A A GENERAL ISSUES

Wide awake
Lesson code: UB3Q-21SA-N84Z INTERMEDIATE+
British English

1 Warm-up
Do you find getting up in the morning difficult?

2 Key words
Match the words to their definitions.

1. a duvet a. a cover for a bed filled with feathers

2. a blind b. a window cover that you pull down with a string
3. avoid c. full of energy
4. stimulate d. give water to something
5. energised e. someone who gets up early and has a lot of energy at the beginning of the day
6. a morning person f. the chemical processes in the body that make energy from food
7. hydrate g. to cause part of the body to become more active
8. metabolism h. to try not to do something

3 Reading
You are going to read an article about how to make getting out of bed in the morning easier. Match the
headings to the paragraphs on the next page.

Make the room warm Ban technology from the bedroom Plan the night before

Convince yourself that you can Eat and drink the right things

Let some light in Be optimistic

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 Wide awake
A A A A GENERAL ISSUES

How to make getting out of bed easier,

according to a sleep expert
1 Getting out of bed in the morning is hard enough
already, so when it's cold and dark outside,
staying in bed under a warm duvet seems like a
much better idea.
2 Unfortunately though, for the majority of us, this
just isn't an option, as work and other duties force
us to get up.
3 Luckily, Dr Nerina Ramlakhan, a sleep therapist,
has shared some top tips from her book, Fast
Asleep Wide Awake, to help you get up even when
you don't want to.
1 check the time during the night." She adds that it's
4 In the mornings, to get off to a good start,
Ramlakhan says the best thing to do is prepare
everything before you go to sleep so you're ready
to get going from the moment you wake up.
sunlight alarm to wake you up at times of the year
when it's still dark in the mornings.
5
10 Ramlakhan also suggests having an "electronic
sundown" at least 30-45 minutes before you go to
bed. This involves turning off the TV and avoiding
your phone. Ramlakhan says this reduces anxiety
levels, and stops the brain from being too
stimulated by dopamine which is produced when
it is hit with a lot of information and blue light.
11 "Leave your devices out of the bedroom and don't
normal to wake up during the night, but if you have
a habit of waking up, checking the time and then
worrying, it will stop you getting back to sleep.
6

5 "Tell yourself and others that you're going to get 12 Before you go to sleep it's important to avoid
up, and make sure everything is ready - your alcohol or caffeine as "both will stop you
clothes, your breakfast bowl etc," she explains. achieving the pure deep sleep that you need in
6 She says she sets her laptop up and leaves it order to wake up feeling energised and optimistic."
exactly where she plans to work in the morning. 13 Ramlakhan suggests avoiding caffeine after 4pm.
She says: "if you have a cup of coffee at 6pm, you
2
will still have half the amount in your system at
7 If you're constantly telling yourself that you're not 11pm."
a morning person, it's time to change that. Instead 14 Similarly, try drinking water as soon as you wake
of complaining about how awful it is to get up, up as this will hydrate your cells and brain and
"tell yourself how much you're looking forward to increase your energy levels. "Eating breakfast
waking up in the morning and keep saying it." within 30 minutes of getting up will also raise your
Ramlakhan says. metabolism and train the body to start the day
3 with more energy," she adds.
7
8 While body temperature is important to get a good
night's sleep, it also plays a big factor in your 15 One of the most important things that will help you
ability to get out of bed in the morning. "Set up the get out of bed in the morning is to make sure that
heating to come on 10 minutes or so before you you have something to look forward to that day.
get up," Ramlakhan suggests.
16 Ramlakhan says you need to ask yourself the
4 brave question about what you really want to
wake up for in the mornings, so you can then live
9 Starting your day with some sunshine resets your a satisfying life.
body clock and sends a "let's wake up" message
to your brain. Ramlakhan says you should go to Adapted from the Independent by Sarah Young,
bed with the blinds partly open or invest in a 19th of December 2017
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 Wide awake
A A A A GENERAL ISSUES

4 Checking understanding
What do you remember? Answer the questions below according to the article.

1. What should you do before you go to bed?

a. drink something
b. set up any equipment you need for the next day
c. turn up the heating

2. What helps our body clocks to work properly?

a. alarms b. eating breakfast c. sunlight

3. What shouldn't you do if you wake up during the night?

a. find out what time it is b. turn on the heating c. drink water

4. What reduces anxiety levels before sleep?

a. looking at your phone
b. not watching TV
c. looking forward to getting up in the morning

5. When is the best time to eat breakfast?

a. before you have a shower
b. within half an hour of getting up
c. more than an hour after getting up

5 Phrases with get

Match the phrasal verbs to their definitions.

1. get up a. to begin well

2. get out of bed b. to leave the place you sleep
3. get off to a good start c. to rise after sleeping
4. get going d. to sleep well
5. get a good night's sleep e. to start being active
6. get back to sth f. to start doing sth again

For each phrase with `get', make a true sentence about you.

1. .......................................................................................
2. .......................................................................................
3. .......................................................................................
4. .......................................................................................
5. .......................................................................................
6. .......................................................................................
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 Wide awake
A A A A GENERAL ISSUES

6 Talking point
Discuss any of the questions below.

1. Do you do any of the things mentioned in the article? Which ones?

2. If you find it difficult to sleep, what do you do?
3. Do you agree with Dr Ramlakhan about not using electronic devices before you go to sleep? Do you
use your smartphone or watch TV just before you go to bed?

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Review your flashcards at least 3-5 times a week for 20 minutes to keep the material fresh in your memory.
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 Wide awake - Key
A A A A GENERAL ISSUES

1- Warm-up

Encourage a short discussion.

2- Key words

Give examples of each word where necessary. Students can work in pairs and then check with the teacher.
1. a 2. b 3. h 4. g 5. c 6. e 7. d 8. f

3- Reading

Students can work alone and check answers in pairs.

1. Plan the night before 2. Convince yourself that you can
3. Make the room warm 4. Let some light in
5. Ban technology from the bedroom 6. Eat and drink the right things
7. Be optimistic

4- Checking understanding

Students can work in pairs and check answers with the teacher.
1. b 2. c 3. a 4. b 5. b

5- Phrases with get

Make sure that students have the correct answers for the first part of the activity before they do the second.
1. c 2. b 3. a 4. e 5. d 6. f

6- Talking point

Monitor the activity. Make a note of any typical errors and write up useful language on the board.

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You can review this worksheet online at www.linguahouse.com/ex

Review your flashcards at least 3-5 times a week for 20 minutes to keep the material fresh in your memory.
PI

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c
Linguahouse.com OC
P H OT