Improving Sleep with a Calmer Evening Routine | Learn Spanish in English

Spanish lesson set in a contemporary Madrid everyday setting: At home, two adults talk about poor sleep and choosing a calmer evening routine before bed..

EN → ES / Level: A2

About This Lesson

Use Improving Sleep with a Calmer Evening Routine to practice Spanish conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

No he estado durmiendo bien últimamente.

noh eh eh-STAH-doh door-MYEN-doh byen ool-tee-mah-MEN-teh I have not been sleeping well recently.
B

Quizás necesitas cambiar tu rutina de la noche.

kee-SAHS neh-seh-SEE-tahs kahm-BYAR too roo-TEE-nah deh lah NOH-cheh Maybe your evening routine needs changing.
A

Uso mi teléfono justo antes de acostarme.

OO-soh mee teh-LEH-foh-noh HOO-stoh AHN-tehs deh ah-kohs-TAR-meh I use my phone right before bed.
B

Pasar menos tiempo frente a la pantalla puede ayudarte a relajarte.

pah-SAR MEH-nohs TYEM-poh FREHN-teh ah lah pahn-TAH-yah PWEH-deh ah-yoo-DAR-teh ah reh-lah-HAR-teh Less screen time may help you relax.
A

¿Debería leer un libro en su lugar?

deh-beh-REE-ah leh-ER oon LEE-broh en soo loo-GAR Should I read a book instead?
B

Elige algo tranquilo y fácil.

eh-LEE-heh AHL-goh trahn-KEE-loh ee FAH-seel Choose something calm and easy.
B

Para que tu mente se calme.

PAH-rah keh too MEHN-teh seh KAHL-meh So your mind can slow down.
A

Lo probaré durante algunas noches.

loh proh-bah-REH doo-RAHN-teh ahl-GOO-nahs NOH-chehs I will try that for a few nights.
B

Una rutina constante puede mejorar el sueño.

OO-nah roo-TEE-nah kohns-TAHN-teh PWEH-deh meh-hoh-RAR ehl SWEH-nyoh A steady routine can improve sleep.

Word by Word

No In “No he estado durmiendo bien últimamente”, “No” makes the statement negative: not. It commonly appears directly before the verb phrase, as in “No + verb”.
he Here “he” means have and helps form “he estado durmiendo”, meaning have been sleeping. It is the first-person form of haber used with a participle or participle phrase.
estado In “he estado durmiendo”, “estado” contributes the idea of having been in the state of doing something. It is the form of estar used after “he” in this compound verb phrase.
durmiendo “Durmiendo” means sleeping in the sentence about not sleeping well. It describes an ongoing activity and appears with “he estado” in “he estado durmiendo”.
bien Here “bien” means well and describes how the person has been sleeping. It commonly follows a verb to describe whether an activity is done well.
últimamente “Últimamente” means recently or lately, referring to the recent period in which the sleeping problem has occurred. It can be placed at the end of a sentence to give this time context.
Quizás “Quizás” means maybe and introduces a possibility rather than a certain statement. It is useful when offering a possible explanation or suggestion, as in “Quizás necesitas...”.
necesitas In “Quizás necesitas cambiar”, “necesitas” means you need. It is followed here by the infinitive “cambiar”, forming the pattern “necesitas + infinitive”.
cambiar “Cambiar” means to change in the suggestion about changing the evening routine. It is an infinitive after “necesitas” and can be followed by the thing that needs changing.
tu Here “tu” means your and identifies the routine as belonging to the person being addressed. It appears directly before the noun it describes, as in “tu rutina”.
rutina “Rutina” means routine, specifically the person’s evening routine in this dialogue. It can be followed by “de” plus a noun to specify the relevant time or type of routine.
de In “rutina de la noche”, “de” links “rutina” with “la noche”, giving the routine its night-time reference. A common pattern is “noun + de + noun” to add this kind of specification.
la Here “la” means the and introduces “noche” in the phrase “de la noche”. It is placed immediately before the noun it determines.
noche “Noche” means night in “la noche”. It identifies the time connected to the routine through “de la noche”.
Uso “Uso” means I use in the sentence about using a phone before bed. It is the first-person form used before the object, as in “Uso + object”.
mi Here “mi” means my and identifies the phone as belonging to the speaker. It comes before the noun in “mi teléfono”.
teléfono “Teléfono” means phone, the object being used before bed. It follows the possessive “mi” in “mi teléfono”.
justo In “justo antes de acostarme”, “justo” means right or just, emphasizing the exact timing before going to bed. It strengthens the time expression “antes de acostarme”.
antes “Antes” means before in the time expression “justo antes de acostarme”. A common pattern is “antes de + infinitive” when one action happens before another.
acostarme “Acostarme” means going to bed or lying down to sleep in “antes de acostarme”. It is the infinitive form used after “antes de”, with “me” attached to show that the speaker is the person going to bed.
Pasar At the beginning of “Pasar menos tiempo frente a la pantalla”, “Pasar” means to spend, referring to spending time. An infinitive can function as the subject of a sentence, followed by the amount of time and the activity or place.
menos Here “menos” means less and reduces the amount of “tiempo”. It commonly appears before a noun in quantity expressions such as “menos tiempo”.
tiempo “Tiempo” means time in the expression about spending less time in front of a screen. It follows “menos” to express a smaller amount of time.
frente In “frente a la pantalla”, “frente” contributes the idea of being in front of something. The reusable expression is “frente a + noun”, which identifies what is in front of the person.
a Here “a” completes the expression “frente a la pantalla”, meaning in front of the screen. It follows “frente” before the noun that identifies the reference point.
pantalla “Pantalla” means screen in “frente a la pantalla”. It is the noun that follows “frente a” to identify what the person is looking at or sitting before.
puede In “puede ayudarte a relajarte”, “puede” means can or may and expresses a possible helpful effect. It is followed by an infinitive, here in the pattern “puede + ayudarte”.
ayudarte “Ayudarte” means help you in “puede ayudarte a relajarte”. It combines the infinitive “ayudar” with the attached object pronoun “te”, and the construction continues with “a” plus another infinitive.
relajarte “Relajarte” means to relax in the phrase “ayudarte a relajarte”. It combines the infinitive “relajar” with “te” and names the action the person may be helped to do.
Debería “Debería” means should I in the question about reading a book instead. It is used before an infinitive to ask whether an action would be advisable, as in “Debería + infinitive”.
leer “Leer” means to read in “Debería leer un libro”. It is the infinitive that follows “Debería” and is followed by the object “un libro”.
un Here “un” means a and introduces one unspecified book in “un libro”. It is placed before the noun it determines.
libro “Libro” means book, the suggested alternative to using the phone before bed. It follows the article “un” in “un libro”.
en In “en su lugar”, “en” contributes the relation to a place, while the whole expression means instead. It is used together with “su lugar”, not as the complete meaning of the alternative by itself.
su Here “su” is the possessive form inside “en su lugar”, referring to the relevant place or option. The expression “en su lugar” means instead, so its full meaning comes from the construction as a whole.
lugar “Lugar” means place in “en su lugar”. Together with “en su”, it forms the expression “en su lugar”, used when choosing one option instead of another.
Elige “Elige” means choose in the direct suggestion “Elige algo tranquilo y fácil”. It is used at the start of a command and can be followed by the thing being chosen.
algo Here “algo” means something and refers to an unspecified choice. It is followed by the describing words “tranquilo y fácil” in the phrase “algo tranquilo y fácil”.
tranquilo “Tranquilo” means calm or peaceful and describes the unspecified thing to choose. It appears after “algo” and is coordinated with “fácil” by “y”.
y “Y” means and and joins the two descriptions “tranquilo” and “fácil”. It is used to connect words or phrases that apply together.
fácil “Fácil” means easy and adds a second description to “algo”. It is joined to “tranquilo” by “y” in “algo tranquilo y fácil”.
Para At the beginning of “Para que tu mente se calme”, “Para” introduces the purpose of the suggested choice: so that the mind becomes calmer. The reusable purpose pattern is “para que + clause”.
que Here “que” completes the purpose expression “para que”, meaning so that. It introduces the clause “tu mente se calme” that states the intended result.
mente “Mente” means mind in “tu mente se calme”. It is the noun identified by “tu” and the subject of the calming action in this clause.
se In “se calme”, “se” shows that the mind becomes calm or calms down. It appears directly before “calme” as part of the reflexive verb construction.
calme “Calme” means calms down or becomes calm in “tu mente se calme”. It appears after “para que” to express the intended result of choosing something calm and easy.
Lo In “Lo probaré”, “Lo” means it or that and refers to the suggested routine or activity. It is an object pronoun placed before “probaré” in this sentence.
probaré “Probaré” means I will try in “Lo probaré”. It expresses a future decision and combines naturally with an object, here the preceding “Lo”.
durante “Durante” means for or during when it introduces the period “algunas noches”. It commonly appears before a time expression to say how long something will continue.
algunas Here “algunas” means some or a few and gives an indefinite small number of nights. It appears before and agrees with “noches” in “algunas noches”.
noches “Noches” means nights in “durante algunas noches”. It names the period during which the speaker will try the new routine.
Una Here “Una” means a or one and introduces “rutina constante”. It appears before the noun and agrees with it in the phrase “Una rutina”.
constante “Constante” means steady or consistent and describes the routine that may improve sleep. It follows “rutina” in “Una rutina constante”.
mejorar “Mejorar” means to improve in “puede mejorar el sueño”. It is an infinitive after “puede” and is followed by the thing that may improve.
el Here “el” means the and introduces “sueño” in “el sueño”. It is placed directly before the noun it determines.
sueño “Sueño” means sleep in “mejorar el sueño”. It is the thing that a steady routine may improve.

Grammar Points

he estado + gerundio

He estado durmiendo últimamente.

eh eh-STAH-doh door-MYEN-doh ool-tee-mah-MEN-teh

I have been sleeping recently.

This form describes an action that started in the past and has continued until recently.

justo antes de + infinitivo

Uso el teléfono justo antes de acostarme.

OO-soh ehl teh-LEH-foh-noh HOO-stoh AHN-tehs deh ah-kohs-TAR-meh

I use the phone right before going to bed.

After antes de, Spanish uses the infinitive when the subject is the same.

Spanish Vocabulary

acostarme verb
ah-kohs-TAR-meh to go to bed
cambiar verb
kahm-BYAR to change
he estado durmiendo phrase
eh eh-STAH-doh door-MYEN-doh I have been sleeping

No he estado durmiendo bien últimamente.

justo antes de phrase
HOO-stoh AHN-tehs deh right before
necesitas verb
neh-seh-SEE-tahs you need

Quizás necesitas cambiar tu rutina de la noche.

noche noun
NOH-cheh night
pasar menos tiempo frente a la pantalla phrase
pah-SAR MEH-nohs TYEM-poh FREHN-teh ah lah pahn-TAH-yah to spend less time in front of the screen
quizás adv
kee-SAHS maybe
rutina noun
roo-TEE-nah routine
teléfono noun
teh-LEH-foh-noh phone
últimamente adv
ool-tee-mah-MEN-teh recently
uso verb
OO-soh I use

Uso mi teléfono justo antes de acostarme.

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

I have not been sleeping well recently.

Show AnswerNo he estado durmiendo bien últimamente.

Choose something calm and easy.

Show AnswerElige algo tranquilo y fácil.

So your mind can slow down.

Show AnswerPara que tu mente se calme.

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

night

Show Answernoche

recently

Show Answerúltimamente

phone

Show Answerteléfono

maybe

Show Answerquizás