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Now that I am an adult, I find it more and more apparent that I need to sleep. Long gone are the days where a couple Mountain Dew’s and a bag of Doritos would keep me satisfied from 9 PM until 9 AM. As this realization has shown, I have begun understanding why my parents would seemingly harp on me to get a solid night of sleep. This had me wondering why exactly is sleep so darn important?

Why is it impossible for me to survive solely on caffeine? If I could function without sleep, I'd accomplish my to-do list and chores and even more. Alternatively, I could catch up on my favorite show and binge-watch it throughout the night. I know I'm not the only one who would utilize those extra hours for fun.

We all have tasks to catch up on and enjoyable activities we want to indulge in, and that includes our kids. However, the adverse effects of sleep deprivation are quite serious. What's even more crucial are the immense benefits we gain from proper sleep. If children were to stay up, they'd miss out on numerous advantages. Before we go over all of the benefits, go support the sponsor we love today, here’s a quick ad for them.

So, when I started to do some research about why children need to sleep, I came across this cool quote:

This quote sparked some intriguing thoughts for me. Firstly, I became curious about the concept of restoration it mentions. While the idea of the body being restored during sleep has been around for many years, the notion of the mind being restored is relatively newer.

According to the National Institutes of Health, 'When one sleeps, the brain reorganizes and recharges itself, removing toxic waste byproducts that have accumulated throughout the day.' This idea is fascinating, especially considering how much our children are exposed to in today's world. It can be concerning, yet reassuring to know that their brains are actively dispelling some, if not all, of this toxic waste during sleep.

Another intriguing aspect of the Texas Children’s Hospital quote is how it highlights children retaining information during sleep. This aspect is crucial; it emphasizes how what they learn in school can firmly embed itself in their brains!

However, our focus remains on comprehending the social significance of sleep in our children's lives. While some advocate for eight hours of sleep per day as sufficient, where do we draw the line? If eight hours were universally ample, wouldn't we all wake up perfectly rested each morning? Before exploring what might work best for your child, take a moment to discover the book we highly recommend below!

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