SLEEP SHOULD BE PRESCRIBED: WHAT THOSE LATE NIGHTS OUT COULD BE COSTING YOU

Leading neuroscientist Matthew Walker on why sleep deprivation is bad for us - and what you can do about it
A. Matthew Walker dreads the question 'What do you do?' On an aeroplane it usually means that while everyone else
watches movies, he will find himself giving a talk for the benefit of passengers and crew alike. To be specific, Walker is
the director of the Center for Human Sleep Science at the University of California. No wonder people long for his advice.
As the line between work and leisure grows more blurred, rare is the person who doesn't worry about their sleep. Indeed,
it's Walker's conviction that we are in the midst of a 'catastrophic sleep-loss epidemic'. He has now written Why We
Sleep, the idea being that once people know of the powerful links between sleep loss and poor health, they will try harder
to get the recommended eight hours a night. Sleep deprivation constitutes anything less than seven. 'No one is doing
anything about it, but things have to change. But when did you ever see a national health service poster urging sleep on
people? When did a doctor prescribe, not sleeping pills, but sleep itself? It needs to be prioritised'.
B. Why are we so sleep-deprived in this century? In 1942, less than 8% of the population was trying to survive on six
hours or less sleep a night; in 2017, almost one in two people is. Some reasons are obvious, but Walker believes, too,
that in the developed world sleep is strongly associated with weakness. “We want to seem busy, and one way we express
that is by proclaiming how little sleep we're getting”. When I give lectures, people wait behind until there is no one
around and then tell me quietly: “I seem to be one of those people who need eight- or nine-hours sleep. It's embarrassing
to say it in public”.
C. Walker has found clear evidence that without sleep, there is low energy and disease, and with sleep, there is vitality
and health. More than 20 studies all report the same relationship: the shorter your sleep, the shorter your life. For
example, adults aged 45 years or older who sleep less than six hours a night are 200% more likely to have a heart attack,
as compared with those sleeping seven or eight. This is because even one night of sleep reduction will affect a person's
heart and significantly increase their blood pressure as a result. Walker also points out that when your sleep becomes
short, you are susceptible to weight gain. Among the reasons for this are the fact that inadequate sleep increases levels
of the hunger-signalling hormone, ghrelin. 'I'm not going to say that the obesity crisis is caused by the sleep-loss epidemic
alone; says Walker. 'However, processed food and sedentary lifestyles do not adequately explain its rise. It's now clear
that sleep is that third ingredient.'
D. Sleep also has a powerful effect on the immune system, which is why, when we have flu, our first instinct is to go to
bed. If you are tired, you are more likely to get sick. The well-rested also respond better to the flu vaccine so this is
something people should bear in mind before visiting their doctors. Walker's book also includes a long section on dreams.
Here he details the various ways in which deep sleep - the part when we begin to dream - helps us deal with our emotional
experiences. He points to how important deep sleep is to young children. If they don't get enough, managing aggressive
behaviour becomes harder and harder. Does Walker take his own advice when it comes to sleep? 'Yes. I give myself a
non-negotiable eight-hour sleep opportunity every night, and I keep very regular hours. I take my sleep incredibly
seriously because I have seen the evidence.'
E. Sleep research shows that we sleep in 90-minute cycles, and it's only towards the end of each that we go into a deep
sleep. Each cycle comprises of NREM sleep (non-rapid eye movement sleep), followed by REM (rapid eye movement)
sleep. 'During NREM sleep ... your body settles into this lovely low state of energy,' Walker explains. 'REM sleep, on the
other hand, is ... an incredibly active brain state. Your heart and nervous system go through spurts of activity.' Because
we need four or five of these cycles to stay healthy, it's important for people to break bad sleep habits. For example, they
should not be regularly working late into the night as this affects cognitive functioning. Depending on sleeping pills is also
not a good idea, as it can have a damaging effect on memory.
F. So what can individuals do to ensure they get the right amount of sleep? Firstly, we could think about getting ready to
sleep in the same way we prepare for the end of a workout - say, on a spin bike.' People use alarms to wake up,' Walker
says. 'So why don't we have a bedtime alarm to tell us we've got half an hour, that we should start cycling down?'
Companies should think about rewarding sleep. Productivity will rise and motivation will be improved. We can also
systematically measure our sleep by using personal tracking devices, Walker says, and points out that some far-sighted
companies in the US already give employees time off if they get enough of it. While some researchers recommend
banning digital devices from the bedroom because of their effect on the sleep-inducing hormone melatonin, Walker
believes that technology will eventually be an aid to sleep, as it helps us discover more about the way we function.
Questions 1-6.
The passage has 6 paragraphs A-F.
Choose the correct headings for each paragraph A-F from the list of headings (i-x) below.
i. Sleep and its impact on immunity and emotion
ii. The role of technology in sleep management
iii. Health risks of sleep deprivation
iv. The importance of sleep for productivity
v. The science of sleep
vi. The societal causes of sleep deprivation
vii. The need for national sleep awareness campaigns
viii. How sleep influences physical and mental health
ix. Improving sleep habits
x. The importance of prioritizing sleep
1. Paragraph A …………………..
2. Paragraph B …………………..
3. Paragraph C …………………..
4. Paragraph D …………………..
5. Paragraph E …………………..
6. Paragraph F …………………..
Questions 7-11.
Which paragraph contains the following information?
NB: You may use one letter more than once.
7. A contrast between two distinct stages of sleep that individuals undergo
8. A rationale for why some individuals are unwilling to acknowledge their sleep needs
9. Illustrations of various actions that detrimentally affect cognitive functioning
10. An indication that healthcare practitioners are not adopting the correct methods
11. A mention of shifting patterns in the typical sleep duration among the population
Questions 12-15.
Complete the sentences below.
Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 12-15 on your answer sheet.
12. Over 20 studies have revealed that a person's ............................... is heightened when they experience sleep
deprivation.
13. A lack of sleep is one of the three main elements that account for the ...............................
14. Patients who are prescribed the ............................... by healthcare providers experience better results when they
ensure adequate sleep.
15. Walker has elaborated on how the absence of sufficient deep sleep correlates with ................... in young children.
Questions 16-17
Choose TWO letters, A-E. Write the correct letters in boxes 16 and 17 on your answer sheet.
The list below mentions some things that individuals can do to ensure they get the right amount of sleep.
Which TWO of these things are recommended by Matthew Walker?
A. Consuming a natural supplement that promotes restful sleep
B. Refraining from exposure to intense artificial light in the evening
C. Discussing delayed work hours with employers
D. Maintaining a consistent log of sleep duration
E. Modifying activity levels at a specific time each day
Questions 18-19
Choose TWO letters, A-E. Write the correct letters in boxes 18 and 19 on your answer sheet.
Which TWO of the following statements are true of Matthew Walker?
A. He occasionally hesitates to disclose his occupation
B. His latest book is derived from a collection of his public lectures
C. He has observed notable enhancements in his well-being
D. He has conducted studies on the significance of dreams
E. He consistently ensures he gets adequate rest every night