Land of Nod

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THE LAND OF NOD
• Look at the title of this unit. Have you ever heard this expression before?
What do you think it means?
• Have a look at the questionnaire below and circle the most appropriate
answer. Then read the results below to find out whether you need more
sleep!
ARE YOU LACKING SLEEP?
1. How easily do you fall asleep at night?
a. Very easily – I fall asleep within seconds.

b. It takes me a few minutes.
c. It takes me forever to fall asleep.
2. On average how many hours do you sleep every night?
a. 5-6 hours.
b. 6-8 hours.
c. More than 8 hours.
3. How do you feel when you wake up in the morning?
a. Wide awake and full of energy.

b. Awake and able to function, but not at my best.
c. Half asleep and unable to think clearly.
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4. How often do you take naps?
a. Never – I just do not manage to doze off during the day.

b. Always – I cannot get through the day without one.
c. When I feel I need one.
5. Do you find it difficult to sleep in another bed which is not your own?
a. No – I can fall asleep wherever I am as long as I am comfortable.

b. Yes very difficult – I can only sleep well if I am in my bed.
c. I sometimes find it difficult.
6. What is the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning?
a. Hit the snooze button on my alarm clock.

b. Go straight to the kitchen to make myself some coffee.
c. Jump into a cold shower.
RESULTS – CALCULATE YOUR SCORE. THE HIGHER YOUR SCORE, THE MORE YOU
LACK SLEEP!
1. a=0, b=1, c=2

2. a=2, b=1, c=0
3. a=0, b=1, c=2
4. a=2, b=0, c=1
5. a=0, b=2, c=1
6. a=2, b=1, c=0
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LANGUAGE: SPEAKING ABOUT YOUR SLEEP PATTERN
• I usually sleep 8 hours a night.

• I used to sleep during the day when I had to work the night shift.
• I’m not used to sleeping in the afternoon.
• I’m getting used to sleeping on my new orthopeadic mattress.
Now try and match the first part of the sentence with an appropriate ending:
I usually sleep 8 hours a night…

I used to sleep during the day when I had to work the night shift…
I’m not used to sleeping in the afternoon…
I’m getting used to sleeping on my new orthopeadic mattress…
a. unlike my brother who always dozes off on the sofa after lunch.
b. however I sleep much less when I am stressed.
c. but now thanks to my new job I don’t have to.
d. although it was hard at first.
You are going to read an article about sleep disorders. Read the text and try to fill
in the gaps with an appropriate word from the vocabulary box below.
categories worsen attacks deprivation

engaged
increased inability snoring
sequence
effective general
interrupted Consequently
reacts
addition condition
Types of Sleep Disorders
Sleep disorders are classified into three major (1)___________: lack of sleep (e.g.
insomnia), disturbed sleep (e.g. sleep apnea) and excessive sleep (e.g.narcolepsy).
Lack of Sleep
Insomnia is the (2) __________ to fall asleep. It is a common sleep problem

that most people experience occasionally. When it occurs, people feel tired most
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of the time and often worry about not getting enough sleep. (3)____________,
insomnia often disrupts daily life.
Insomnia can result from the following: diet (e.g. intake of caffeine or alcohol),
emotional difficulties, stress, underlying disease and other factors. For short-term
insomnia, sleeping pills can be (4) ___________. For long-term insomnia,
however, sleeping pills can actually (5)__________ the condition.
Sleep (6)___________ is not actually a disorder; it simply indicates that a

person has not been getting enough sleep. Inadequate sleep can affect
judgement, reaction-time, hand-eye coordination, memory, and (7)_________
well-being. Studies have shown that sleep deprivation also can damage the
immune system. Feeling drowsy during the day, falling asleep for very short
periods of time (5 minutes or so), or regularly falling asleep immediately after
lying down may indicate sleep deprivation.
Disturbed Sleep
Sleep apnea is interrupted breathing during sleep. It usually occurs because of a

problem in the windpipe, but it also can indicate a neurological disorder involving
nerve cells (neurons). As people age, muscle tone relaxes, which may cause the
windpipe to collapse. This condition, called obstructive sleep apnea, results in
loud (8)__________ and blocked air flow through the windpipe that lasts from 10
to 60 seconds. It may appear that the person is gasping or snorting. When this
occurs, the brain quickly (9)________ to the sudden lack of oxygen, the muscles
tighten, and the windpipe opens.
Patients with sleep apnea lose sleep because every time the windpipe closes, the
person has to wake up enough to contract those muscles and resume breathing.
As a result, the sleep cycle can be (10) ___________ as many as 100 times a
night. In (11)_________, every time the windpipe closes, the brain is deprived of
oxygen. This lack of oxygen eventually can cause problems morning headaches
and decreased mental function. People who have sleep apnea are at an
(12)___________ risk for heart disease and stroke.
Excessive Sleep
Narcolepsy is a (13)_________ that causes patients to fall asleep uncontrollably

throughout the day for periods lasting less than a minute to more than half an
hour. These sleep attacks can occur at anytime, even while the person is
(14)____________ in an activity. During sleep, narcoleptics have an abnormal
sleep pattern: They enter REM (rapid eye movement) sleep prematurely without
going through the normal (15)___________ of sleep stages.
Narcolepsy usually is a genetic disorder, although it may be associated with brain

damage or neurological disease. The condition usually develops between the ages
of 15 and 30. Some people with narcolepsy experience increased sleep
(16)___________ during pregnancy, illness, fever, or stressful periods. Patients
with narcolepsy often feel tired most of the time.
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• In pairs discuss the following questions.
Have you ever taken sleeping pills? If yes, did they work?
What do you do when you have problems getting to sleep?
Have you ever had an embarrassing moment involving sleep?

(For ex. Have you ever fallen asleep during a lesson/at work?)
Do you know anybody who sleepwalks?
Have you ever experienced jet-lag?
Have you ever missed something important because you overslept?
Are you a light sleeper or are you a heavy sleeper?
Do you have nightmares often? How about recurring dreams?
Do you know anybody who snores?
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Teachers’ Notes
• You may very well have to pre-teach some words before

handing out the text.
Answers
What does ‘land of nod mean’?

• Land of nod is an expression to mean the place you go when you fall asleep.
Match beginning of sentence with appropriate ending.
• I usually sleep 8 hours a night however I sleep much less when I am stressed.
• I used to sleep during the day when I had to work the night shift but now
thanks to my new job I don’t have to.
• I’m not used to sleeping in the afternoon unlike my brother who always
dozes off on the sofa after lunch.
• I’m getting used to sleeping on my new orthopeadic mattress although it was
hard at first.
Reading Passage
1. categories
2. inability
3. Consequently
4. effective
5. worsen
6. deprivation
7. general
8. snoring
9. reacts
10. interrupted
11. addition
12. increased
13. condition
14. engaged
15. sequence
16. attacks
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THE LAND OF NOD

ARE YOU LACKING SLEEP?

1. How easily do you fall asleep at night?

a. Very easily – I fall asleep within seconds.

2. On average how many hours do you sleep every night?

3. How do you feel when you wake up in the morning?

a. Wide awake and full of energy.

4. How often do you take naps?

a. Never – I just do not manage to doze off during the day.

a. No – I can fall asleep wherever I am as long as I am comfortable.

a. Hit the snooze button on my alarm clock.

1. a=0, b=1, c=2

LANGUAGE: SPEAKING ABOUT YOUR SLEEP PATTERN

• I usually sleep 8 hours a night.

I usually sleep 8 hours a night…

categories worsen attacks deprivation

Types of Sleep Disorders

Insomnia is the (2) __________ to fall asleep. It is a common sleep problem

Sleep (6)___________ is not actually a disorder; it simply indicates that a

Sleep apnea is interrupted breathing during sleep. It usually occurs because of a

Narcolepsy is a (13)_________ that causes patients to fall asleep uncontrollably

Narcolepsy usually is a genetic disorder, although it may be associated with brain

• In pairs discuss the following questions.

What do you do when you have problems getting to sleep?

Have you ever had an embarrassing moment involving sleep?

Do you know anybody who sleepwalks?

Have you ever experienced jet-lag?

Have you ever missed something important because you overslept?

Are you a light sleeper or are you a heavy sleeper?

Do you have nightmares often? How about recurring dreams?

Do you know anybody who snores?

• You may very well have to pre-teach some words before

What does ‘land of nod mean’?

Match beginning of sentence with appropriate ending.

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