Passage 1: Sleep Deprivation

1 Sleep is so important to our well-being that it is included in the 1949 Geneva Convention as a basic right,
alongside other essentials such as food and water. Deprivation of these factors in the treatment of
prisoners is classified as a form of torture. So, what happens to our health when we don’t get enough
sleep, and how can we best try to ensure a good night’s rest?

2 The mildest consequences of sleep deprivation are bags under the eyes and a constant feeling of fatigue. 5
Once you are overtired you become clumsier than normal so everyday tasks become more difficult.
Alongside this, another factor comes into play: reaction times slow down as your brain struggles to respond
to stimuli. You might think these are trivial factors, but a 2000 New Zealand study found that driving while
fatigued can be as dangerous as driving while drunk. Imagine a driver, bleary-eyed with lack of sleep,
trying to get home down a poorly lit country lane or a fast driving motorway – disaster is just one momentary 10
lapse of concentration away! Many countries now put up roadside posters warning drivers of the danger
and encouraging them to pull over and nap if they’re feeling sleepy.

3 During sleep, our bodies use a lot of the time repairing cell damage and producing hormones that regulate
several of our bodily functions. Without that, we can become more susceptible to some serious medical
conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and fibromyalgia. Surprisingly, stunted growth in 15
children can also be a symptom of long term chronic sleep deprivation, as human growth hormone is
released most during the REM (rapid eye movement) stage of sleep, a stage that can only be reached
after at least an initial ninety minutes of sleep.

4 Do you ever wake up feeling like anything and everything that the people around you are doing is annoying
and wrong? Being irritable is common in the sleep deprived as getting enough sleep allows us to process 20
our emotions properly. We can otherwise be in danger of over-reacting to situations which we would
normally be able to cope with. Additionally, lack of sleep can cause us to make decisions that we would
consider rash under better circumstances. A lot of family heartache and emotional angst could be avoided
if we just made sure we were well rested each night. In the long term, it can cause depression or in cases
of acute sleep deprivation, even psychosis, where a person is no longer able to tell the difference between 25
reality and fantasy. During a psychotic break, people can suffer from delusions or hallucinations that
cause them to behave in ways that are completely out of character. This is one of the many reasons why
sleep-deprived witnesses or suspects should not be believed without solid collaborating evidence to back
up their claims.

5 So, how do we make sure that we get the recommended eight to ten hours of sleep per night? Firstly, we 30
should avoid stressful situations in the two to three hours before bedtime. This is not the time for divisive
discussions or delicate decisions. Those should be made much earlier in the day so that we are not
tempted to dwell on them all night when we should be resting. Light sources, moreover, are an important
factor to consider. Artificial light from computers, televisions or telephone screens and night lights can
trick our bodies into thinking it’s not time to sleep and so should be avoided. The natural sleep patterns 35
of people without exposure to artificial light are very different from people who live in the modern world.

6 Our body clock works best when we get to sleep and wake up at the same time each day. That weekend
lie in should be avoided. Getting up early and starting your day is a much better use of your time. The
proverb ‘early to sleep, early to rise’ holds true today, with regular sleep patterns proven to be beneficial
in cutting down the amount of time spent tossing and turning each night trying to get to sleep. Do not nap 40
during the daytime if you can help it as that makes it more difficult to have a restful night. A 2013 National
Sleep Foundation survey in the United States found that people who exercise regularly report the best
quality sleep, regardless of the time of day that exercise takes place. Netball is an especially satisfying
game to play.

7 Finally, if you have a heavy meal just before going to bed you will find it very difficult to sleep. The coffee 45
drinkers amongst us need to think carefully about their habit and avoid caffeine after lunch. Thomas
Dekker said it best when he said, “Sleep is the golden chain that ties health and our bodies together.”
 Passage 2: Time to Go

1 “Can we go home now Mum?” Azim enquired in a querulous tone. A small frown clouded Syakirah’s
features as she considered his remark. She had been startled by his sudden arrival at her side and
put off by the aggrieved tone of his pronouncement. It was as if he had been waiting for a considerable
amount of time and could finally no longer refrain from speaking out.

2 They had spent the afternoon at Azim’s School Gala Day. Syakirah had paid for a table from which 5
to sell her wares: imported material suitable for dressmaking and assorted household items. After
setting up her station she had spent the past few hours haggling with bargain-hunting customers.
They had been determined to knock her prices down to the lowest acceptable rate, while she had
been equally relentless in her quest to maximise profits. Her biggest sale had come from a surprising
source: an engaging woman called Sarah. Sarah had circled the stands three times, each time 10
stopping at Syakirah’s stall to ask questions about various items on display (with no indication she
found the answers pleasing), and to regale Syakirah with tales of her extended family – none of whom
Syakirah knew. Syakirah had enjoyed their chats and thought nothing more would come of them, so
she was taken aback when on Sarah’s fourth visit to the stall, enough material was purchased to
clothe the entire family Syakirah had heard so much about. 15

3 Now the crowds had finally dwindled and she was at last free to take an uninterrupted breath.
Perspiration beaded her forehead and trickled in a line down her back, making her clothes feel
uncomfortable and damp. Her voice was hoarse from prolonged use. She had just begun to
contemplate the idea of perusing the stalls for herself, hoping to find a disregarded gem amongst the
remainders left strewn across the tables by fussy buyers and their harried suppliers when Azim had 20
spoken.

4 Azim, on the other hand, had disappeared within minutes of their arrival. He had barely found time to
help his mother cart her goods from their fully laden car to the designated stall before his friends had
signalled him in an imperative manner to join them in their adventures. With a quick wave and a
hurried promise to behave, he was gone. 25

5 Since then, Syakirah had glimpsed him twice in the distance, each time only for an instant before he
had vanished back into the throng of boisterous young boys, wheeling from stall to stall in an excited
mass. Once he had appeared momentarily by her side, imploring her to top up his funds. He wanted
to buy more snacks and some soon-to-be-forgotten treasures he had discovered during his
explorations. 30

6 Now, just when Syakirah had finally found a moment to herself to think about her next move, he was
back. She looked wistfully at the neighbouring stalls and her friend further down the line that she had
been hoping to catch up with, a friend renowned for her hospitality and her ability to recall the latest
comings and goings of everybody in their neighbourhood.

7 “We’ve been here forever,” Azim exclaimed, “and all my friends have gone home already.” With a 35
dramatic sigh he continued, “How much longer do we have to stay?” He quickly glanced up at her to
gauge the effect of his performance.

8 Suddenly, Syakirah snorted and shook her head, smiling to herself. Looking around one last time,
she sighed. She had had a very successful day financially, but it had been tiring emotionally dealing
with the money pinching public determined to wring a bargain out of her stall. The humid weather 40
conditions had left her physically drained and exacerbated the discomfort she felt from being on her
feet all afternoon without pause. Although she had been originally tempted to extend her afternoon
endeavours, the thought of being able to put her feet up at home was too enticing to resist. She leaned
down and gave Azim a quick squeeze, then ruffled his hair. Azim smirked quietly to himself. “Okay,”
she replied, “Help me put these unsold items into boxes and we’ll go home.” 45