KrumetoName ____________________Date __________

Sleep

B1 · 496 words · ≈ 3 min

Sleep (also called napping) is a state of resting. It happens in most animals, including humans. To sleep is to be unconscious.
During deep sleep, most of the muscles that animals can control are not active, but resting to regain the energy they need for the next time they wake up. When asleep, humans cannot tell what is happening around them. Like most animals, healthy sleep in humans most often happens at night.
When something is asleep, it cannot react like it would if it was awake. However, waking up from sleep is easier than waking up from hibernation or a coma. All mammals and birds, as well as many reptiles, amphibians and fish have a sleep cycle. In humans and many other animals, regular sleep is essential for survival.
It seems that all animals with complex brains have sleep. We know that sleep is extremely important to human health and well-being. Humans and animals need sleep but we do not know exactly why. If one is tired (from not getting enough sleep), one will not be able to function properly in common activities. Being sleep-deprived leads to struggling to remember information, changing one's mood, energy, health, focus and a number of other effects. This is why people are told to not drive or use big machines when they feel tired. Sleep deprivation (not allowing a person enough sleep) can even be used as torture. Sleep deprivation causes negative effects for the person such as: irritability (annoyed mood), forgetting things or amnesia, and some pains (for example back ache or neck pain) in different areas of the body. Also, the immune system normally releases compounds known as cytokines which are used to help fight inflammation and infection. If a person does not get enough sleep, their body cannot protect them from illness. The body may not have time to complete memory recollection, muscle repair, and release hormones that regulate growth and appetite.
During daytime, the Sun is out, and most people are awake. People work, go to school, or complete daily errands and activities. Some people sleep for a short time in the early afternoon for a quick rest—or because they are not able to sleep during the day. This is called a nap. A good nap should is recommended to last between 15 and 30 minutes. Naps that are 30–60 minutes can make someone feel dazed, confused, and less focused. It can also make it harder to sleep at night.
In some countries, most notably where the weather is warm, there is a tradition to take a nap early in the afternoon. This tradition is called siesta. It is most common in Spain and Latin America. Some stores and services close while their owners and/or employees take their siesta. It is common because the day gets hottest when the sun is up in the sky and strong. Therefore, people do their activities early in the morning and later in the evening, when it is cooler.

Words to know

unconscious B2: not awake and not aware of anything — bewusstlos — inconsciente — inconscient — svenuto — nieprzytomny — inconsciente — без сознания — bilinçsiz — непритомний, несвідомий, підсвідомий
regain B1: get back — wiedergewinnen — reconseguir — reprendre, reconquérir — recuperare, riprendere, riguadagnare — odzyskać — reconquistar — вернуть, отыскать, возвращать — geri almak — повертати собі
coma B2: a long, deep unconscious state after illness or injury — Koma — coma — coma — coma — śpiączka — coma — кома — koma — кома
essential B1: completely necessary — notwendig, unverzichtbar, essenziell — esencial, menester — indispensable — fondamentale, essenziale, indispensabile — niezbędny, zasadniczy — essencial — необходимый, важный — elzem, zaruri — необхідний, важливий, істотний
deprivation C1: not having something that you need — Entziehen — privación — privation — privazione — pozbawienie — privação — лишение — позбавлення
irritability: being easily annoyed
inflammation B2: red, painful swelling in part of the body — Entzündung — inflamación — inflammation — infiammazione — zapalenie — inflamação — воспаление — enflamasyon, iltihap — запалення
errand: short trips to do jobs, like shopping — Besorgung — mandado, recado — incarico — sprawa — поручение, задание — tedarik — завдання, задача, доручення
dazed: unable to think clearly — verwirrt — atolondrado — abasourdi — scioccato, sbalordito, stupefatto — confuso, atordoado — изумлённый, ошеломлённый
siesta: a short sleep in the afternoon in hot countries — Mittagsschlaf, Siesta — siesta — sieste — siesta — poobiednia drzemka — sesta — сиеста, тихий час, мёртвый час

Text: Simple English Wikipedia, “Sleep”, Wikipedia contributors, https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleep · CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) · shortened · Translations: English Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) · Worksheet: https://krumeto.com/read/sleep

KrumetoSleepName ____________________

A. Choose the right answer

According to paragraph 3, which is easiest to wake up from? B1
1. a) Deep sleep
2. b) Ordinary sleep
3. c) A coma
4. d) Hibernation
Which animals have a sleep cycle, according to the text? B1
1. a) Only humans and the other mammals
2. b) All mammals and birds and many other animals
3. c) Every animal, even those without brains
4. d) Only mammals and birds, no other animals
Why are tired people told not to drive? B2
1. a) Lack of sleep harms memory, focus and mood.
2. b) Their immune system stops working while driving.
3. c) Driving can put people into a coma.
4. d) Tiredness causes back pain.
What do cytokines do? B1
1. a) They help fight inflammation and infection.
2. b) They control growth and appetite.
3. c) They cause irritability and annoyed moods.
4. d) They help tired muscles regain energy.
How long should a good nap last? B1
1. a) Less than five minutes
2. b) Between 30 and 60 minutes
3. c) Between 15 and 30 minutes
4. d) About two hours
What may happen after a 50-minute nap? B2
1. a) Nothing, because it is a normal siesta.
2. b) You may feel dazed and find it harder to sleep at night.
3. c) Your body will have time to finish muscle repair.
4. d) You will feel more focused for the rest of the day.
Why is the siesta common in countries like Spain? B1
1. a) People there cannot sleep at night.
2. b) Shops are closed in the morning.
3. c) Employees work through the evening.
4. d) The middle of the day is the hottest time.

B. Answer in full sentences

How many hours do you usually sleep, and how do you feel when you sleep less? Describe your routine.
Should schools and workplaces allow short naps? Use information from the text to support your view.

KrumetoSleepAnswer key

Answer key

b) Ordinary sleep — Paragraph 3 says waking up from sleep is easier than from hibernation or a coma.
b) All mammals and birds and many other animals — Paragraph 3 lists all mammals and birds, as well as many reptiles, amphibians and fish.
a) Lack of sleep harms memory, focus and mood. — Paragraph 4 lists the effects on memory, mood and focus, and says this is why tired people should not drive.
a) They help fight inflammation and infection. — Paragraph 4 says cytokines help fight inflammation and infection; hormones regulate growth and appetite.
c) Between 15 and 30 minutes — Paragraph 5 says a good nap should last between 15 and 30 minutes.
b) You may feel dazed and find it harder to sleep at night. — Paragraph 5 says naps of 30–60 minutes can make someone dazed and make it harder to sleep at night.
d) The middle of the day is the hottest time. — Paragraph 6 says the day gets hottest when the sun is high, so people are active in the cooler morning and evening.