Could my 14 year old have a sleeping disorder?

Question

He goes to sleep @ a good time - but can't sleep longer than 3-5 hours. So he is up at 2 or 4 in the morning. Then he gets tired at school and the school gets mad at me... but he swears he can't go back to sleep after a few hours of sleep. This had been going on - progressively worsening for about a year.

I been to the doctor once about 4 months ago - doctor seemed not so concerned. Do have another appt. next week with a new doctor. My son has no cable/satellite in his room - nor does he have a computer in there. Not even a phone... He does have a radio... but doesn't every kid have a radio in their room. Most kids sleep longer than 4 hours after being up all day.

Answer 1

Yes, it is a sleeping disorder; most children that age need at least 8 hours good sleep. If he is not getting it and it is no one's fault then that is a disorder.

silverearth1 is right, you need to take him to a doctor to diagnose this serious problem. After you see a doctor and find a plan then here are some suggestions that may help:

I have chronic insomnia and have had it for 15 years so what I am telling you is tried and true and works for most people.

Sleep Hygiene: Get the TV out of the bedroom, and darken the drapes. The bedroom is designed for sleeping and you shouldn’t do anything else there. You want the optimum conditions for sleep in your bedroom. I run a fan all night long; the white noise drowns out other noises that could disturb my sleep. When I go into the bedroom I compose myself for sleep and that is my goal. I don’t stay up long, I go to sleep or at least start trying to within the first half-hour. I got this from my first visit to the Sleep Clinic at the hospital.

You can turn down the lights a little before bedtime then that can help put you into a sleepy mood, turning down the TV volume and winding down and hour before sleep puts your body into preparation for sleep.

Melatonin is a sleep hormone naturally produced by your body so it is a safe supplement to take, and I have done so for 20 years. Start with a milligram or two and then work your way up to 4-6 until it starts to work. Sleepy Time tea, before bedtime will help since it has natural herbs in it that help to trigger the sleep centers of the brain. Valarian Root is a natural supplement that has helped me and has some doctors recommend it. A doctor recommended the Melaton and Sleepy Time Tea to me.

Some medications have a side effect that causes drowsiness. Trazadone is a safe antidepressant that helps; seroquil is a stronger one that has worked for me. Clearly medication is your last route, and you want to try each previous step before going this far. I have moved on to stronger drugs because my problem is severe.

Ambien and the similar drugs are only good for a week or two, because they don’t give you a deep sleep.

There are four stages of sleep and we pass through them several times a night, usually one cycle can take 30 minutes to 1 hour. Only when you go down to stage 4 does your body start healing. Ambien drops you to stage two so it puts you asleep, but not a recharging one. When you drop off and are just drowsy you have reached stage one. At stage two you start dreaming. Stage three is a deeper sleep and the body becomes nearly paralyzed so your actions in your dreams won’t hurt you—you don’t run in bed or flail around widely. At stage four your body starts its night functions of repair and growth. Then you go up through the various stages. When you are in stage 2 and are woken up you have a good chance to remember your dreams, but when you dream and drop down to stage 4 then you probably won’t remember the dream.

Sleep is critical and a human can go with out if for about 2 weeks before insanity sets in and 3 weeks before death. During sleep your body goes over the facts of the day and creates long term memories or dumps the memory. It also works on the problems of the day and builds new reflexes if you are learning them. The brain is very active when you are asleep and that down time is critical to your health.

Answer 2

Take him to your doc for a check up. Dan S described sleep hygeine including making the room for sleep only pretty well. I'd beg off on the drugs for a 14 y/o unless it gets real disruptive. Just an aside... If he stops getting tired during the day or starts getting real moody, take him to a psychiatrist. Childhood insomnia is common in bipolar disorder.

Answer 3

Take the computer out of his room he will sleep. Also if he really cannot sleep I would consider taking him to the doctor he might have sleep apena. I have it and I started having signs when I was 16

Answer 4

Go see a doctor, it's the best thing to do. Only the doctors can determine weather or not it's a sleeping disorder.

Answer 5

stress is probably the main factor in this problem. Talk to him about what is going on. The more stress, the less he will be able to go to sleep, and he will stir easier. Once he's awake because of the stress he will stay awake. This stresses out the individual even more, because they are falling asleep in important parts of their day, thus the vicious cycle continues until help is given. Talk to him!

Answer 6

Does he take any ADHD meds? Those can mess up sleep really well. In fact, you might check any meds he's taking at all. I found out the hard way that Flonase keeps me awake!! An allergy spray?? Watch the caffiene, too.

If it were my son (mine is 17), I'd have him take a sleep aid. Ambien is very good, Lunesta's okay, klonipin helps a lot. Benedryl is over-the-counter, but is a strong sleep aid. The problem is that you're tired the next day.

Here is a list of foods that can make you drowsy. Maybe your son would like to try that first.

Top 10 Foods for a Good Night's Sleep
Posted Tue, Jan 23, 2007, 6:32 pm PST
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What is the secret to getting a solid 7 to 8 hours of sleep? Head for the kitchen and enjoy one or two of these 10 foods. They relax tense muscles, quiet buzzing minds, and/or get calming, sleep-inducing hormones - serotonin and melatonin - flowing. Yawning yet?

Bananas. They're practically a sleeping pill in a peel. In addition to a bit of soothing melatonin and serotonin, bananas contain magnesium, a muscle relaxant.

Chamomile tea. The reason chamomile is such a staple of bedtime tea blends is its mild sedating effect - it's the perfect natural antidote for restless minds/bodies.

Warm milk. It's not a myth. Milk has some tryptophan - an amino acid that has a sedative - like effect - and calcium, which helps the brain use tryptophan. Plus there's the psychological throw-back to infancy, when a warm bottle meant "relax, everything's fine."

Honey. Drizzle a little in your warm milk or herb tea. Lots of sugar is stimulating, but a little glucose tells your brain to turn off orexin, a recently discovered neurotransmitter that's linked to alertness.

Potatoes. A small baked spud won't overwhelm your GI tract, and it clears away acids that can interfere with yawn-inducing tryptophan. To up the soothing effects, mash it with warm milk.

Oatmeal. Oats are a rich source of sleep - inviting melatonin, and a small bowl of warm cereal with a splash of maple syrup is cozy - plus if you've got the munchies, it's filling too.

Almonds. A handful of these heart-healthy nuts can be snooze-inducing, as they contain both tryptophan and a nice dose of muscle-relaxing magnesium.

Flaxseeds. When life goes awry and feeling down is keeping you up, try sprinkling 2 tablespoons of these healthy little seeds on your bedtime oatmeal. They're rich in omega-3 fatty acids, a natural mood lifter.

Whole-wheat bread. A slice of toast with your tea and honey will release insulin, which helps tryptophan get to your brain, where it's converted to serotonin and quietly murmurs "time to sleep."

Turkey. It's the most famous source of tryptophan, credited with all those Thanksgiving naps. But that's actually modern folklore. Tryptophan works when your stomach's basically empty, not overstuffed, and when there are some carbs around, not tons of protein. But put a lean slice or two on some whole-wheat bread mid-evening, and you've got one of the best sleep inducers in your kitchen.

What if none of these foods help you get your zzz's? Check out your sleep habits with this quick RealAge test to find out what?s keeping you up at night. http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/_ylt=AlsqTFW627k4WrUZzRv1qVdjY.Y5/SIG=11omkbe9h/**http://www.realage.com/health_guides/RLS/intro.aspx

For an extra treat, here's the ultimate sleep-inducing snack...

Lullaby Muffins
Makes 12 low-fat muffins
Between the bananas, the whole wheat, and the honeyed touch of sweetness, these muffins are practically an edible lullaby.
· 2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour
· 1/2 teaspoon salt
· 1 tablespoon baking powder
· 2 large, very ripe bananas
· 1/3 cup applesauce
· 1/4 cup honey
· 1/2 cup milk or soymilk

Preheat oven to 350F. In a large bowl, combine the flour (make sure it's whole-wheat pastry flour or you'll produce golf balls, not muffins), salt, and baking powder. In a blender, puree the bananas; add the applesauce, honey, and milk. Blend well. Pour the banana mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until just moistened. Line muffin tins with paper muffin cups, pour in batter, and bake 30 minutes or until tops are lightly brown and slightly springy.

Nutrition Facts
Per serving: 119 calories; 1g fat; 2.5g protein; 27g carbohydrates; 10g sugars; 133mg sodium; 3g fiber; 35mg magnesium


In my mind, a child growing as much as your son cannot function with less than 8 hours. His body will give out!! He needs the sleep. So try the foods, if they don't work, take him to the dr. He's got to get good rest--it is essential to his health (not to mention grades).

TX Mom
Mine are 17 & 21

Answer 7

Dont you worry, I am 14, I know that I couldn't sleep for a long time, sometimes I didn't even sleep... everything will be back in normal soon !

Answer 8

well go to a doctor and maybe he or she might perscribe something ask about that lunesta thing im not sure but any like sleeping pill that can work

Answer 9

Tell him to stop watching tv or playing the computer, take him to a doctor if hes so bad.....

Answer 10

Have you taken your son to the doctor?