What to do if you can't sleep.

Have you ever noticed how sometimes when you get what you want, it turns out to be different than what you expected? Take bedtimes, for example. You've probably argued with your parents before about your bedtime _ maybe you asked to stay up later and wondered why they wouldn't let you. You didn't want to go to sleep so early and miss out on whatever else you could be doing.

And then one time, maybe you found out what it was like to be awake into the wee hours of the morning. Maybe you got into bed at your bedtime, but then _ no matter how hard you tried _ you couldn't fall asleep. And being awake most or all of the night wasn't nearly as fun as you thought, was it?

WHO NEEDS SLEEP?

Even though sleep might seem boring to you, it's actually very important. In fact, sleep is just as important for your body as eating and exercising. You wouldn't be able to enjoy all those fun things you get to do during the day _ like hanging out with your friends or playing soccer or video games _ if your body didn't get enough sleep. Without the right amount of sleep, you'll feel tired and even a little crabby or depressed sometimes.

And it's not just you. People of all ages need sleep, although the amount of sleep everyone needs changes at different times in your life. Kids your age need about 8 to 10 hours of sleep a night to be bright and alert the next day in school.

But as you probably know, it's not always easy to get that much sleep. Six out of every 10 kids under age 18 complain of being tired ...