Lately, we’ve been talking about the kick-ass benefits of waking up early, and how to do it. In the last article, I mentioned “Get enough sleep”. But just how much sleep do we actually need? My opinion has always been something along the lines of “I’ll have time to sleep when I’m dead”. “Sleep is a waste of time.” But then I did some digging into some athlete’s sleep schedules and came across this . Take a look at how much sleep this lot get; Usain Bolt: 8-10 hours Kevin Durant (NBA MVP): 8 hours Michelle Wie (golfer): “I don’t feel very good if I get less than 10.” Rafael Nadal (tennis) : 8-9 hours. Lebron James (NBA): 12 hours. Steve Nash (NBA): Naps as long as he can on game days. Derrick Rose(NBA): 3 hour nap every game night. Andy Murray: 12 hours a night at Wimbledon. Roger Federer: “If I don’t sleep 11-12 hours a day, it’s not right” Basically, these athletes sleep for absolute ages. 12 hours a day?! What?! This got me thinking… if it works for them, why not us? Whenever wewatch motivational videos, it’s always “What will you give up sleep for?” Well if guys like Lebron James are sleeping 12 hours a night, then clearly these vids have got something wrong. In the hectic modern day world, sleep is seen as a luxury. Food = essential. Exercise = important. But sleep? It’s always an after-thought. (Even though we’re asleep for a 1/3 of our life times…) People, let’s talk sleep. Let’s talk getting more sleep. What is sleep? And what super-powers can we get simply by catching more zzz’s? Let’s go! Sleep: The Low-down. What actually is sleep? What happens when we drift off into dreamland? Good questions. Very good questions. The folks at the University of Rochester have revealed something interesting; During the day, when our brain cells are doing their thing, they create waste. Throughout the day, all this brain junk accumulates, and when it reaches a certain level, our body is like “Woah! This place needs a clean. Time to get some shut-eye.” Then you doze off,and mental street-cleaners come out and clean up all the brain junk. Of course, that’s a simplification, but let’s not go into cerebrospinal fluids and all that jazz. Mental street-cleaners keep it cool. So that “foggy” brain feeling you get when you haven’t slept? That’s cos there’s tons of junk just lying around up there. Clogging things up. Interesting huh? Brain Clutter. Ok, mental street cleaners. But what else happens? Well, sleep isn’t just an on-off kinda deal. It’s a process, made from 4 stages. These are N1, N2, N3 and REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. So, picture it. Your brain junk has built up, and your body clock starts giving you the signal that it’s time to go to sleep. Thus starts the N1 stage. You start to feel a little drowsy and you can feel you’re going under. Your muscles start to relax, leading to annoying mid-lecture head jerks. Your body starts reducing in core temperature, and kicks out hormones to help you drift off. If someone doesn’t jab you awake, you’llenter stage N2, when you’re awareness of the environment disappears. You’re now unconscious and well under-way to dream land. Next is N3, the deep, “slow brainwave sleep”. There’s no going back know. You’re muscles are completely relaxed. For good measure, the brain throws in another N2 stage, before finally reaching REM sleep. By this stage, consider yourself officially in dream land. Your mental street cleaners get to work. After REM, the cycle will repeat from N1 again. The whole cycle takes roughly 1 hour and a half (which is why you should try and sleep in blocks of 90 minutes. E.x 7 hours OR 8 ½ hours. ) Ok, great. We know what’s going on. But what’s it to us? Super-Powers of Sleep Become a learning beast. Once those street cleaners have done their thing, your mind is now clutter-free. You have space to think. Thus, you can pay attention with laser-beam focus. Exactly the same as tidying your desk helps you concentrate on working. Exhibit A: Learning Beast in Natural Habitat. So, say you’re in a lecture. Or a classroom. With your laser-beam focus, you can sponge up more information than ever before. Just because you’re paying attention and concentrating. More sleep = more information sponging. But that’s not all. Not only do you sponge up more information, but by sleeping more, you retain and understand all that sponged-up stuff. When you sleep, your brain shuffles around memories, thoughts and ideas, so that they’re stored efficiently. Think of your brain like an office desk. During the day, you learn things and get ideas. These all go into your desk’s in-tray. When you sleep, your brain takes everything in the in-tray, sorts through it, looks over it, and stores it in a filing cabinet for future reference. This process helps you understand what you’ve sponged up during the day, and makes it easier to remember. So by sleeping more, not only can you get more stuff into your in-tray, but then you understand and remember it too. Awesome! It’sa bit counter-intuitive, but if you want to get more work done, then do less work and sleep more. Now how good does that sound. And this works for any learned skill; learning Spanish, learning tennis serves, maths…. Learning goes into beast mode with more sleep. Your brain is ready to kick-ass the next day. A study looked at the effect of sleep on brain activity, after the subjects had been taught a new skill. One group were given only a little sleep after learning, while the other group enjoyed a full night’s shut-eye. Both groups were then brain-scanned the following day. It turns out that the regions for brain speed and memory recall in the rested brains were buzzing with activity, whereas the sleep-deprived subjects showed very little activity. So in the group who’d slept, their brains were already geared up for learning. By getting more sleep, they’d set up their day for success. Not too shabby. Unleash your creative juices. Going back to the filing cabinet analogy. During theday, your in-tray gets filled with a lot of seemingly unrelated stuff. Physics, basketball, cooking, James Bond movies, a good book…. And as you sleep, your brain starts filing these things away. Chances are, it’ll pick up 2 seemingly unrelated thoughts, and notice “Hey, these are actually pretty similar!” Then it’ll store them in the same place. And just like that, you’ve made a link between two completely different topics. Then you’ll you wake up, look back at your notes, and get that classic “ah-ha!” moment. Metaphorical lightbulbs aplenty. By linking abstract things together, you’ll be able to think “outside the box” , and become a more creative person. Like this. This’ll come in handy in any area of your life. When you’re stuck in a tricky situation, you’ll be able to come up with ingenious solutions that you previously wouldn’t have though of. Which leads on nicely to… Makes Decisions More Easily That aforementioned creativity means you’ll come up with better solutions to aproblem, which can make decisions easier. But also, by sleeping more, there’s less “stuff” clogging up your brain, so there’s less flotsam to cloud your judgement. Pros and cons will become clearer. What you want becomes more apparent. What’s important to you becomes obvious with more sleep. So it’s easier to decide go to the gym, to write that article, to put off procrastination, to eat healthier,
*Updated: Top Language Learning Courses of 2016*
Learning a second language is often believed to be an impossible hurdle for most to overcome. Essentially, no matter how well you can express yourself in your native language, you have to embrace yourself as a complete novice in communication again. and that is a pill that is tough to swallow.
Whether you are in your 20’s, 40’s, 60’s, or even older, it is never too late to implement a new language into your daily life. Consider all of the benefits of learning a new language. They rewards extend far beyond acquiring any other skill set.
If you desire to be able to express your questions, feelings, and statements through Spanish then you must take the first step in that process. If you want to open up a surplus of opportunities then you need to take action now.
But not just any action, you must take smart action. As the saying goes…. “work smarter, not harder.”
Work smarter, not harder
What works for some may not necessarily work for others. Likewise, what works for me may not necessarily work for you. You have to experiment and see what resonates with you to truly find what is the for you. Nonetheless, I have compiled a list of the best programs for learning Spanish from my personal experiences.
My reviews will expand on the positives and negatives of each language learning software and how they are tailored for different types of individuals. So without further ado, here are the top language systems for beginners to learning Spanish:
The Good:
- Emphasizes modern, everyday, spoken Latin American Spanish.
- Teaches you to speak how natives actually talk.
- Easily accessible online course from anywhere
- Voice recognition tool which compares your pronunciation to native speakers.
- Role playing tracks teach you to respond automatically in conversations
- Comprehensive tests covering all learning angles
- Access to active Language Learning Community Forum
- The most consolidated online course for beginners
The Bad:
- Mobile application could be improved for offline listening
- Not the best option if you’re interested in solely learning Iberian Spanish (AKA: traditional Spanish spoken in Spain).
Recommended for:
- Individuals more interested in learning to speak Spanish rather than solely read and write it.
- Those looking to learn Latin American Spanish (AKA: the Spanish spoken in Latin America, the United States, Canada, etc).
- Individuals who would like to learn to speak the same everyday common spoken Spanish that is used by Natives.
- Individuals who have Spanish speaking friends, relatives, customers, or colleagues that they would like to be able to converse with and understand everyday spoken Spanish.
- Beginners to Spanish with little knowledge of the language, if any.
Not recommended for:
- Those interested in specifically learning traditional Iberian Spanish.
- Those who are more interested in learning the formal grammar rules of writing Spanish as opposed to speaking the language.
* For more information on Rocket Spanish you can see my full in-depth review .
The Good:
- Focuses on everyday informal Latin American Spanish spoken in your work, community, etc.
- Similar to Rocket Languages, it is another one of the best language learning software for the same common spoken Spanish that is used by natives.
- Moves at a nice pace to really make you feel your progressing nicely.
- Effectively builds upon knowledge learned in the previous lessons.
The Bad:
- While the course is very comprehensive it does move a little fast at times covering many new vocabulary words each lesson.
Recommended for:
- Beginner to semi- intermediate Spanish Speakers.
- Individuals interested in learning everyday common Spanish spoken in your communities
- Learners who like to move at a bit faster pace
Not recommended for:
- Those interested in specifically learning more “old school” formal traditional Spanish.
- Those who are more interested in learning the formal grammar rules of writing Spanish as opposed to speaking the language.
* You can find more information on Learning Spanish Like Crazy .
The Good:
- Covers many useful phrases intended for travel, business, etc.
- Uses proven reinforcement techniques to hardwired what you have learned.
- Role playing tracks teach you to respond automatically in conversations.
The Bad:
- While the course does cover some everyday spoken Spanish its core emphasis lies in teaching you to speak in situations of travel and business.
Recommended for:
- Beginners to Spanish looking to learn the language for purposes of business or travel.
- Those taking an immediate trip to a Spanish speaking country in the coming weeks who need a crash course of the basics.
Not recommended for:
- Those interested in learning everyday spoken Spanish to be able to converse on topics beyond business and travel.
* You can find the Synergy Spanish course .
The Good:
- Accompanied by convenient mobile application that allows you to take your lessons on the go.
- Integrates a video tutor with a range of engaging, interactive workouts to improve your reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills.
- Great for visual learners as it incorporates images and words with audio.
The Bad:
- The course can feel like it’s moving extremely slow at times.
- The abundance of images makes the tests a bit easier than I think they should be.
Recommended for:
- Complete beginners to learning the language of Spanish.
- Individuals who like to learn at a much slower pace.
Not recommended for:
- Those who like to move at a normal to faster pace
- Those interested in conversing in the language more than matching pictures with words
* You can find the Fluenz Spanish Learning Program here on .
The Good:
- Comprehensive course covering an array of beginner topics.
- Combines both audio and visual books into their learning system.
The Bad:
- The course doesn’t go far beyond the basics. (However, for an introductory Spanish Learning course it does give you the best bang for your buck).
Recommended for:
- Complete beginners to the language of Spanish.
- Those looking to learn basic and essential phrases, greetings, questions, statements, etc.
Not recommended for:
- Individuals interested in learning to speak everyday spoken Spanish beyond the basics.
- Individuals looking to be able to fully understand and communicate ideas, feelings, emotions, and controversial topics in Spanish.
* You can find the Living Languages Spanish Course here on .
Conclusion:
Thank you for reading my reviews on the best Spanish learning software. If you are ready to make the jump into taking your learning into your own hands then I hope one of these programs will guide you there.
Whether you are an absolute beginner, novice, or a semi-intermediate speaker there is a course for everyone. There are programs designed for audio-learners, visual learners, and combinations of both.
But remember, at the end of the day these courses are just a tool for you. You must commit to using the tool as often as you can and you will be surprised how far you can go.
Sometimes all you need is a little encouragement… so here you go:
Despite what you may think right now, I can confidently say, that if you give one of these programs a try you will be taking the first step towards speaking and understanding the new language.
Because success is a behavior not a state of being. Action creates behavior. Repeated behavior creates habit. And as you know, habit defines success. If you take the action today you will reap the benefits tomorrow.
Cheers and best of luck!
Good luck!
learn spanish 7th grade learn 5000 spanish words