Teenager cant get to sleep at night.?!
Question: I am fourteen and cant get to sleep at night. I am not dealing with alot of stress, just the amount that any other normal happy teenager would have. I am told to go to bed around 10 pm & dont actually fall asleep until 2 or 3 am. I know most people that have lack of sleep (especcially kids) is just because they are not trying. But trust me, thats not the situation here. I sleep in a new, comfrotable, clean bed. All my sheets, etc. are clean. I am not on any medication other than the pills I take to cause drowsiness. ( They are called Dimenhydrinate ) I take one almost everynight after laying in bed for a couple hours and not falling asleep. I know thats not healthy so im trying to get to the bottom of this problem to fix it in a more healthy way. I also started my period over the summer and had it regulary for about 2 or 3 months. But for the past couple months, nothing has happened. So basically I havent had a period in 3 to 4 months, & lack of sleep. Does anyone has any answers?
Answers: I am fourteen and cant get to sleep at night. I am not dealing with alot of stress, just the amount that any other normal happy teenager would have. I am told to go to bed around 10 pm & dont actually fall asleep until 2 or 3 am. I know most people that have lack of sleep (especcially kids) is just because they are not trying. But trust me, thats not the situation here. I sleep in a new, comfrotable, clean bed. All my sheets, etc. are clean. I am not on any medication other than the pills I take to cause drowsiness. ( They are called Dimenhydrinate ) I take one almost everynight after laying in bed for a couple hours and not falling asleep. I know thats not healthy so im trying to get to the bottom of this problem to fix it in a more healthy way. I also started my period over the summer and had it regulary for about 2 or 3 months. But for the past couple months, nothing has happened. So basically I havent had a period in 3 to 4 months, & lack of sleep. Does anyone has any answers?
hormones - teens can't sleep at night, but require more sleep than any other age group. see if you can ask a doctor about taking tylenol PM - if that would even help - not sure. if you turn off everything - computer, tv., etc - 2 hours before bedtime and read a book - something interesting not school related, this might help.
Missed periods can be due to stress, so the two problems might be related in that way. Also, changes in melatonin (hormone that causes you to sleep) levels can cause missed periods, because melatonin influences the amount of hormones that the ovaries produce.
Have you heard of Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome? It is a type of insomnia that some people have where your body's "internal clock" is set later than normal people. Meaning you get tired later than is normal for most people. That is a possibility. Or, do you find that you can't stop thinking when you get in bed? MANY teenagers have this problem just because they have a lot of social pressure and therefore "more" to think about. It can also cause sleep problems.
How long have you had a problem falling asleep? Is it recent or has it been ongoing for a while?
i had this problem at your age too. are you getting regular exercise? exercise will help you to fall asleep more quickly, even if it just means walking around the block a couple times...try waking up earlier in the morning too as you will be more tired in the evening.
Try 5htp instead of the dimenhydrinate.