Sleep: Study Materials and Discussion Questions

STUDY MATERIALS

Articles

• 17 Proven Tips to Sleep Better at Night

• Why is sleep important? 9 reasons to get a good night’s rest 

• What Are the Best and Healthiest Sleeping Positions for Your Health 

Videos

• What happens when we sleep? | The Economist 

•  How sleep works: The reasons why we can’t live without it 

• • A walk through the stages of sleep
    Full Ted Talks
  • Matt Walker: Sleep is your superpower | TED Talk (K) 

• Arianna Huffington: How to succeed? Get more sleep | TED Talk (K) 

• Russell Foster: Why do we sleep? | TED Talk  (K) 

Short Ted Talks

• Matt Walker: Hacking your memory — with sleep | TED Talk  

• Matt Walker: What’s the connection between sleep and Alzheimer’s disease? | TED Talk 

• Matt Walker: How sleep affects your emotions | TED Talk  (K)

• Matt Walker: How caffeine and alcohol affect your sleep | TED Talk (K) 

 

Discussion Questions

1. How many hours of sleep do you usually get (weeknights and on the weekend)?
2. Do you get enough sleep?
3. What time do you usually go to bed?  What time do you usually wake up?
4. What do you do before you go to bed?
5. How long does it usually take you to fall asleep?
6. What is your wake-up routine?
7. What position do you sleep in? 
8. Do you use sleep apps? 
9. How often do you experience insomnia?
10. What helps you (or prevents you) from sleeping well? (temperature, lighting, noise, foods, etc.)
11. What do you remember about bedtime and sleep habits from childhood?
12. What do you sleep on? (matt, type of mattress, sofa, etc.?)
13. What do you think about when you lie awake at night?
14. Have you ever pulled an all-nighter? When and why?
15. What happens if you don’t get enough sleep? 
16.  Do you like taking naps?
17. Have you ever taken a nap at work?
18. Did you ever fall asleep during class?
19. Who are the best and worst sleepers in your family?
20. Do you sleep well away from home?  (hotel, bus, airplanes, etc.)
21. What and how much do you eat and drink before bed?
22. Have you ever experienced sleep paralysis?
23. Are you more of a night owl or an early bird?
24. Do you often remember your dreams?
25. Do you have any recurring dreams?
26. Do you believe dreams have special meanings?
27. Have you ever dreamt in English?
28. Do you use an alarm to wake up?  What kind of alarm audio?
29. Do you prefer to use the snooze option or wake up right away?
30. Are you a heavy sleeper or a light sleeper?

Sleep Vocabulary and Idioms

• hit the sack/ hit the hay  =  go to bed
• tuck someone in  =  put a child into their bed, making them comfortable & ready to sleep
• Sleep tight!  =  sleep well (a way of saying ‘goodnight’ to someone)
• out like a light  =  fall asleep immediately
• sleep like a baby  =  sleep very deeply and peacefully
• sleep like a log  =  sleep very deeply, nothing can wake you
• not sleep a wink  = not sleep at all
• toss and turn  =  experience restless sleep with lots of moving around 
• a light sleeper  =  a person who wakes up easily in the night
• up at the crack of dawn  =  get up very early
• sleep late:  wake up late
• sleep in – to stay in bed longer than you usually do
• go to sleep late: to stay up very late
• a catnap – a short sleep in the day
• a night owl – someone who stays up late, someone who functions better at night
• fast/sound asleep – deeply asleep
• shut-eye – sleep
• to catch some Zs – to get some sleep
• to drop/nod off – to (briefly and unintentionally) fall asleep
• to get up on the wrong side of the bed – to start the day in a bad mood 
• to lose sleep over something – to worry about something
• to sleep on it – to delay making a decision until the next day so that you have time to think over it
• burn the candles at both ends –  to be exhausted from staying up too late and waking up too early
• Sleepover / Slumber Party – to sleep at someone else’s home
• all-nighter, pull an all-nighter: to stay up all night intentionally (usually to study or party)

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