Why do we sleep?

When it gets late, your eyes feel heavy and you snuggle into bed. Sleeping might feel like doing nothing at all. But inside you, lots of busy, helpful work is going on!

Your body fixes itself

While you sleep, your body gets time to rest and repair. Tiny scrapes start to heal, tired muscles get stronger, and your body even grows — that is partly why kids need more sleep than grown-ups.

Your heart slows down, your breathing calms, and you save up fresh energy for tomorrow’s running and playing.

Your brain tidies up

The busiest part might be your brain. All day you see, hear and learn so many things. At night, your brain sorts through them like tidying a messy room.

It keeps the important bits and stores them as memories. That is why a good sleep helps you remember what you learned — and think more clearly the next day.

Waking up refreshed

After enough sleep, you wake up feeling refreshed. Your brain is sharp, your body is ready, and you can learn new things again.

If you skip sleep, you feel grumpy and fuzzy — your body’s way of saying, “Please, let me finish my work tonight!”

Wonder fact: Most kids need about 10 to 11 hours of sleep each night — that is almost half the day spent recharging like a friendly battery!