14 years, need help sleeping?

Question

I'm a 14 year old female who needs help sleeping. I'm not the type who stays up all night playing video games or chating. I'm the type of person who has a bedtime at nine, and does it. But latley I have been having trouble sleeping. I lay in bed, and the next thin I know, I look at the clock and it's freaking 5:30 in the morning and I am not aloud to sleep in very late. Three days ago I couldn't sleep until 4:00, then the next day I couldn't sleep until 3:00, and last night I couldn't sleep until 11:00, but luckily I got some sleep. But now Im doing it again. I can't take it! Because in the day I go nuts! I see things jumping at me, and feel sick. Any suggestions? Other then go see a docter. I will next month and I'll bring this up, for the time being, any suggestions to help? Thank you.

Answer 1

Alot of times I start losing sleep around the time my monthly you know what is about to come around. If it prolongs too much, ask you parents, they may suggest you take some sleeping aids. When I cant sleep I try to exhaust myself by listening to mucsin until I cant keep my eyes awake.

Im sorry to hear this, but I have a sleeping problem for years when I was younger. Every night was a fight to go to sleep, it's all good now though.

Answer 2

Unfortunately, many teens' bodies naturally want to stay up late and sleep in. It is quite possible that 9 is way too early of a bedtime for you. When I was in high school, my official bedtime was 10, but I usually couldn't sleep until after 12.

If you don't have summer school or work obligations, you should talk to your parents about relaxing the strict wake up time. Teens generally need more sleep than adults. Otherwise, here are some suggestions I have picked up over the years:

1. No caffeine after noon (including lots of chocolate)
2. No exercise right before bed. This gets the heart pumping and keeps you awake
3. Do something relaxing before bed, like watching TV or reading a book.
4. Don't use your bed for anything other than sleep. If you do other things, like talk on the phone or study, your mind won't associate the bed with sleeping.
5. If you do some exercise earlier in the day, it will be easier to fall asleep.

Your doctor may want to prescribe sleeping pills. Keep in mind that most of them are habit forming, and once you start taking them you will have to take them every night to fall asleep. You shouldn't take pills, if the only reason you wake up early is because your parents want you to. I think if you make a deal with your parents, like you get to stay up later and wake up later as long as you do something productive (study for SATs, do summer reading assignments, etc) hopefully you all can come up with a better schedule.

Answer 3

Don't eat or drink anything like soda or tea starting at least one hour before bedtime. Don't hang out in your bedroom if you can help it. Try to make it a habit only to think of your bedroom as a place to sleep. Try completely shutting out all light sources -- like using blinds or heavy curtains over the windows. If you can, turn the air conditioner down so that it's cool when you get into bed. It's easier to fall asleep if you're not too hot, even in winter.
I can only sleep in a VERY dark room and I've had to put curtains up around my bed to make sure it stays that way.

Answer 4

See site below under SLEEPING PROBLEMS. See page on teen advice also.