Shadowing Practice: What Happens When We Don't Get Enough Sleep - Scary Effects of Sleep Deprivation (animated) - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

B2
In today's fast paced world, a good night's sleep has become somewhat of a luxury.
⏸ Paused
51 sentences
If sentences are too short or too long, click Edit to adjust them.
1
In today's fast paced world, a good night's sleep has become somewhat of a luxury.
2
It has fallen down on our list of priorities behind work, chores, social time, and entertainment.
3
Functioning on less sleep has even become some kind of badge of honor.
4
We brag to our friends, how little sleep we got last night, like it's something to be proud of.
5
But sleep should become our top priority.
6
It’s a vital part of life as important to your physical and mental health as food and water.
7
One of the biggest problems with lack of sleep is that people don't even know they are sleep deprived.
8
Studies show that over time, people who are getting five hours of sleep, instead of seven or eight, begin to feel that they have adapted and got used to this sleep pattern.
9
But if you look closely at how they actually do on tests of mental alertness and performance, they are functioning on a sub-par level.
10
Stimulants like caffeine also aren’t enough to override your body’s profound need for sleep.
11
Now let's look at some side effects that you'll have to deal with when being sleep deprived.
12
1. It makes you dumb Sleep plays a critical role in thinking and learning.
13
Lack of sleep hurts these cognitive processes in many ways.
14
It impairs attention, alertness, concentration, reasoning, and problem solving.
15
This makes it more difficult to learn efficiently.
16
During the night, your brain is busy processing information from the day and forming memories.
17
If you are sleep deprived, your ability to learn and retain new information may be impaired.
18
This may not be news to anyone who has pulled an all nighter, cramming for a test only to find the facts and figures they knew at 2 a.m. could not be recalled the next day.
19
To put it simply, without adequate sleep, your brain has a harder time absorbing and recalling new information.
20
2. You'll gain weight Remarkably, sleep loss may also be a contributing factor to obesity.
21
Firstly, it makes you too tired to get enough exercise.
22
Secondly, you're more inclined to over eat, as it affects two hormones that control your hunger: ghrelin and leptin.
23
Ghrelin signals your brain that it’s time to eat.
24
When you’re sleep deprived, your body makes more ghrelin.
25
Leptin, on the other hand, cues your brain to put the fork down.
26
When you’re not getting enough sleep, leptin levels plummet, signaling your brain to eat more food.
27
Put the two together, and it’s no wonder sleep deprivation leads to overeating and extra pounds.
28
In fact, sleep-deprived participants in one study, ate an average of 300 calories more per day.
29
Plus, when you’re sleep deficient, your brain's reward center lights up, looking for something that feels good.
30
So while you might be able to avoid food cravings when you’re well rested, your sleep deprived brain may have trouble saying no to a second slice of cake.
31
3. It's like being drunk Lack of sleep dulls activity in the brain’s frontal lobe, which involves motor function and problem solving.
32
Your reaction time is slower and you don't have the mental clarity to make the best decisions.
33
So it’s a little like being drunk.
34
A National Sleep Foundation survey has revealed that 60 percent of adult drivers say they have driven a vehicle while feeling drowsy.
35
And more than one third have actually fallen asleep at the wheel.
36
Unfortunately, many of these situations end in tragedy.
37
It's estimated that sleep deprived driving is responsible for a full 20 percent of all vehicle crashes.
38
That would mean it causes approximately 1 million crashes each year in the U.S., eight thousand of which are fatal.
39
So think twice before hopping behind the wheel, when you know you didn't get enough sleep.
40
4. You might die early Reduced sleep time is a greater mortality risk than high blood pressure, heart disease and even smoking.
41
In one meta-analays they discovered that people who slept for less than six hours each night, were 12 percent more likely to die prematurely, than those who slept the recommended six to eight hours.
42
The team analysed 16 studies involving a total of 1.3 million people before reaching their conclusions.
43
While you’re asleep, your body takes care of all of the regenerative jobs needed to keep it healthy.
44
Without sleep, this regeneration process isn't completed.
45
What suffers is your immune system.
46
If you're not sleeping properly there can be significant issues in terms of your body's ability to fight off infections.
47
Our immune system is designed to protect us from colds, flu, and other diseases, but when it is not functioning properly, it fails to do its job.
48
That makes you more likely to get sick and stay sick, or have a slow healing time for any injuries you may have.
49
I hope this gave you some insight on just how much sleep can affect our well being.
50
If you want to know how to prevent all these deficiencies, you should check out my book summary of "Sleep Smarter", which will give you all the necessary tools to improve your sleep.
51
Thanks for watching :)

Download App

AI scoring for every sentence you speak

Scan To Download
Scan To Download
Download on theApp Store
Get it onGoogle Play
TRENDING

Popular

Context & Background

In the fast-paced modern world, sleep has taken a backseat to other priorities such as work, social life, and entertainment. The speaker emphasizes that this trend has serious implications on our physical and mental well-being. By sharing insights about the detrimental effects of sleep deprivation, they aim to raise awareness about the critical role of sleep in maintaining our health and cognitive functioning. As English learners, understanding this dialogue not only enriches your vocabulary but also provides essential knowledge that can be applied in discussions about lifestyle choices and health.

Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication

  • “A good night's sleep has become somewhat of a luxury.” – This phrase can be used to discuss modern lifestyles.
  • “Sleep should become our top priority.” – A strong statement that emphasizes the importance of sleep.
  • “Your ability to learn and retain new information may be impaired.” – Useful when discussing learning strategies.
  • “Sleep deprivation leads to overeating and extra pounds.” – This phrase connects health and lifestyle topics.
  • “Reduced sleep time is a greater mortality risk than...” – A powerful phrase for discussing the serious consequences of insufficient sleep.

Step-by-step Shadowing Guide

To effectively improve your English pronunciation and comprehension through this video, follow these steps using a shadowing app or technique:

  1. Listen Actively: Start by watching the video without subtitles. Focus on how the speaker articulates words and phrases.
  2. Segment & Pause: Break the transcript into smaller sections, pausing after each to replicate the pronunciation and intonation. This helps in mastering difficult phrases like “a good night's sleep.”
  3. Shadow Speak: Repeat phrases immediately after the speaker. This mimicking technique forces you to adapt your mouth shapes and vocal tones to match, greatly enhancing your speaking skills.
  4. Record & Compare: Use a voice recording tool within the shadowing app to capture your attempts. Compare your audio to the original and take note of areas for improvement.
  5. Practice Regularly: Consistency is key! Commit to shadowing a little each day, focusing particularly on phrases that challenged you initially.

Try to incorporate these practices into your daily routine, and you’ll find that you not only improve your English pronunciation with shadow speak but also enhance your understanding of complex concepts, helping you learn English with YouTube more effectively.

What is the Shadowing Technique?

Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.

☕ Buy us a coffee