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Why Children Need Sleep
Learn why sleep is important for your body and brain, and what happens when you don't get enough of it. Healthy Kids News narrator Wasif shares some additional tips to ensure you're getting enough sleep every night.
Watch a series of WHYY video clips featuring kids speaking on various health and nutrition topics along with nutrition experts from The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.
Transcript: Why Children Need Sleep
Wasif: Hi, I'm Wasif, and this is Healthy Kids News. Every living thing needs sleep to survive. It's important for your body and your brain.
Dr. Cheryl Hausman: Kids run around all day, and they're busy, and they're thinking, and they're in school and running around. And so at nighttime they need to rest and reenergize their bodies for the next day. When you don't have enough sleep, you wake up cranky and irritable the next day, and your body feels tired. And you don't function as well as you can. The amount of sleep you need depends on how old you are. So if you are 3 to 4 years of age, you would need about 11 to 13 hours of sleep at night. When you're about 9 or school-age, you need about 10 to 11 hours at night. And the interesting thing is that most kids aren't getting enough sleep.
Wasif: Here's some tips to make sure you get a good night's sleep. Try to go to bed the same time every night. If you have a TV in your room, turn it off when it's time to sleep. Don't exercise right before you go to bed. Avoid foods and drinks with caffeine like chocolate and soda. And make sure your room is cool and dark and quiet. Got that? For Healthy Kids News, I'm Wasif.
Healthy Kids News made possible by Independence Blue Cross.
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