ESL Podcast 474 - Having Trouble Sleeping

newlyweds - people who married each other recently, usually within the past year

Do you think newlyweds fight more or less often than people who have been married for many years?

to go with the territory - to be expected in a particular situation; to be part of something else

They're worried about losing their jobs, but I guess that goes with the territory in a slow economy.

to snore - to unintentionally make a loud, repetitive sound with each breath through one's nose and mouth while one is asleep

He snored so loudly that it woke up the dog!

bummer - an informal term meaning a disappointment; a misfortune; something that one feels bad about

What a bummer that you weren't accepted at that university. I know you really wanted to study there.

to awaken - to wake up; to wake someone up

The noise of the passing trains awakens them almost every hour.

to fall asleep - to begin to sleep

If Ian drinks coffee in the afternoon, he has a hard time falling asleep at night.

to toss and turn - to move one's body many times while lying in bed, trying to get comfortable, but not being able to fall asleep

Philippe tossed and turned all night, worried about the big presentation he'd have to make the next day.

to talk in (one's) sleep - to speak while one is sleeping, without remembering it when one wakes up

Don't you remember our conversation last night? I guess you must have been talking in your sleep.

to make a beeline for (something) - to go straight to something without any hesitation; to do something or go somewhere right away, before one does anything else

Craig was really hungry, so he made a beeline for the kitchen when he got home from work.

sleeping pill - a medicine that makes one very tired and makes it easy to fall asleep

The doctor said that I should take sleeping pills if I have trouble falling asleep, but that I shouldn't take them more than once a week.

groggy - not able to think or move normally, usually because one is very tired or sick

If you call me in the middle of the night, I'll probably be pretty groggy.

disoriented - not knowing where one is or what is happening; confused

The man was very disoriented when he woke up in the hospital, because the last thing he remembered was trying to fix the roof on his house.

insomnia - an inability to sleep most or all nights

Heather is always tired because she has insomnia.

to load up on (something) - to have, use, eat, or buy a lot of something

Runners often load up on pasta before an important race.

to wake (someone) up - to make a noise or touch a person so that he or she stops sleeping

Betty doesn't need to use an alarm clock because the roosters always wake her up.

to sleepwalk - to get out of bed and walk around while one is sleeping, without remembering it when one wakes up

Royce said I was walking around in the living room last night, but I don't remember it, so I must have been sleepwalking.

to rule (something) out - to decide against something; to decide that something is not an option; to decide that one will not consider something

We were trying to think of ways to save money, and Jeannie suggested canceling our gym membership. I don't like that idea, but we can't rule it out.

to keep (something) in mind - to consider something; to not forget about something

As you plan your vacation, keep in mind that plane tickets are cheaper if you buy them a few months in advance.