Pronunciation ChallengeBBC 6 Minute English January 14, 2016 - Is modern life making us tired?

If you actually measure sleep in current populations in the United States or in Europe, they're definitely at the low end of what's been reported.

Intro:
Hello everyone. Did you know that we need 7-9 hours of sleep every night to keep healthy? It is a fact that to keep our bodies functioning properly we need to eat well, exercise regularly and sleep adequately. Are you one of those people that find it hard to sleep well? Do you have trouble falling asleep?
A long, long time ago, people used to wind down their activities after sunset. Nowadays we can stay up as late as we like, thanks to artificial lighting in our houses. Because of today’s advanced technology, we seem to be surrounded by too much stimulation. Apart from televisions, computers, almost every single person I know owns a smartphone (yep, some people even have more than one). It means our eyes are constantly glued to our devices.
Many people say that if they don’t get enough sleep at night, they get cranky and agitated the following day. If you don’t sleep enough at night, say a good 6-8 hours, your body will be tired the next day and it will be hard for you to concentrate and perform even the most simple tasks. But it’s not just the quantity of sleep that is important but also the quality of sleep. In order to have good quality sleep, it is advised by experts to choose an appropriate mattress and bed sheets, keep your room dark, keep noise down to a minimum, and perhaps even use aroma vaporizers in the bedroom. Other suggestions for enhancing a good night sleep include exercising during the day, disconnecting from electronic devices 30 minutes before going to bed, avoiding too much food, caffeine and alcohol before bedtime.


Sentence:
If you actually measure sleep in current populations in the United States or in Europe, they're definitely at the low end of what's been reported.


Pronunciation Tips:
Measure (s = not ‘sh’ but ‘zh’ sound)
Europe (not rope but rup)
At the (linking words) /a-the/



Vocabulary:

measure (v.)

KK [ˋmɛʒɚ] IPA /ˈmeʒ.ɚ/
Definition: to discover the exact size or amount of something

Example:
Remember to measure the length of the TV before we go shopping for a TV cabinet at the furniture shop tonight.


population (n.)

KK [͵pɑpjəˋleʃən] IPA /ˌpɑː.pjəˈleɪ.ʃən/
Definition: all the people living in a particular country, area, or place

Example:
The population of Japan is larger than that of New Zealand.


low-end

Definition: the cheapest or bottom level of something

Example:
I don’t go for high-end fashion brands as they usually come with an expensive price tag,
low-end brands are more affordable and it’s still possible to find comfortable clothes.


Outro:

So, we’ve learned that sleep is very important for our health. We spend around a third of our lives sleeping. Our sleep quality determines how we function during the day and can also have long term effects on our body. It may enhance or reduce our memory and cognitive abilities, and it can also affect other parts of our bodies like the heart or liver. Some people suffer from sleep disorders, such as sleep walking or even snoring. These issues may not only affect themselves but also the sleep quality of other family members. Luckily, there are many sleep clinics around nowadays offering treatment for such disorders, through medication, breathing exercises, meditation and so on.

Wow, it took a long time for me to record this episode and it’s already so late – time to sleep! I hope you’ve learned about the importance of sleep and maybe tonight you will start to focus on getting a good night’s sleep!

Until next time – good night and sleep well!

If you actually measure sleep in current populations in the United States or in Europe, they're definitely at the low end of what's been reported.

If you actually measure sleep in current populations in the United States or in Europe, they're definitely at the low end of what's been reported.

Day 26

if you actually measure sleep in current populations in United States or in Europe, they're definately at the low end of what's been reported

if you actually measure sleep in current populations in the united states or Europe, they're definitely at the low end of what's been reported.