Student Article
Why We Sleep: How Rest Helps Our Body and Brain
Sleep (noun): A time when your body and brain rest.
REM (noun): A part of sleep when your eyes move fast and you dream.
Dream (noun): A story or picture your brain makes while you sleep.
Have you ever wondered why we need to sleep every night? Let’s find out!
Sleep isn’t just rest — it’s power for your brain and body
Sleep is when your body and brain take a rest. You’re still alive and breathing, but you aren’t awake. People and animals sleep in different ways. For example, dolphins sleep with one half of their brain at a time and can still swim!
The four stages of sleep
Humans go through four sleep stages. The first one is light sleep. Then we go deeper into sleep. During deep sleep, our bodies rest the most. After that comes REM sleep — REM stands for Rapid Eye Movement. This is when we dream, and our eyes move quickly. Our body stays still so we don’t act out our dreams. We go through these sleep stages again and again every night.
How much sleep do you really need?
It depends on your age. Little kids need the most — up to 14 hours! Teens need 8-10 hours. Grown-ups need about 7-9 hours each night.
What sleep does for you
Sleep helps our body in many ways. It gives our brain time to clean out waste, helps us remember what we learn, and even helps our body grow and fight sickness.
Sleep may have helped early humans survive
Scientists also think that long ago, sleep kept people safe at night when it was dark and dangerous.
Sleep is essential!
So, sleep isn’t just fun — it keeps us healthy and strong!
© Alice Gregory / Our Media
Sleep (noun): A time when your body and brain rest.
REM (noun): A part of sleep when your eyes move fast and you dream.
Dream (noun): A story or picture your brain makes while you sleep.