no matter what time I go to bed, I always wake up after about 4 to 5 hours completely refreshed and I feel perfectly fine throughout the day. But my doctor said I need more sleep. I don't know how to get any more because I feel completely awake after 5 hours. Also, I physically CANNOT sleep in past 6.
2007-03-05 14:51:10 · 9 answers · asked by Anonymous in Health ➔ Mental Health
No, it's not. The teen and early 20s years are when your body requires the most sleep.
Are you consuming too much caffeine during the day? If so, you'll need to wean yourself off most of it--because it is messing with your sleep.
Do you take any meds that keep you awake? If so, talk to your doctor about a different type of med that will allow you to sleep more.
Fire up lavender candles or incense, and take a warm bath in the evening. Drink a cup of chamomile tea (or warm milk), meditate (or learn to meditate), and then get to sleep much earlier.
Ask your doctor about taking the over-the-counter supplement, Melatonin, which helps even people with jet lag to sleep--and those who work rotating shifts! Sixteen is probably old enough to take them--but read the label on the bottle, or ask your pharmacist or doctor.
If you're drinking a lot of cola or eating a lot of candy--realize that you're getting as much caffeine as someone who drinks a bunch of coffee. You would need to cut down, a lot.
2007-03-05 15:05:08 · answer #1 · answered by Holiday Magic 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
On average, teenagers need about 9 hours of sleep. But there's a lot of individual variation in how much sleep people need, and not everyone needs that much. But four to five hours is extremely low, especially for a teenager.
Are you on any medication? If you're taking stimulants for ADHD or narcolepsy, certain antidepressants, or a few other things, insomnia can be a side effect. You might feel awake in the morning, but it's still not healthy, and would generally be a sign that your doctor should adjust your meds.
Are you stressed out? If you're under a lot of pressure at school and with exta-curricular activities, then you might be having trouble sleeping and waking up early due to stress. You might feel alert, but you wouldn't actually be getting enough sleep. If you're relaxed and have a lot of free time then that's probably not it, but if you're always doing things and rarely have time to finish everything, then that could be what's going on. Being that stressed out is definitely unhealthy and does a fair amount of damage to your body.
Do you take naps during the day? If you're only sleeping 4-5 hours at night, but sleeping another 3-4 hours spread out through out the day then you're probably fine. I've heard it's better to sleep all at once at night, but I've also heard the opposite, that it's better to sleep in shorter chunks throughout the day. So if that's what you're doing you're probably fine.
When do you get tired? If you feel wide awake at 6 am, but you're already sleepy by dinner time, then maybe you just need to shift your sleep cycle back a bit. But if you really just don't get tired until late at night, and wake up naturally early in the morning, then you're probably fine.
How much do you sleep during school breaks? Like over the summer, when you can sleep as much as you want, do you still only sleep 4-5 hours, or do you sleep more? If you're sleeping that little when there's no pressure to do more in a single day, then it's more likely that it's just your natural sleep cycle. But if you sleep 10 hours a night during summer break, then it's probably that you're stressed out during school, in which case it's something that needs to be addressed.
There are various neurological disorders that can cause insomnia, so if you can't figure out why you sleep so little, I'd recommend getting a second opinion. There are sleep specialists who can look at the EEG pattern when you sleep to determine if there's anything abnormal in your sleep pattern besides that it's so short, and a few other tests to see if there's any pathology there. It may turn out that you just need abnormally little sleep, but it is worth getting a second opinion in case there is something else going on.
2007-03-05 15:09:59 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
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2007-03-05 22:36:25 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
Technically teenagers should get between 8 and 9 hours. You may wake up feeling refreshed but it may not be doing good for your body.
Next time you see your doctor, tell him if he thinks you need more sleep then he needs to prescribe you something to help you stay asleep. otherwise you are going to be on this same schedule.
2007-03-05 15:00:55 · answer #4 · answered by ♥ Mary ♥ 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It can happen. I was living on about 3-4 hours of sleep a night as a teenager. I would stay up really late reading and get up super early. I was on the swim team, and my sleeping habits didn't seem to affect my performance. Good luck.
2007-03-05 14:59:37 · answer #5 · answered by yowhatdoyouwant 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
loss of sleep can influence your enhance even nevertheless there is not any could desire to rigidity. attempt taking a susceptible sedative like Dextramorphan or Diphenhydramine. you may decide to take a organic sedative alongside with Valerian. attempt and keep away from taking sedatives which belong to the drug variety benzodiazpines, as they have a intense fee of habit. desire that helped.
2016-09-30 06:24:45 · answer #6 · answered by kelchner 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Some people just don't need as much sleep, count yourself lucky! I would get a second opinion, though. (From a doctor, I mean.)
2007-03-05 14:54:33 · answer #7 · answered by moonfreak♦ 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
you should have at least 8,but see your family Dr.
2007-03-05 14:57:28 · answer #8 · answered by johny1punch 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Adequate but not ideal!
2007-03-05 14:58:52 · answer #9 · answered by Wounded Duck 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋