Can you train yourself to sleep on demand?  December 2, 2025

 

What's up, sunshine? Welcome to the show. I'm Coy Wire. This is CNN 10, your 10 minutes of news, fun facts, and knowledge bombs that fuel our minds and keep us in the loop.

 

in the loop 消息灵通; （特定圈子内）了解情况

 

Speaking of bombs, we start today with a bomb cyclone. Know what that is? We'll tell you. And why it's making much of the U.S. feel like full-on winter, even though we're just days into December.

 

full-on [ˈfʊlˈɑn] adj. 彻底的；完全的

 

A bomb cyclone is a powerful winter storm, and there's one currently making its way up much of the East Coast this week. Bomb cyclones occur when a winter storm rapidly intensifies, as a result of its pressure dropping by at least 24 millibars within 24 hours. Remember, the lower the pressure, the stronger the storm.

 

bomb cyclone 爆发性气旋; 炸弹气旋

millibar [ˋmɪlə͵bɑr] n. 【物】【气】毫巴

 

This week's wicked weather is also coming just days after another storm buried parts of the Midwest and Northeast in ice and snow over the weekend. Did you know that major cities like Chicago and St. Louis set November snowfall records?

 

The Windy City saw more than eight inches of snow. The treacherous conditions also caused major headaches for travelers trying to get home after Thanksgiving.

 

Thousands of flights were canceled or delayed, and some highways were shut down by the storm. In Iowa, a plane even skid off the runway due to the icy conditions. Thankfully, no one was hurt.

 

skid [skɪd] v. 打滑；斜滑

 

And if you're hoping for a break from the cold, we have some bad news. Another blast of Arctic air is set to follow this system later this week, and could bring some of the coldest temperatures of the year along with it.

 

Pop quiz, hot shot.

 

How does the United States Postal Service deliver mail to the most remote addresses?

 

Bicycle, drone, mule, or slingshot?

 

If you said mule you're right. Giddy up. At the Grand Canyons, have a soup by reservation.

 

mule [mjul] n. 骡

Giddy up: Hurry up! Move faster!

 

The mail is carried down each day via mule train. The USPS is actively exploring drone delivery, as well as autonomous driver technologies for delivery.

 

As holiday shopping season kicks into high gear, many online shoppers are feeling the need for speed.

 

Online retailers are using lightning-fast shipping in a bid to win over customers this year. That includes Walmart, the nation's largest retailer. Our Vanessa Jurkiewicz got the chance to go inside their new state-of-the-art fulfillment center to see how they use data, automation, and sheer logistic power to get items from their shelves to your door in record time.

 

lightning-fast 快如闪电的，闪电般的

fulfillment center 订单履行中心、仓配中心或配送中心

 

We are in Greencastle, Pennsylvania, the home of one of our newest next-gen facilities. Our goal is to get to your doorstep as fast as possible. When you click buy, we can actually get it out of the internet, onto a trailer, going to your house within 30 minutes.

 

In a world where shipping speed wins the day for consumers, Walmart is racing to be the fastest this holiday season.

 

People want things faster and faster. Are these next-gen fulfillment centers your answer to Amazon?

 

In this respect, we're talking about speed.

 

If we create a great customer experience, that drives more orders. And more orders drives density. And density allows us to lower our cost to operate.

 

First step is unloading. You can see the boxes moving to what we call our second step, which is simply taking the items out of the container and putting them into the tote.

 

tote [tot] n. 搬运；携带；搬运物；携带物

 

And how many steps is it normally?

 

So our other fulfillments have about a 12-step process.

 

And we've simplified that down to five steps.

 

There are four Walmart fulfillment centers like this one, moving 50% of all volume. They're twice as productive as its older facilities.

 

The movement I'm seeing, a lot of it's being done by the machines. It's absolutely. Is that by design? That is 100% by design.

 

Have you ever received a box that might've been too big, a really small item in it? Yeah, a tiny item in a huge box.

 

Really frustrating. This machine is taking the dimensions of the items that you just clicked buy on. We're building a custom-made box for your specific order.

 

I'm about to shift someone their very important product. I'm marrying the box that was made and the products that they ordered.

 

shift [ʃɪft] v. 移動，搬移

 

So it's all coming together right here. Someone ordered a pulse oximeter. Very important.

 

pulse oximeter 脈搏血氧飽和度監測;血氧机; 血氧仪

oximeter [ɑkˈsɪmətɚ] n. 血氧計

 

Going into box. Don't forget to scan it. Nope, nope, nope.

 

So this is the scanner. There you go. Okay.

 

Here. Now hit the button. Nice job.

 

I think I slowed down someone's delivery time by about 30 minutes. Apologies to whoever that was. I think we'll be okay.

 

This next story is straight fire. The 2026 Winter Olympics are right around the corner, meaning the iconic Olympic torch is now officially on its way to Italy to kick off the Games. The flame was lit in Olympia, Greece, the birthplace of the Olympic Games, at dawn last week.

 

It's currently making its way across Greece on its way to Milan, Italy, where this year's Games will be held. Approximately 10,000 torchbearers will carry the flame through 60-some cities, 300 towns. That's some serious sightseeing.

 

torchbearer [ˋtɔrtʃ͵bɛrɚ] n. 持火炬者

 

The torch's two-month journey will end at the Olympic Cauldron during the opening ceremony on February 6th. I'll be hosting the show from there, so I am pumped, but waiting two more months is going to be torture.

 

cauldron [ˈkɑldrən] n.（通常指架在火上的）大锅

 

Maybe you had to sleep on a couch or air mattress during the holiday family gatherings, or maybe you're hopping on a plane soon for the holidays.

 

If you've ever had a hard time sleeping somewhere other than your own bed, there are actually some key techniques that professional athletes have been using for decades to help them get the rest they need. CNN spoke to an elite sleep coach who has even helped rock climbers catch some Zs from the side of a cliff. Check this out.

 

Let's face it, for most of us, it can be hard to sleep when we're not in the comfort of our own beds, whether that's on a plane or an office quiet room.

 

But sleep coach Nick Little-Hales has developed techniques that can help you doze off anywhere. For more than 25 years, he's helped elite athletes optimize their sleep habits, including professional climbers, who catch their Zs on the side of a mountain, which you can imagine doesn't come naturally.

 

doze off 打(起)瞌睡(来); 打(起)盹儿(来)；(喻)睡大觉

 

You never just jump up there and hang off the side of a cliff.

 

For climbers, that training starts by introducing small changes to your sleep environment gradually over time.

 

You will start by sleeping in a tent in the back garden, and then we'll haul you up the side of a tree, and you'll start doing that, and then we'll take you to the side of a mountain and just leave you two meters off the ground and say, it's all right.

 

It takes practice to relax, but even on the side of a mountain, he says you can use familiar cues like music, routines, and breathwork to help you fall asleep.

 

breathwork 呼吸法

 

So you're able to switch that out, I am not hanging off the side of the mountain, I am not going to die, what I'm going to start listening to is some episodes of Friends.

 

He says these same principles can be applied anywhere you might try to sleep, whether that's sailing in the middle of an ocean or sleeping on a pile of luggage.

 

You really just explore that anywhere, anytime, anyplace type scenario.

 

For example, if you want to sleep more easily on planes, a gradual first step to take is a few naps in a comfortable chair at home. As you try to nap in new places, he says it's important that you feel safe and protected in your environment.

 

gradual [ˋgrædʒʊəl] adj. 逐渐的，逐步的

 

And that's the only way you can let go, is if you know that all the bases are covered.

 

let go 放松

 

You'll want to reduce blue light exposure and minimize unnatural noise. He also suggests curling up into the fetal position if you're on a harder surface, like a rock.

 

blue light 波长约在400到500奈米的可见光范围;可能导致眼睛疲劳，并影响褪黑激素分泌，进而干扰睡眠

fetal position 胎位；胎姿

 

Within any 24 hours, you can do a lot of things in a slightly different way, but it's all focused on something we've known about for a long, long time.

 

Sleeping on the side of the cliff just seems a little risky. Point is though, sleep's important, so get your Z's when you can.

 

The spirit of Christmas isshining bright in the Czech Republic. Look at this. The annual lighting of the Christmas tree took place in Prague's Old Town Square Saturday.

 

Thousands of visitors packed the popular holiday destination to see the lighting of the 62-year-old spruce, as well as the unveiling of the city's famed Christmas market.

 

spruce [sprus] n. 云杉

 

And check out this tree that was just unveiled in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. A 262-foot floating display illuminated by more than 2.3 million LEDs.

 

Today's story, getting a 10 out of 10 of physics competitions that's putting a modern twist on some medieval machines, really pumpkin to talk about. Teachers, this pun's for you.

 

Smashing pumpkins isn't just a 90s rock band, it's the goal of the Kennesaw State University's annual pumpkin launch competition.

 

Engineering students spend the semester designing and building custom catapults and trebuchets with the goal of launching a 10-pound pumpkin as far as possible.

 

catapult [ˋkætə͵pʌlt] n.（古代的）石弩；投石機；【英】彈弓

trebuchet [͵trɛbjəˋʃɛt] n. 抛石机

 

Then it's time to go big or gourd home. Crowds gather to watch the projectile pumpkins take to the sky.

 

This year's winner launched a pumpkin 342 feet. That's longer than a football field. Teachers say the event isn't just a fun tradition, it's a way to help students apply their knowledge in the real world.

 

When you're designing in engineering, there are always constraints. They get an opportunity to see theory being applied and manifested physically. Now that's what I call a smashing gourd time.

 

constraint [kənˋstrent] n. 约束；限制

manifest [ˋmænə͵fɛst] v. 表明，显示，表露；证明，证实

 

All right, superstars, let's get you some shout outs today. This first one goes to Mr. Nappy and our friends at Clarkstown North High School in Rockland County, New York. I see you, Chase.

 

And to Texas now, where Mr. May and the Rayburn Intermediate School Raiders sent us an Epic Care Package, not just for me, but for my whole team behind the scenes. Thank you for recognizing their hard work. And hey, nice slogan, Rise Up.

 

Tomorrow is Your Word Wednesday, so don't forget to submit a vocabulary word on our CNN10 Instagram or my personal @Coywire Instagram page. Help us write tomorrow's show. Remember to include your definition and your school and teacher's name for your shout out if you'd like.

 

Hope you have a terrific Tuesday, everyone. Let's do it again tomorrow. I'm Coy Wire, and we are CNN10.