As human beings, an important part of our physical and mental development, actually takes place at night, while we are asleep. While you're lying in bed dreaming of your next vacation, your body is actually preparing itself for the next day's challenges.

Just like a cellular phone, the body can't stay awake endlessly. It has to be "recharged" in order to survive. At night, the body processes information gathered during the day and stores that information in your memory, to be used at a later date.

An average person's sleep is divided into 4 cycles. Each cycle comprises 4 different stages:

1.    During this stage that lasts 10 minutes, your body is in the process of "shutting down".

2.     Now your body is experiencing a light sleep.

3.    During the third stage, you are in a deep sleep. It's very difficult for people around you to wake you up, because your brain "has gone on vacation" and doesn't want to come back.

4.    REM-(no not the band!) This is the stage of Rapid Eye Movement. Most of the dreams that we remember in the morning are dreamt during this stage (so please don't wake me up while I'm in REM). The reason we remember these dreams more often than other dreams, is that REM dreams actually take place when we are in a very light sleep, even almost awake.

According to scientific research, adults should get approximately 8 hours of sleep every night. Sleeping less than this can have a negative effect on memory, alertness, problem solving and overall health. If you're tired at work, have difficulty staying awake behind the wheel, or fall asleep while talking to your wife or husband, you're probably not getting enough quality sleep. {By the way, quality sleep is undisturbed sleep, on a comfortable bed in a dark room, preferably next to someone you love.}

Research also shows that many of us do not sleep enough. Modern life and its many demands and challenges may be the reason for this. After a long day at work, many people don't have time to relax. Instead of taking a walk in the park or reading a good book, many of us continue doing stressful activities that make it hard to fall asleep when we finally do go to bed.   

Before electricity was invented people couldn't do too much at night, so they went to bed early. Today, people actually sit in bed and watch TV at night or even work on their laptops. This creates a very bad environment for good sleep, and a person with such habits pays the price the day after. Therefore, I suggest turning off the lights early and using your bed for sleep and sex only.

Good night!

Choose the correct translation of the following words, according to the text:
1.    deprive – למנוע, לחקור, לדאוג
2.    human being – להיות גבר, לגדל דבורה, בן אדם
3.    development – רצח, ניתוח, פיתוח
4.    prepare – לדקור, להכין, להעדיף
5.    challenge -  אתגר, גידול ילדים, השמנה
6.    endlessly – סיום של סרט, ללא סוף, בעצבנות
7.    recharge – לטעון מחדש, לחייב, לרדוף
8.    process – לאבד, לעבד, לעבוד
9.    gather – להבין, לרפד, לאסוף
10.    memory – זיכרון, לוח שעם, ספרון
11.    average – ממוצע, מדורה, מריצה
12.    cycle – אופניים, כדור, מחזור
13.    comprise – כולל, להתפשר, לשכוח
14.    shut down – כיבוי, ניבוי, ריבוי
15.    experience – לשמוח, לחוות, לשכוח
16.    band – תזמורת, להקה, חצוצרה
17.    rapid eye movement – תנועה עיניים מהירה, תנועה פוליטית, זרימת מים
18.    awake – עיר, עור, ער
19.    research – מדע, מחקר, חיפוש
20.    approximately – בערך, מעל, פחות
21.    effect – השפעה, נפילה, ירידה
22.    alertness – ניקיון, ערנות, נס קפה
23.    problem solving – בעיית שינה, פתרון תשבצים, פתרון בעיות
24.    overall health – בריאות השן, בדיקת רופא, בריאות כללית
25.    behind the wheel – מאחורי הגב, מאחורי ההגה, גלגל רזרבי
26.    undisturbed – ללא הפרעה, ללא תנועה, רועש
27.    preferably – נייח, רצוי, כתוב
28.    demands – מגירות, סוכנים, דרישות
29.    stress –מתח, נצח, רצח
30.    invent – להיכנס, לטפל, להמציא
31.    environment - מסגד, סביבה, תוצרת
32.    habits – תחביבים, מרוצים, הרגלים

Answer the following questions:
1.    Why is the word "recharged" in quotation marks ("    ")?  _____________________________________________________
2.    What dreams do we usually remember when we wake up? ______________________________________________________
3.    How many hours should an adult sleep at night?_______________
4.    Which of the following are good habits and which are bad habits? smoking, exercising, eating healthy food, eating junk food.