Sarah Forbes talks about how she gets a good night's sleep
I can't remember when I started to have problems sleeping. As a student I seemed
to spend half of my life sleeping. But after my graduation I found myself spending hours
lying awake until the early hours of the morning. After a few weeks of this I decided to
do something about it. I often went to bed at different times; perhaps there was a
programme on TV I wanted to watch, or I'd be watching videos on my phone. So I tried
going to bed at the same time each night. This took a while to get used to but slowly I
found myself getting into a regular routine.
I also took the advice of a friend and made sure I did things to help me relax before
I went to bed. I'd start by writing a list of things I needed to do the next day so I wouldn’t
end up thinking about them during the night. I got into the habit of having a nice warm
bath before bedtime and then did some relaxation exercises like meditation. Reading
also seemed to work, but not in the way I expected. I would sometimes just fall asleep
in the middle of a chapter!

I also found some suggestions online about how to make your bedroom sleep-
friendly. I used to have very thin curtains that let the light from outside shine through,

so I changed these for thicker ones. I also removed all technology from the room like
the TV and the laptop as these are not supposed to help you sleep, even if they are
switched off. And of course I left the mobile phone downstairs!
And the result? I'm pleased to say ifs worked. Of course, there are some nights
where I find it difficult to go to sleep but mostly I'm getting a good seven hours· sleep a
night. I started to make a note of my sleep patterns, and this is also useful as it helps
show things that were making me lie awake, like problems at work. So, I have to say it
has been a very successful experiment.
11. When did Sarah's sleeping problems begin?
a. when she was a student
b. after she finished at university
c. a few weeks ago
d. at different times during the week
12. Writing a list of jobs to be done
a. helped Sarah read.
b. meant Sarah worked harder the next day.
c. was the first thing Sarah did at bedtime.
d. helped her think more clearly.
13. What does Sarah say was the problem with her bedroom?
a. Her friends didn't like it.
b. It didn't have a TV.

c. She often left her laptop switched on.
d. It was too bright.
14. Sarah says that now
a. she never finds it difficult sleeping.
b. she keeps a record of how well she sleeps.
c. she never thinks about work at night.
d. sleeping better is helping her at work.
15. What would be a good introduction to this article?
a. Our sleep expert Sarah Forbes explains how you can make sure you get a
good night's sleep.
b. Sarah Forbes suddenly found herself having trouble getting to sleep. But she
took control of the situation.
c. Reading Sarah Forbes has not slept well for years. She told us how it affects
her work.
d. Sarah Forbes knows what it’s like not being able to sleep. Here she explains
the dangers of lying awake at night.