what should i do?

Question

ok, again, it is like almost 5 in the morning, and i still can't sleep.i haven't been able to sleep for awhile, and when i do manage to fall asleep, it takes me hours, and i usually wake up a couple hours later. I asked what i should do, here on yahoo answers, but a lot of the advice really didn't work all that well for me. And i don't think i am under a lot of stress. i haven't told my parents about my trouble sleeping,(i'm 14). i think i might have isomina, if that is how you spell it. i'm really tired of not being able to sleep, and i want to know if i should go to the doctor. and if i should, how much does it cost? because if it costs a lot, i'll just live with not being able to sleep. i wouldn't want to bother my parents with anything like that. i have a really hard time talking to them at times.

Thanks for your advice

i do a lot during the day i walk my dog, i'm in field hockey, and i practice in the back yard. and i do a lot of things with my friends. Also, i just don't like telling my parents anything. my friends think its bad when i don't tell them when i'm sick. i don't tell them because they can't do anythig, and i don't want to waste their time with me.

Also , i don't think eating is my problem, i eat one meal a day, usually around 4. i don't drink pop because i don't like it, i only drink water, or juices, and sometimes milk

Answer 1

I want to say I know how you feel. I have a very hard time sleeping. I wake up every night during the night around 3 hours after I go to bed and I'm awake for 1-3 hours. Go to the doctor is my advice. If your parents don't have health insurance or if they can't afford to pay their own money for your to go to the doctor, they need to apply to get you a health card, Medicaid card, through County Health Dept. Children do NOT have to go with out health care. Please tell your parents about your sleep problem. These are your developing years, you need sleep to eat more than 1 meal a day.

In case you don't read all of this, try eating some graham crackers before you go to bed. They make you tired and they are good for you. I eat at least 2 graham crackers every night before I go to bed and if I wake up and can't go back to sleep, I eat 2 or 3 more. Also, if you exercise, you need to stop exercising at least 3 hours before you go to bed. Exercise right before bedtime will keep you awake. My doctor told me that.

I am wondering why you don't want to tell your parents? Your parents would feel bad if they knew you were sick and did not tell them. They want you to feel good and be healthy and happy. They would want to help you. If they don't want to help you or won't listen to you, ask your school nurse. I think you should tell your parents that you can't sleep. You need sleep to be able to think and do your school work and be healthy. Not getting enough sleep really affects your health.

I have to take Ambien at night to be able to sleep. My "body clock" is backwards. I mean, I'm tired during the day and the closer it gets to bed time, then I'm wide awake. I went to the doctor and had a sleep study done. I was told I have this condition, and so if I don't take the Ambien, I don't sleep at night.

I was also wondering why you only eat 1 meal a day at 4pm? If you're only 14, you really need to eat breakfast. It will help you be able to think and feel better at school. Or eat a tiny meal or snack every 3 hours. Eat an apple or a banana, or a peanut butter sandwich, hot pocket, eat veggies ... Eat healthy snacks all during the day. It would be better for your body, and your sleep habits to eat more than 1 meal a day.

Are you worried about your weight? Is that the only reason you eat once a day? I don't mean to nag you. I'm just trying to help. I read that someone told you to take Nyquil before you go to bed. I do not think you should do that. It doesn't help me sleep at all.

Take care of yourself. Please update me on how you are doing, ok? Please ask your school nurse and get her advice first if you want to. Ask her if she thinks you should go to the doctor. Take care.

Answer 2

1 to 3 milligrams of a natural hormone, Melatonin, between 9 and 11 p.m. It is available over the counter at drugstores. Military studies on jet-lagged adult men use a dose of 9 milligrams, which is also what I need. But you always need to start with small doses to see if they will do.
There are all kins of natural alternatives, I know because I have had a sleep-deprivation based illness since my teens.
Go to fmnetnews on line and read about an illness called Fibromyalgia.Even if that is not what you have, you'll find some great tips on insomnia, as that is at the heart of the illness- not getting enough restorative, REM sleep to be healthy.
Also, besides the great advice re. exercising (I do it every other day), 400 mg. of SAM-e each morning and at bedtime really helps.
You should at least do your own research & get the support of an adult though, it's nothing to mess around with, and I totally understand how badly sleep deprivation can take a toll. The damage becomes exponential the longer it goes on. The good news is that as soon as you start successfully treating it, the healing and restoration is also exponentially fast.
My heart goes out to you, at your age you need more sleep than at any stage in life other than infancy & young toddlerhood.
Sayin' a prayer for you to be guided in the right direction to take care of this problem :)

Answer 3

Hey there,
It doesn't sound quite like insomnia. More of maybe a anxiety problem ? At night, does your brain tend to run ? As soon as lights go out, your brain is like "lets have a thinking party ?"
And another part, may be that you're stressing about not sleeping, which is usually a big problem in the non sleeping cases. I've had sleeping disorders for over 10 yrs now, and sleeping pills don't work for me, and I wouldn't suggest them, oh natural is better.
- Try laying in bed, and thinking of completely BLACK in your mind. Nothing else, just a black screen. For at least a couple minutes.
-Try doign more physical activities during the day, to wear down your body.
-Pull a all nighter and don't sleep until the next day at 10pm.

Answer 4

See, you are feeling it is not stress but in fact, you are stressed out because of this lack of sleep. I am sure someone must have already suggested you to meditate, but yet I am suggesting it to you 'coz this is the only effective remedy for sleepless nights. If you consult a doc, they will give you tranquilisers which actually should be your last resort. Follow these steps:
(1) Morning when you get up, sit with your back straight; close your eyes and try to concentrate on your different body-parts from top to bottom.
(2) Do a lot of physical work during the day.
(3) Read a lot - Anything - newspapers, magazines, novels
(4) Before you go to sleep, again meditate for atleast 5 minutes and try to increase it to 10 mnts or 20 mnts.
(5) Finally have faith in God and whatever faith you belong to, pray to your lord and surely he will help you.

Answer 5

First of all, I really think you should tell your parents. Your parents are not monsters, and they are the most people who are willing to do anything just to help you. I remember one time I had chest pain and I was to scared to tell my parents. I thought there was something serious happening to me. I stopped exercising at all, and I was scared that I would drop dead one day at university. Anyways, three weeks or something later, I decided to tell my parents. My dad is a doctor himself. I first told my mom, and she got a little worried. She told my dad and he came to see me. Anyways, it turned out to be something really small, it was just a muscle near the heart when I thought it was the heart itself.
My point of this story is that first, telling your parents will hopefully make you know exactly what's wrong with you, which is hopefully not going to be serious at all. Second, when you keep this a secret you think a lot about it, and you make the problem grow.
If you tell your parents they can take you to see a doctor right away, and probably you will sleep well after that. Remember, you are just wasting your time and making your problem last longer when you are not asking for help. Good Luck =>

Answer 6

Because you've had problems sleeping in the past, It's probably playing on your mind now when you're trying to sleep which adds to your unsettledness.

When you're lay in bed, quieten your mind. Don't think about things too much. When a thought enters your head, don't focus on it. Allow thoughts to come and go.

It takes longer sometimes to fall asleep as well than it does at other times. So if you don't fall asleep within five minutes, don't worry about it! Make sleeping your time of total relaxation. The time when you don't think about things. Make it the time you don't focus on any problems. Allow yourself that time to totally relax. If you wake up in the night, don't worry about it, just do the same.

Answer 7

I have this "Melatonin" spray... whenever I have insomnia it works for me, it's a natural herbal formula you spray in your mouth (doesn't taste bad at all) and it makes me fall asleep.

You should tell your parents... I'd hate to tell you to get sleep medication because you might become dependant on it. Is something bothering you maybe? a meditation tape/cd could work also... you could probably buy one at a store and listen to it and it might relax you. Try to tighten and release all your muscles (starting from your toes and working your way up all your body) and clear your mind, concentrate on your breathing.

Usually I can't sleep just because my mind is racing and I'm thinking about all the things I want to do and have to do...

Well hell, if you get through all this with out falling asleep through the advise I gave... you can try it.

Answer 8

Sometimes, it's very simple things that cause insomnia.

For me, it's consuming caffeine or eating or exercising 2 hrs before sleeping. Because even if I close my eyes, i'm just sitting in darkness trying to shut down, trying hard in vain but to no avail. My brain will just not shut off.

Try not to watch movies with strong themes cuz they'll just make you think too hard at night. Or anything that's too heavy to think about, like politics, abortion, the prom coming up, midterms...etc.

Also, when I'm seriously stressing out, I have trouble sleeping. What's stressing you lately?

Oh yea, BTW, I forgot to mention that yes, Warm milk, chamomile tea, peppermint tea, and/or melatonin gel capsules (at health food stores) also knock you out at night. It's all herbal so it's not harsh. This has also worked for me.

Answer 9

for a human being, a sleep of 6 to 8 hours in 24 hours is normal, if you are getting this much of sleep, its ok , dont think about it or dont worry about it, now the important thing is you are not getting sleep in time, you want to adjust the timing of sleep, you can get good sound sleep only when you are tired, so you need to some exersise and get tired , definetly you will get a sleep, message you body with oil before going to bed this also helps

Answer 10

Get active. Exercise and do stuff that tires you out. I work out 4x a week and I do it in the evenings so I am tired before I sleep. You might wanna ask you parents about seeing a doctor, they have therapies other than sleeping pills that can help.

I'm up right now because my medications don't let me sleep. I'm sick and miserable right now. Have a nice day :)