Shadowing Practice: Watch This If You Can't Sleep... - Learn English Speaking with Video

You cannot sleep no matter what you try.

It seems like nothing's working We as a collective have all watched those videos

that are titled how to fall asleep in two minutes or something like that But recently my sleep schedule.

Yeah, it's been garbage So I thought about and I was like, what are some things that I did in the past

or maybe things that I could learn about that could possibly Improve my sleep schedule.

I did some google searches I asked people who actually have good sleep schedules

And now keep in mind that these may not work for everybody since everyone's different.

So if you know all these, you'll have a variety of things you can do under your belt.

Before I even step foot in my bed, the first thing I even think about doing is changing my environment.

Why?

Well, sometimes it's hot as fuck in my room.

My pillow's warm, like it's just not good.

So what I do is I turn the fan on so it's nice and cool in my room.

I flip my pillow over so it's not warm.

Obviously, I don't make my room too cold.

I just do it just so it's at the right temperature

and I stop any light from being in my face at

all The most important thing I do is I shut my door

because the smallest noise will just end up waking me up My room's got to be at a cool temperature.

It's got to be completely dark

and completely quiet Some people sleep with their tv on

which personally I wouldn't recommend But I mean if it works for you, it works for you

when I did have my tv on in the past I'd

always wake up to some random bullshit like george lopez

and it would happen like every single night That's why i'm like i'm just not doing

that again now that my environment is at what I personally prefer

and on some nights I lie down and nothing not even

that works So one thing

that i've learned from those how to fall asleep in two

minute videos was a technique where you just rapidly blink for like 30 seconds Somebody walked in on me doing that.

I don't know how I would explain that.

Hey, it might be stupid But it works for me at least I don't know how

but whenever I do this I fall asleep in at least like 15 minutes.

And I looked up why this was the case.

Thing is because it tires out your eye muscles

and it will also distract you from the fact that you can't sleep in that current moment.

You're just focused on the blinking.

Or you could do the opposite.

You can close your eyes when you're lying there, open them, absorb your, absorb?

Observe your surroundings for a couple seconds and then close your eyes again.

And then just repeat this process for maybe like, I don't know, a minute.

I've done this one a few times as well.

It also helps me because I'm too focused on the fact that I can't sleep.

I tried this a couple of days ago when I was nervous as fuck for an exam.

I tried it and I fell asleep, but I still did buns on the exam.

If I were to put this on a tier list, I'd probably put it like in the A tier.

It works for me in a lot of cases, but if you don't think it's going to work for you, you could do this instead.

Breathing exercises without fail.

This works every single time for me.

Maybe there's like a one-off chance it doesn't work.

I'll breathe in and just hold it for a little bit

and then I'll breathe out and then hold it for a little bit.

Just so I make my breath slower.

I count all my breaths

so you're not thinking about whatever shit you got going on tomorrow or the fact that you can't sleep, whatever it might be.

Like doing that will ground you in the present moment instead of your brain being all over the place.

But not only that, it will just relax you as well if your breaths are slower.

But there's also more specific breathing methods.

Like I saw this one in a Sambuca short, but it was a four seven eight breathing method

so first you breathe in through your nose for four seconds you hold your breath for seven seconds

and then exhale for eight this will help you feel more relaxed

and it will just slow down your overall heart rate i'm gonna put this in the s tier

because i feel like this works all the time for me at least for me breathing exercises have no misses

but next we probably got the dumbest method in this video but it still works sometimes counting sheep.

This is like a cartoon ass method or the oldest trick in the book ass method.

But sometimes the oldest trick in the playbook always works.

Sometimes it will come in clutch when you need it most.

It could really work for some people if you just sit there

and visualize the sheep hopping over the fence one at a time at a very moderate pace.

Okay, what the f* is this video?

I guess once again, this one is just taking your mind off the fact

that you can't sleep and your brain is now busy picturing what the sheep would look like and how you're counting them.

But some people might find it boring to just sit there and count sheep.

So obviously it's not going to work for everybody.

But the boring aspect of counting sheep, that kind of does help me fall asleep.

But at the same time, your mind can wander away from it so fast because who the hell would want to just sit there and count sheep?

Nobody.

Look, I know Sean the Sheep was a goaded show and all, but I can't sit there and count sheep all day

and put up a prayer that it even gives me a slight chance of falling asleep faster.

So for that reason, I'm going to put this one in C tier.

Sometimes it works for me.

Sometimes my brain just gets bored

or you could just visualize anything a place where you're like I guess in your element

or whatever the hell people say you could visualize yourself I don't know like LeBron dunking the ball

if you want to feel like you're the goat of basketball

Or maybe you could visualize yourself as curry Splashing a three

or just your ideal future in ten years or a day on the beach if that that relaxes you.

Whatever will help you take your mind off the fact that the clock is ticking and you're somehow not asleep yet.

This one's a little bit better than the counting sheet method, but once again, it's not really gonna work for everybody though.

It's definitely a lot less boring, but still it's hard to get your brain to focus on that, especially when you've been doom scrolling all day.

So I'll throw it in B tier, I guess.

And for those of you watching this like right before bed, one thing that helped me was drinking warm milk or taking a warm shower.

The warm shower water will just relax you.

I don't know if any of you have also experienced this, but in the morning when I shower, if the water's too warm, sometimes I will almost fall asleep.

I will just sit in the shower and just stare at a whole lot of nothing for five minutes.

And the same thing with warm milk, it's the same type of thing.

It will help relax your body.

And it can also help your body produce more serotonin and melatonin, according to Google.

And I feel like every single time I do this, I'm like in a little cocoon in my bed and I'm just not moving, bro.

100

I'm staying there for the rest of the night.

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I'll put this one in the A tier.

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Sometimes it may not help me with like stressful thoughts that I have or anything.

103

Another thing I like to do is listen to something as I'm trying to go to sleep.

104

Whether it's a YouTube video or rainforest ambient noises, it can be very relaxing.

105

But sometimes the noise can be too distracting if it's at too high of a volume.

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But once again, this will focus all of your attention on the video or the sound.

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Some people, it may not work.

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It could be too distracting for you.

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But at least for me, it clears my head of any embarrassing moments or anything like that.

110

But I'm gonna have to put this one probably in A tier.

111

Sometimes it doesn't really work, but for the most part, it does.

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But what's next will really affect your sleep.

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What if I told you that it all starts with what you do during the day?

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I know, right?

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Crazy groundbreaking discovery, but it's true.

116

So first of all, you gotta exercise.

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Go to the gym, go for a run, whatever it is, and you will fall asleep faster.

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Exercising, especially in the morning, will help with melatonin production when it's time to go to sleep.

119

Exercising also, of course, reduces things like stress and anxiety, so you should just do it anyway.

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And it will also help with the overall quality of your sleep as well.

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I think about it this way.

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I mean, your body's gonna have to recover if you're putting up crazy weight in the gym.

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And this one, to me, is a given.

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Like, it's pretty obvious, but no caffeine or any other stimulating substances close to bedtime.

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I have caffeine every morning, but I do not drink caffeine like 12 hours before I have to go to sleep.

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Because when I have to go to sleep, I'll be all jittery.

127

Or if you're like hitting a vape before bed, you're not gonna be able to go to sleep either.

128

Because obviously your brain will get stimulated from the nicotine.

129

So you'll be wide awake.

130

Sunlight exposure, this one's definitely very important.

131

Because it will affect your circadian rhythm.

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If you just sit in a dark room all day and don't go outside, how is your brain gonna know when it's time to go to sleep?

133

Creating a bedtime routine.

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Whether it's you read an hour before bed, or you listen to relaxing music, whatever the case is, having a routine will help you fall asleep around the same time every night.

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I'm not going to lie, I still struggle with this one.

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I cannot keep a consistent sleep schedule for the life of me.

137

Avoid heavy meals close to your bedtime.

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This one will definitely have you lying awake at night

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because your stomach is working overtime and your stomach works a lot better when you're digesting upright rather than lying down.

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I would experience a lot of acid reflux because I used to eat a lot before bed.

141

A light snack is not going to kill you.

142

But bro, if you're eating a full course meal before bed, that's kind of crazy.

143

Also, don't nap too close to bed.

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If you nap too close to bed, it's just going to mess up your whole circadian rhythm.

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Especially if your nap turns into a deep sleep.

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I wouldn't even nap for more than 30 minutes if you're going to nap.

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Because you'll just wake up and just feel super groggy.

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Limit your screen time.

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Now, don't get me wrong.

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I listen to videos all the time before I go to sleep.

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But I don't stare at my phone.

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There's definitely a huge difference there.

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And I also don't have my phone at max brightness to where it could flashbang me.

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My brightness is all the way down and I have night mode on.

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So even if you do look at your phone for one second, it's not the end of the world.

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So if you like background noise when you fall asleep, it's a lot better to just listen to the video rather than having a TV blaring in your face

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or staring at your screen for a long period of time.

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So all the daytime shit, I'm going to put it in S tier.

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Very important stuff.

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But yes, sleep is very important.

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So don't pull all nighters and make sure you get a sufficient amount of sleep every night.

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So instead of watching another video, go to sleep.

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Or if it's daytime for you though, watch this video on the end screen.

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Woordenschat en spreektips bij deze les

Deze video bevat 163 zinnen en 2148 woorden om na te spreken. Het gesproken deel duurt 9:31. De spreker praat snel, ongeveer 226 woorden per minuut, dus reken op verbonden en ingeslikte klanken. 84% van de woorden hoort bij de 3.000 meest gebruikte Engelse woorden; de rest kun je beter vooraf bekijken.

Belangrijke woorden in deze video

15 minder gangbare woorden uit de video, met uitspraak en betekenis:

asleep /əˈsliːp/ (bijvoeglijk naamwoord) — slapend. In a state of sleep; also, broadly, resting.
breathe /bɹiːð/ (werkwoord) — ademen, ademhalen. To draw air into (inhale), and expel air from (exhale), the lungs in order to extract oxygen and excrete waste gases.
sheep /ˈʃiːp/ (zelfstandig naamwoord) — schaap. A woolly ruminant of the genus Ovis.
tier /ˈtɪɚ/ (zelfstandig naamwoord) — laag, rang. A row or range, especially one at a higher or lower level than another.
relax /ɹɪˈlæks/ (werkwoord) — losmaken. To make something loose.
bore /boɹ/ (werkwoord) — vervelen. To inspire boredom in somebody.
stare /stɛɚ/ (werkwoord) — staren. To look fixedly (at something).
distract /dɪˈstɹækt/ (werkwoord) — afleiden. To divert the attention of.
caffeine /ˈkæfiːn/ (zelfstandig naamwoord) — cafeïne. An alkaloid, C₈H₁₀N₄O₂, found naturally in tea and coffee plants, which acts as a mild stimulant on the central nervous system.
bedtime /ˈbɛdtaɪm/ (zelfstandig naamwoord) — bedtijd, kinderbedtijd. The time or hour at which one retires to bed in order to sleep.
meal /ˈmiːl/ (zelfstandig naamwoord) — maaltijd. Food that is prepared and eaten, usually at a specific time, and usually in a comparatively large quantity.
stomach /ˈstʌmək/ (zelfstandig naamwoord) — maag. An organ in animals that stores food in the process of digestion.
examination /ɪɡˌzæm.ɪˈneɪ.ʃən/ (zelfstandig naamwoord) — onderzoek. The act of examining.
awake /əˈweɪk/ (werkwoord) — ontwaken. To become conscious after having slept.
rhythm /ˈɹɪð.əm/ (zelfstandig naamwoord) — ritme. The variation of strong and weak elements (such as duration, accent) of sounds, notably in speech or music, over time; a beat or meter.

Phrasal verbs die je zult horen

end up (werkwoord) — belanden, terechtkomen. To bring to a conclusion.
go on /ˈɡoʊˌɒn/ (werkwoord) — verder gaan. To continue in extent.
lie down (werkwoord) — gaan liggen, neerliggen. To assume a horizontal position.
look up /ˌlʊk ˈʌp/ (werkwoord) — opkijken. To have better prospects.
mess up (werkwoord) — verrommelen, in de war brengen. To make a mess of; to untidy, disorder, soil, or muss.
slow down (werkwoord) — afremmen. To decelerate.
turn into (werkwoord) — overgaan. To become.
wake up /ˌweɪk ˈʌp/ (werkwoord) — wakker worden, ontwaken. To stop sleeping; to awake.

Uitspraak om op te letten

De spreker gebruikt 67 samentrekkingen en verkorte vormen, zoals don't, you're, I'm. Spreek ze kort uit, zoals je ze hoort.

De “th”-klanken: breathe /bɹiːð/, rhythm /ˈɹɪð.əm/
De klanken “sh” en “zh”: sheep /ˈʃiːp/, examination /ɪɡˌzæm.ɪˈneɪ.ʃən/, exposure /ɪkˈspəʊ.ʒə(ɹ)/, sheet /ʃit/, sufficient /səˈfɪʃənt/
Lange woorden — let op de klemtoon: examination /ɪɡˌzæm.ɪˈneɪ.ʃən/, anxiety /æŋˈzaɪ.əti/, circadian /sɚˈkeɪ.di.ən/, melatonin /ˌmɛləˈtəʊnɪn/, serotonin /ˌsɛɹəˈtoʊnɪn/

Zo oefen je met deze video

Luister de hele video één keer zonder te spreken en noteer de woorden die je niet kent.
Begin op 0,75× snelheid, spreek zin voor zin na en ga terug naar normale snelheid zodra het makkelijk gaat.
Neem jezelf op en vergelijk met het origineel; let daarbij op woorden als asleep, breathe, sheep.

Grammatica in deze video

De structuren die de spreker het meest gebruikt, met de exacte woorden uit de video:

Structuur	In de video
Voorwaardelijke zinnen if + zin, will/would + werkwoord — een voorwaarde en het gevolg	if you know all these, you'll have
Present perfect have/has + voltooid deelwoord — iets uit het verleden dat nu nog telt	i've learned · I've done · you've been
Mogelijkheid met “might / may” might/may + werkwoord — iets is mogelijk maar niet zeker	may not work · might be · might find
Overtreffende trap the -est / the most … — het hoogste of laagste van een groep	The most important · the smallest · the dumbest

Wat is de Shadowing-techniek?

Shadowing is een wetenschappelijk onderbouwde taalleermethode die oorspronkelijk is ontwikkeld voor professionele tolkentraining en gepopulariseerd door polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. De methode is eenvoudig maar krachtig: je luistert naar native Engelse audio en herhaalt het onmiddellijk hardop — als een schaduw die de spreker volgt met slechts 1–2 seconden vertraging. In tegenstelling tot passief luisteren of grammaticadrills, dwingt shadowing je hersenen en mondspieren om echte spraakpatronen tegelijkertijd te verwerken en te reproduceren. Onderzoek toont aan dat het de uitspraaknauwkeurigheid, intonatie, ritme, verbonden spraak, luisterbegrip en spreekvaardigheid aanzienlijk verbetert — waardoor het een van de meest effectieve methoden is voor IELTS Speaking-voorbereiding en echte Engelse communicatie.

Shadowing-techniek: lees de volledige stap-voor-stap-gids →

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