Why Do We Sleep?

Imagine your brain is a busy school. During the day, you learn new things and make lots of messes, like crumbs on the floor. When night falls, the lights go out, but the cleaners come in to sweep everything up.

If you do not sleep well, those crumbs pile up. You might feel grumpy or forget where you put your keys. Sleeping helps your brain get rid of old information so it can make room for new adventures tomorrow.

Your body has a special clock that tells it when to wake up and when to rest. This is called the circadian rhythm. As you sleep, your brain goes through different stages. Sometimes you dream, which is like watching movies of what happened during the day.