Sleep helps your body and brain develop and grow. Your brain needs sleep so you can:
Remember what you learn
Pay attention and concentrate
Solve problems and think of new ideas
Your body needs sleep so your:
Muscles, bones and skin can grow and fix injuries
Body can stay healthy and fight sickness
You spend the day running on the playground, learning at school and eating meals — and at night your body and brain get to rest, right? Wrong! In fact, while you are off in dreamland, your body and brain are very busy getting ready for a new day. That is why it is so important to give yourself time to sleep.
Kids ages 5 to 12 need 10 to 11 hours of sleep each night. When you get enough sleep you can:
Pay better attention in school
Be creative and think of new ideas
Be in a good mood
Get along with friends and family
Solve problems better
Without enough sleep you can:
Forget what you learned
Have trouble making good choices
Be grumpy and in a bad mood
Have trouble playing games and sports
Be less patient with brothers, sisters and friends
Have trouble listening to parents and teachers
To get better sleep, make sure your bedroom is cool, quiet and dark. Ask your parents to help with that. Try to go to bed at the same time every night. Your body gets used to a schedule and will be ready to sleep. Exercise during the day. And have a relaxing bedtime routine, such as a warm bath or shower, reading or listening to quiet music. Your body will know it’s time to get ready to sleep.
Source: National Sleep Foundation