Sleep and your brain

Sleep is not just resting. While you sleep, your brain is busy: it sorts memories, helps your body grow and gets you ready for tomorrow.

A cartoon brain tucked into bed wearing a nightcap

How much sleep do you need?

Kids need more sleep than grown-ups because their brains and bodies are growing so fast. Sleep experts recommend these hours in every 24 hours:

Age	Sleep each day
3 to 5 years	10 to 13 hours (naps count)
6 to 12 years	9 to 12 hours
13 to 18 years	8 to 10 hours

Try Find your bedtime

My age I wake up at

What happens while you sleep?

All night long, your brain moves through different kinds of sleep, again and again, about every hour and a half:

Light sleep: you are drifting off. Easy to wake up.

Deep sleep: very hard to wake up. Your body repairs itself and lets out growth hormone, which helps you grow.

REM sleep (Rapid Eye Movement): your brain gets busy and your eyes dart around under your eyelids. This is when most dreams happen!

A night of sleep. Deep sleep comes mostly early in the night. Dreamy REM sleep gets longer toward morning.

A cartoon brain sleeping peacefully while little helpers stack blocks neatly beside it — While you sleep, your brain files away what you learned today, like stacking blocks neatly so you can find them tomorrow.

Scientists think sleep may also help the brain wash away waste that builds up during the day. They first saw this in studies of mice and are still learning how it works in people.

Tips for super sleep

Go to bed and wake up at about the same time every day, even on weekends.
Turn off screens about an hour before bed, and keep phones and tablets out of the bedroom at night.
Make your room dark, cool and quiet.
Have a calm routine: bath, brush teeth, a book, lights out.
Play outside and get daylight during the day.
Skip drinks with caffeine, like cola, iced tea and energy drinks.

Try it! Keep a sleep diary for one week. Each morning, write down when you fell asleep, when you woke up and how you feel (😴 😐 😃). Do you feel better after more sleep?

Quiz 3 quick questions

1. How much sleep do kids aged 6 to 12 need?

2. When do most dreams happen?

3. Which one helps you fall asleep?