Practice English Reading Exercises for B2 – Sleep, Dreams & Mental Well-being 6

Exercises:   123456

Reading 1

You are going to read an article about four teenagers reviewing the effectiveness of using ambient noise apps to drown out anxious thoughts and fall asleep.

For questions 1-10, choose from the people/sections (A-D). The people/sections may be chosen more than once.

Which person/section

1   points out that their inability to rest was rooted in stress about their studies?

2   confesses that they are now entirely reliant on the application to get to sleep?

3   mentions an unexpected benefit of the application blocking out the local environment?

4   was forced to adjust the app’s settings after experiencing disturbing dreams?

5   appreciates the freedom to combine various audio elements to suit their mood?

6   initially felt skeptical about the effectiveness of audio-based relaxation techniques?

7   discovered that a specific type of frequency was too mechanical to be comforting?

8   values a function that ensures the audio doesn’t play continuously until morning?

9   points out that they eventually found success by switching to a different category of sounds?

10   passed on their discovery to a relative who also struggles with resting?

Sound Asleep: Can Apps Cure Teenage Insomnia?

A Leo

To be completely honest, when my older brother first suggested I download a sleep app, I brushed the idea off. I was highly doubtful that listening to pre-recorded rain would magically cure my insomnia. I live in a bustling city centre, and the constant hum of traffic always kept me on edge. However, I eventually gave in and downloaded a thunderstorm simulator. To my amazement, the heavy downpours completely drowned out the irritating street noise outside my window, allowing my racing thoughts to finally settle. The immersive experience genuinely works wonders. Unfortunately, there is a significant downside. I’ve grown so accustomed to the comforting rumble of thunder that I now find it virtually impossible to drift off in complete silence. If my phone battery dies overnight, I instantly wake up. While I’ve finally managed to overcome my sleep deprivation, I have inadvertently developed a slight addiction to the app.

B Mia

For months, I was kept awake by a constant loop of anxious thoughts. Desperate for a solution, I read several articles highly recommending ‘white noise’ as the ultimate cure for restlessness. I eagerly downloaded a popular app, but I was bitterly disappointed. Instead of being soothing, the static hissing sound felt incredibly harsh and robotic, completely failing to relax my tense muscles. In fact, it actually made me feel more agitated! I was about to delete the app altogether when I stumbled upon its library of natural soundscapes. I decided to give a track featuring a gentle stream and singing birds a try. The difference was night and day. Switching away from the artificial frequencies to organic, realistic audio instantly calmed my nervous system. It gently guided my mind away from my worries and into a state of deep relaxation. I still struggle with anxiety occasionally, but having this natural acoustic sanctuary at my fingertips has been a genuine lifesaver.

C Sam

Last year, the immense pressure of my upcoming final exams really took its toll on my mental well-being. No matter how exhausted I was, my brain would endlessly replay facts and figures the moment my head hit the pillow. A classmate suggested I try an ambient noise generator, and it has radically transformed my bedtime routine. What I absolutely love about my chosen app is the sheer level of customisation it offers. Rather than settling for a single, monotonous track, you are actively encouraged to act as a DJ. I usually blend the crackle of a campfire with a soft, howling wind, adjusting the individual volumes until the mix is just right. This unique combination acts as a mental blanket, muffling my academic anxieties. It’s been such a phenomenal success for me that I recently set up the exact same profile for my younger sister, who also suffers from pre-test nerves, and she has reported similarly fantastic results.

D Chloe

My journey with ambient noise has been something of a learning curve. I initially started using a ‘deep ocean’ track to help me wind down after hectic days at school. At first, I simply left the audio running on an endless loop until morning. However, after a few days, I began experiencing incredibly vivid, unsettling nightmares about drowning or being lost at sea. It became apparent that my subconscious mind was incorporating the continuous sound of crashing waves into my sleep cycle, resulting in disrupted, anxious nights. Fortunately, I soon discovered that the application features a built-in sleep timer. Now, I program the app to gradually fade out after forty-five minutes. By the time the audio stops completely, I am already fast asleep, meaning my brain is no longer influenced by the aquatic noises during my deepest REM phases. Figuring out how to utilize this automatic shut-off function was crucial in getting the restful night I craved.

Reading 2

You are going to read an article about four young adults describing the psychological concept of “revenge bedtime procrastination,” where they refuse to sleep to reclaim personal time after a busy day.

For questions 1-10, choose from the people (A-D). The people may be chosen more than once.

Which person

1   states that attempting a different daily schedule did not offer the same psychological benefits?

2   feels they deserve to have fun, even if it leads to tiredness later on?

3   deliberately ignores boundaries they have put in place to ensure they get enough rest?

4   engages in trivial tasks because they are the only things they have full authority over?

5   is motivated by the fact that the late hours are completely free from the expectations of others?

6   mentions that their job requires them to follow an extremely rigid timetable?

7   struggles with intense feelings of remorse when their morning alarm goes off?

8   feels frustrated by how much of their daytime is spent serving someone else’s needs?

9   points out that their lack of sleep is beginning to visibly affect their physical appearance?

10   uses fictional environments as a way to detach from their stressful reality?

Stealing Back the Night: The Truth About Revenge Bedtime Procrastination

A Leo

As a project manager, my entire day is strictly dictated by the clock. From the moment I log on in the morning, I am bound to a grueling itinerary of back-to-back meetings, urgent client calls, and tight deadlines. By the time I finally shut my laptop, my brain is completely fried. I am fully aware that I should hit the sack early to recover, but a rebellious voice in my head insists that I am entitled to some enjoyment. After all, I’ve worked incredibly hard, so haven’t I earned a little reward? Consequently, I end up immersing myself in massive, open-world video games until the early hours. It is my way of reclaiming my autonomy through virtual escapism. If I were to just go straight to sleep, it would feel as though my entire existence consisted solely of working, which is a thoroughly depressing thought. Even though I pay a heavy price in fatigue the following day, I keep repeating the cycle.

B Mia

I’ve read countless psychology articles about the phenomenon of ‘revenge bedtime procrastination’, and I am undoubtedly a chronic victim of it. Every evening, I promise myself that I will responsibly turn off my electronic devices by half past ten. I have even gone as far as installing a digital application on my phone designed to block social media after a certain hour. Nevertheless, when the screen goes dark, I invariably find a sneaky way to bypass the restrictions and keep scrolling through endless feeds. I usually tell myself it’s just for another five minutes, but entire hours slip by unnoticed. The physical consequences of this habit are becoming impossible to ignore; I am constantly running on fumes, and the dark circles under my eyes are a dead giveaway of my sleep deprivation. When my alarm violently wakes me up, I am flooded with a profound sense of regret. I always swear I’ll break the habit, but once night falls, the desperate urge to carve out some ‘me time’ inevitably takes over again.

C Tariq

Working full-time in customer service means my entire schedule revolves around catering to other people’s problems. I essentially spend eight hours a day suppressing my own needs and emotions to ensure our clients are fully satisfied, which inevitably leaves me feeling incredibly drained and frequently resentful. When I finally step through my front door, I fiercely protect my evening hours as if my life depends on it. Interestingly, I don’t use this precious time to do anything particularly productive or meaningful. Instead, I find myself tumbling down internet rabbit holes, reading random encyclopedia pages about obscure historical events, or meticulously reorganising my music playlists. It sounds completely pointless to an outsider, but the psychological payoff for me is massive. For those few quiet hours, I am the sole person calling the shots. Nobody is demanding my attention, complaining, or asking for a favour. If I hadn’t spent the whole day bending over backwards for strangers, I probably wouldn’t feel this overwhelming compulsion to stay awake doing absolutely nothing of substance.

D Chloe

People constantly advise me to simply wake up earlier if I want to carve out some peaceful time for myself. Desperate for a solution to my exhaustion, I actually gave that strategy a go for a fortnight. However, forcing myself out of bed at five in the morning just didn’t cut it. Instead of feeling liberated, those early hours merely felt like a stressful waiting period before the daily grind officially commenced. I realised that the true magic of staying up late lies entirely in the comforting stillness of the night. Once midnight strikes, the world falls completely silent. There are no incoming emails, no urgent text messages to reply to, and absolutely no demands from anyone. It is a sanctuary of uninterrupted solitude. I am perfectly aware that sacrificing my sleep to binge-watch television series is highly detrimental in the long run. Yet, the psychological relief I experience from knowing that the world has temporarily stopped asking things of me is simply far too addictive to give up.

Exercises:   123456