nine hours sleep, a teenager needs to go to bed
at about 10 p.m. during the school week. However, many young people watch TV till around midnight and
then play computer games till late into the night. Teachers in Scotland now give lessons on the importance
of sleep to their teenage pupils. The teachers want young people to understand that sleep is very important
if you want to do well at school and enjoy your life.
Sleeping habits
People of different ages from around the UK emailed us about their sleeping habits:
‘I have a strange habit of falling asleep when I watch the television and it usually happens when I am
watching something I am really interested in! The television seems to hypnotise me and I doze off really
easily. Then when I go upstairs to bed I find I can’t sleep and I usually listen to the radio for hours and hours
during the night.’
Philip, aged 64

‘I have an eight-month-old baby and a three-year-old so I don’t get much sleep at the moment. In fact, I
can’t remember the last time I had a whole night’s sleep. Last night I think I had about five hours, as the
baby woke up three times. I am suffering from fatigue, because I work during the day and it can be difficult
to stay awake when I haven’t slept much.’
Clare, aged 35

‘I share a room with my older brother. He snores! It’s really annoying.’

Clyde, aged 16

‘I read in the paper the other day that most children in Britain don’t sleep enough. They watch TV until late
in the evening and then they are really tired at school. I’m a teacher and sometimes in the classes after
lunch the students look as if they are about to fall asleep. They yawn a lot and look quite exhausted! Some
people say that maybe school should start later for teenagers. I think they might be right.’
Jag, aged 29

Sleep advice
If you have a sleep problem here is some advice from the sleep experts:
You shouldn’t drink tea or coffee in the evenings.
You should go to bed at the same time every night, even at the weekend.
I. Match the words and phrases with their definitions:

Words Meanings

1. Fall asleep (v phr) a) to open your mouth wide because you feel sleepy

2. Doze off (phrasal v) /doʊz/
3. Sleep deprivation (n phr)
/ˌdeprɪˈveɪʃn/
4. Yawn (v) /jɔːn/
b) extreme tiredness, usually because of hard work
or exercise
c) to have a short, light sleep (during the day)
without intending to, while you are doing
something else (e.g. reading a book, watching
television, studying in class) = take/have a nap
d) extremely tired

5. Snore (v) /snɔːr/ e) to start sleeping

6. Stay awake (v phr) f) not getting enough sleep

7. Exhausted (adj) g) to make a sound when breathing in while you are

/ɪɡˈzɔːstɪd/ sleeping
8. fatigue (n) /fəˈtiːɡ/ h) not sleeping

II. Read a text about sleep and decide whether these sentences are True or False
1. Teenagers need between 10 and 17 hours of sleep a night.
2. A quarter of people in the UK have problems with their sleep.
3. Not getting enough sleep can cause problems at school.
4. Philip watches television in bed.
5. Clare has three small children.
6. Clyde likes sharing a room with his brother.
7. Jag’s students seem very tired in the afternoon.
8. It is recommended to have a regular bedtime.