Why Do We Need Sleep?

You spend about a third of your life asleep. That might sound like a lot of wasted time, but scientists now know that sleep is one of the most important things your body and brain do.

While you are sleeping, your brain is surprisingly busy. It sorts through everything that happened during the day and decides what to keep. Facts you learned at school, a new song, the rules of a game: sleep helps to store these memories so you can use them later. This is why staying up late before a test is usually a bad idea.

Sleep is also when your body repairs itself. Muscles recover after exercise, and children and teenagers release a hormone that helps them grow.

Not getting enough sleep affects how you feel. After a short night, most people find it harder to concentrate, they get upset more easily and they make more mistakes.

So how much sleep do you need? Health experts say that children aged 6 to 12 need between 9 and 12 hours a night, and teenagers need between 8 and 10 hours.

There are a few simple ways to sleep better. Try to go to bed and get up at similar times every day, even at weekends. Stop using screens for about an hour before bed, because the light can make your brain think it is still daytime. Keep your bedroom dark, quiet and cool.

Your brain will thank you in the morning.