Everyone knows that good sleep is important for our health. Not everyone knows how important it is to sleep in the dark. A new report says sleeping with the light on could be bad for our health. Researchers say turning off the light when we sleep helps to keep away diabetes and heart disease. Sleeping with the light on could increase the risk of getting these diseases. The researchers said around 40 per cent of people sleep with some sort of artificial light. They said even light from a television or alarm clock could affect our health. They added that the worst thing to sleep with is a main light. Sleeping in the dark is more difficult for people who live in cities, where there is a lot of outdoor light at night.
The researchers are from the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, USA. The lead researcher, Dr Phyllis Zee, is an expert in sleep medicine. She said it is healthier for us to turn off all lights when we sleep. Her team conducted a study of the blood sugar levels of 20 people after nights of sleep. The people who slept with a light on had higher blood sugar levels the next morning compared to those who slept in total darkness. Dr Zee said this is because light stimulates brain activity, which raises blood sugar levels. She said there are three things we can do to reduce the risk of illness: turn off the lights, never sleep with white or blue light; and use a blackout curtain or wear an eye mask.
You have read the article, now it’s time to do the challenge.
SYNONYM MATCH: (The words in bold are from the news article.)
- important
- bad
- health
- risk
- artificial
- expert
- conducted
- total
- reduce
- wear
a. well-being
b. put on
c. man-made
d. harmful
e. carried out
f. cut
g. essential
h. specialist
i. chance
j. complete
Put these words into the spaces in the paragraph below.
dark
outdoor
important
alarm
risk
worst
diabetes
sort
Everyone knows that good sleep is (1) _____________________ for our health. Not everyone knows how important it is to sleep in the (2) _____________________. A new report says sleeping with the light on could be bad for our health. Researchers say turning off the light when we sleep helps to keep away (3) _____________________ and heart disease. Sleeping with the light on could increase the (4) _____________________ of getting these diseases. The researchers said around 40 per cent of people sleep with some (5) _____________________ of artificial light. They said even light from a television or (6) _____________________ clock could affect our health. They added that the (7) _____________________ thing to sleep with is a main light. Sleeping in the dark is more difficult for people who live in cities, where there is a lot of (8) _____________________ light at night.Put these words into the spaces in the paragraph below.
stimulates
expert
morning
risk
lead
mask
sugar
raises
The researchers are from the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, USA. The (9) _____________________ researcher, Dr Phyllis Zee, is an (10) _____________________ in sleep medicine. She said it is healthier for us to turn off all lights when we sleep. Her team conducted a study of the blood (11) _____________________ levels of 20 people after nights of sleep. The people who slept with a light on had higher blood sugar levels the next (12) _____________________ compared to those who slept in total darkness. Dr Zee said this is because light (13) _____________________ brain activity, which (14) _____________________ blood sugar levels. She said there are three things we can do to reduce the (15) _____________________ of illness: turn off the lights, never sleep with white or blue light; and use a blackout curtain or wear an eye (16) _____________________.
Answer Sheet:
SYNONYM MATCH
- g 2. d 3. a 4. i 5. c 6 h 7. e 8. j 9. f 10. b
WORDS IN THE RIGHT ORDER
Everyone knows that good sleep is important.
Sleeping with the light on could be bad.
It increases the risk of getting these diseases
More difficult for people who live in cities
There’s a lot of outdoor light at night
Dr Zee is an expert in sleep medicine.
Her team conducted a study of the blood
The people who slept with a light on
There are three things we can do.
Use a blackout curtain or wear a mask.
Source: Microsoft Word – 220324-sleeping-with-the-light-on.doc (breakingnewsenglish.com)
