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[Music]
hello everyone welcome back to the
simple English podcast where we talk
about interesting topics in a way that's
easy to understand I'm Lisa your host
today we're diving into a question we
all wonder about but may not think
deeply about why do we sleep what
happens when we close our eyes at night
and why is it so important to help us
explore this fascinating topic I'm
joined by Mark a sleep researcher and
wellness expert as always don't forget
to check out the free PDF file in the
comment section below to get the full
transcript and vocabulary for this
[Music]
episode welcome Mark thanks Lisa I'm so
excited to be here sleep is something we
all do but many of us don't understand
how it affects our body and mind let's
unravel the mystery together that's
right Mark and for our listeners stay
tuned because we'll share a surprising
fun fact about dreams later on so grab a
cup of tea sit back and let's
[Music]
begin Mark let's start with the basics
why do humans need to sleep great
question Lisa sleep is like charging a
phone just as your phone needs power to
function your body and brain need rest
to recharge
during sleep your brain processes
memories repairs cells and clears out
toxins without it our body struggles to
function
properly that's interesting but what
happens if someone doesn't get enough
sleep oh the effects can be serious lack
of sleep affects concentration mood and
even physical health for example have
you ever tried to stay awake late and
found yourself forgetting things or
feeling cranky the next day oh
definitely I've also noticed that when
I'm sleep-deprived I crave junk food
that's actually a biological response
when we don't sleep enough our hunger
hormones get unbalanced it's like your
body is looking for quick energy from
sugary or fatty
foods wow so sleep affects more than
just our energy levels what are the
different stages of sleep good question
sleep has two main types re
which stands for rapid eye movement and
nonr nonr has three stages and it's
during the deepest stage that your body
does most of its repair work REM sleep
on the other hand is when we dream this
stage is important for brain activity
and emotional processing so if I sleep
for8 hours do I go through these stages
multiple times
exactly we cycle through the stages
about four to six times a night each
cycle lasts around 90 minutes that's why
getting enough sleep is crucial if you
wake up in the middle of a cycle you
might feel
groggy that explains why I sometimes
feel tired even after sleeping for hours
speaking of grogginess what about naps
are they
helpful naps can be great if Done Right
a 20-minute nap can boost alertness
without making you feel sluggish but if
you nap too long you might enter deep
sleep which can make waking up harder
good to know I'll keep my naps
short now some people say they can
survive on just four or 5 hours of sleep
is that
true for most people no the average
adult needs 7 to 9 hours of sleep per
night some rare individuals have a
genetic mutation that lets them function
on less but they're the exception not
the rule so most of us shouldn't try to
be like those rare
individuals what are some tips for
better sleep
sure first stick to a consistent sleep
schedule go to bed and wake up at the
same time every day even on
weekends second create a relaxing
bedtime routine like reading or
meditating and third avoid screens at
least an hour before bed because the
blue light tricks your brain into
thinking it's
daytime that's such practical advice
I'll definitely try turning off my phone
earlier another important important
factor is your sleep environment make
sure your bedroom is dark quiet and cool
noise cancelling curtains or white noise
machines can help if you live in a noisy
area also invest in a comfortable
mattress and pillows after all we spend
about a third of our lives in
bed that's true a good mattress can make
such a difference what about people who
struggle with falling asleep are there
any techniques they can
try yes
absolutely what method is the 478
breathing technique you inhale for 4
seconds hold your breath for 7 seconds
and exhale slowly for 8 seconds it's
very calming and helps your body relax
another method is progressive muscle
relaxation where you tense and then
relax each muscle group in your body
starting from your toes and moving
upward those sound like great tips I've
heard some people also use sleep apps do
they work
work they can be helpful especially apps
that play soothing sounds or guide you
through
meditations just make sure you're not
spending too much time on your phone
before bed the goal is to relax not get
distracted that makes
sense one last question mark what about
the idea of catching up on sleep during
the weekend does it
work unfortunately it's not that simple
while sleeping in on weekends can help a
little it's not a substitute for
consistent good quality sleep it's
better to maintain a regular schedule
throughout the week got it consistency
is key thank you for all this valuable
information Mark I've learned so much
[Music]
already now it's time for our fun fact
Mark did you know that humans spend
about onethird of their lives sleeping
that's right and here's something even
more fascinating most people dream every
night but we forget 95% of our
dreams really why do we forget them
scientists believe it's because the part
of the brain responsible for memory is
less active during RM sleep unless you
wake up during or right after a dream
it's like it never happened that's so
intriguing dreams really are like little
Mysteries of the
mind they are some researchers even
think dreams help us solve problems or
process emotions have you ever had a
dream that gave you a creative
idea yes I have it's amazing how our
brain works even when we're
[Music]
asleep well Mark this has been such an
enlightening
conversation sleep isn't just about
resting it's about healing growing and
even dreaming absolutely Lisa sleep is
like a superpower that keeps us healthy
healthy and happy so to all our
listeners make sleep a priority in your
life it's one of the best things you can
do for
yourself thank you so much for joining
us today Mark and thank you listeners
for tuning in to the simple English
podcast if you found this episode
helpful don't forget to like subscribe
and share it with your friends Sweet
Dreams everyone until next time take
care and sleep well
[Music]
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