This book is dedicated to all those who suffer from sleep disorders. I hope that the kids who read this book will benefit in learning about sleep disorders in their own context.

Preview audio:

storyj.mp/ac7r3f2isthy

We all need to sleep. We need to sleep every day to be healthy. Some of us sleep too little, some of us sleep too much and some of us sleep and walk at the same time.

Why is sleep so important anyway? Sleep impacts everything in our lives from our memory to appetite, our moods and our ability to learn.

Sleep can build up our immune system to help us fight off illnesses. It also helps restore our body and brain every night that we sleep.

What’s a sleep disorder? Let’s meet Arthur. He suffers from a particular sleep disorder called sleepwalking.

Instead of staying cozy in his bed, Arthur will walk around his home while he is asleep.

But, you don’t want to wake Arthur up, he might turn into a monster.

This is not a monster. It’s a picture of a human brain like Arthur’s. It’s the organ in your body that regulates your sleep. Even before you’re tucked in and cozy, your brain starts to get your body ready to rest. We each fall asleep eventually and it’s our brain that makes it happen.

Our brain takes us through a sleep cycle. The sleep cycle is a lot like reaching different levels of a video game. As you sleep, your brain moves you through the different levels you need to stay rested and healthy.

Your brain goes through these sleep stages: NREM, REM 1, REM 2, and REM 3.

How do our sleep cycles work? What does our brain do to regulate them?

Our brain releases something called melatonin that regulates our sleep-wake cycle or our circadian rhythms.