CANT GO to SLEEP!!?

Question

okay.. so i am 14 and for about two or three weeks now i havent been able to go to sleep until 3 or 4 in the morning.. i lay down for hours and hours and i still cannot go to sleep..
i have heard about sleeping pills but i dont think that is something that i would want to try so does anyone have any suggestions>??

THANKS FOR THE ANSWERS

VERY MUCH "APPREICIATED??" !!

*** i have tried going to sleep earlier

Answer 1

Because you are a teenager, naturally, your body clock is delayed. Which means we feel the need to stay up late at night and wake up later in the morning. Don't try to force yourself to go to sleep, because convincing yourself that you are sleepy when you are not actually induces insomnia in some cases. It's better to sleep when you're sleepy, and that's that. It's really not weird to sleep until 3 or 4 in the morning, you'll probably learn soon enough. But if you really have a problem, try gradually shifting your sleeping schedule to an earlier time. If you find yourself sleepy earlier one day, go to sleep, and keep your early bedtime constant. It's unnecessary to turn to sleeping pills in my opinion. Maybe do something tiring during the day, and this will make you sleepy and want to go to bed. Anyway good luck, it's really nothing to be too concerned about :)

Answer 2

Your way to young to even consider sleeping pills. Most doctors will not prescribe anything and over-the-counter pills could be dangerous for you. Some suggestions I might give would be to go in the sun a little more in the morning. It has a natural Magnesium which produces seratonin in the body. When it is night and time to sleep it turns into melatonin. Lack of sun can cause you to not be able to sleep well. Also if you notice your falling asleep ok but waking up in the middle of the night try going in the sun in the early afternoon. If your out playing with friends or running around...try to give 30 minutes to let your body wind down, take a shower and go read something. Then when its bed time you should be ok. Limit stress also. Hope this was helpful.

Answer 3

My daughter, Victoria is 14. She has the same problem. I think the thing that helps her most is to control what she eats in the 3 or 4 hours before she goes to sleep.

Don't try sleeping pills. You are too young for that. I am 39 and I don't even want to start them unless I have to.

But ... I am still up at 130 AM.

My reason this time is a lot of worry about a business trip tomorrow and concern over leaving my family.

I am sure that there are a lot of big concerns for you too. Tonight, however, my worry was made worse by eating 8 sugar cookies right before bed.

I should know better.

I know this doesn't really help but at least it lets you know that you are not the only one struggling with the issue.

Answer 4

i strongly suggest valerian root. it's great at relieving stress and tension! you can get it over the counter and it's a great sleep aid! if you have one of those "racing minds" or "i can't turn my head off no matter how tired i am" then this will definitely help. you can find at your local grocery store in the pharmacy or herbal remedy section. start off taking 500-1000mgs, 30-45 minutes before you go to bed. now you can get this stuff in capsule form and it's 100% safe (my whole family has been taking it for years and our family doctor actually recommended it) however the only downside is that the more potent the brand your taking the stronger the smell. and this stuff smells AWFUL! but it's worth it. within 5-7 days you should notice a definite change in your sleep.

WARNING! i strongly do not suggest that you take Tylenol PM and booze, in any form or combination. the main ingredient in Tylenol PM and Advil pm, or benadryl for that matter is diphenhydramine. here's what happens when you take it:
You can walk into a drugstore and choose from an array of sleep aids, offered without prescription. The main ingredient of over-the-counter sleeping pills is an antihistamine. Antihistamines are generally taken for allergies, but also make you feel very sleepy. Common over-the-counter sleep medications are Sleep-Eze, Sominex, Nytol, and Unison; they contain antihistamines such as:

diphenhydramine hydrochloride,
diphenhydramine citrate, or
doxylamine succinate.
In general, over-the-counter sleep medications are not a good choice because they:

Are not intended for long-term use.
Interfere with mental alertness during the day, so you should avoid driving and other similar tasks. You may also be at risk for falling asleep
Reduce the quality of your sleep by reducing time you spend in deep sleep.
Use over-the-counter sleep medications only for transient or short-term insomnia and in conjunction with changes to your sleeping habits. Be sure to pay attention to your body’s physical response to these sleep medications.

also look at the links on the website i've listed they have some good remedies that don't include pills!

I hope this helps!

Answer 5

During the day, try to go for a jog or at least something to get a bit of a workout. It doesn't need to be anything major, but just some exercise during the day should help a lot. You can also try eating oatmeal and/or banana's a little before bedtime (that will naturally help your melatonin levels). A lot of the time, your body will automatically adjust to your schedule if you make your self get up at a certain time each day. You can try falling asleep each night to something on TV that you've seen a thousand times yet feel comforted by it (maybe an old cartoon show you love, or a relaxing movie). Just make sure it's something you've seen many times or you may be interested in it too much that it keeps you up instead on relaxing you. Avoid all caffeine or anything stimulating to you. It is not necessary to have a consistent bed time, because that can actually be counter productive. Going to bed at the same time each night is not always the answer, the best thing to do is to get up the same time each day, so you can let your body decide for itself how much sleep is actually necessary. If you go to bed before you are tired, a lot of the time that will result in it taking even longer for you to become tired and actually fall asleep. (ex. If you started getting up at 8am everyday, your body would know that bedtime is probably between 11pm-2am...depending how much rest was needed for that day.) If you're not feeling tired around your usually bedtime then stay up! Just avoid overstimulating activities during that time, such as running around, working out etc. A good thing to do each night is to read a little. Being relaxed will help allow your brain to release hormones that make you start feeling drowsy, which will then allow you to sleep. Just as a backup, it might be a good idea to have deadline time set (such as 3-4am for the 8am example), so that you will at least get the minimum hours of sleep you feel necessary. At first things may be difficult, but eventually you'll get into a pattern and will naturally know the right time to get to sleep. Hope this helps!
Good Luck and Sweet Dreams!!

Answer 6

at 13 - 20 years old, my sleep habits were always changing...i felt like i was getting less and less sleep, sometimes it would bother me, and sometimes it wouldnt...i think its just a part of life, and if its really cuz you stress choose the same time to ATTEMPT going to bed every night. a good time for you would be 12 am so try that out first...drink some hot tasty tea to relax your body/muscles, make sure all the lights are out and your are in a comfortable position, with a comfy pillow, and if you still cant sleep, then something is definitately on your mind..and you should probably talk it out. if you have no one to confide in..write it all out...in time youll find that you will be able to control your sleeping habits to some degree...

Answer 7

I'm only 13 and im going through the same thing....... The best thing ive done so far is either;
1) read a chapter in a book over and over again until im bored.
2) look at a dim light or a lamp.

Answer 8

I HAVE THE SAME EXACT PROBLEM! i can never go to sleep until after 3 or so...im just sitting there on my bed for about 15 minutes and then i go to see if my sister is awake but she is usually sleeping and then i go to the couch where my tv is and i sleep on the couch. so you can try sleeping on a couch where theres a tv....it might help you go to sleep.

Answer 9

I have the same problem! I think you need to sleep a little early, gradually sleeping at a normal time..and you will get in the hang of it.

Answer 10

Insomnia (sleeplessness) is due to stress,
dietary and medical problems. By making
small lifestyle changes like having a fixed
daily routine, relaxing and eating properly,
insomnia can be cured. I found the information
at http://www.nosleep.in/insomniacause.html