I have real bad time sleeping and getting to sleep

[gwenblackbird]

Alright so for a few good months now I have had some trouble sleeping and getting to sleep.
I think that I have insomnia but I'm not sure, so I have to probably make an appointment with the doc.
Well I have a lot of trouble getting to sleep, like I'll stay up for hours in order to finally fall asleep. I usually read at night and that helps pass the time. On a normal night though I usually fall asleep at at least midnight or 1 A.M.
And when I am able to actually be in a slumber I toss and turn and I always wake up during the night, bu tit's gotten better and I'm able to fall right back to sleep and go back to my dream. Whereas before I would probably be kept up for a good minute and than start a whole other dream.
And I sleep in until at least 11 A.M., sometimes I'll wake up around 1 P.M. (I'm able to sleep for so long because I'm home schooled).
But I'm only 14 and I have no idea why i have such trouble with sleep and getting there.
Also I'm usually tired trough the whole day and I definitely wake up tired, more lately than usual.



Any help and input would be gravely appreciated.

Bright Blessing

[One Walker]

This may sound totally whacked but it may just be your body going through growth/maturing changes. You're in that age bracket where your body begins to change over from adolescence to the early stages of adulthood so it burns a lot of energy-especially when you're at rest-like when you go to bed. This is because your metabolism is kicking into overdrive to bring about physical changes without being additionally taxed by your everyday energy needs while you're up and about. During the day you can feel tired because your energy level is depleted. You might want to try eating some high-energy natural foods in the morning. Lots of fruit, dairy products, and a little bit of meat for protein.

Just an idea.

One Walker.

[Release.the.bats]

I agree with One Walker.
I was going to suggest that your sleeping patterns are very normal for someone of your age.
I've had issues with insomnia since I was around 11-12.
I generally go to sleep around 12-1am and wake up at 10am [when I don't have school] and 6:30am when I do.
Just try to get more energy, your body is going through a lot of changes at this point in time.
Act accordingly and you should come out fine.

[gwenblackbird]

But that's the thing, almost everyone else I know sleeps normally and doesn't really have problems with sleeping.
Like last night I fell asleep sometime around 3:00 a.m. and woke up at 2:10 only because my mom made me get up, and I was suppose to be at an appointment with this psychiatrist at 10:30 a.m., I set my alarm but kept dozing off and telling myself Ill wake p in so and so minutes but never did.
And my sleep schedule always varies, I wouldn't even say it's a schedule.
And sometimes I end up never even being able to fall asleep, sometimes it lasts for a few days without sleeping, and I sure as hell know that that's not normal.
My therapist and psychiatrist both say it's not a good or normal thing.

[Velusia]

Have you tried setting a schedule for yourself and forcing yourself to stick to it?

I, personally, am a very scheduled person. Even in my daily activities. If I get off my schedule, I get all sorts of depressed and confused as to what to do. I don't know if it will work, but it's worth a try? (Keep in mind they say it takes 28 days to create a habit so don't give up too quickly on any method anyone suggests.)

IE: (currently I'm home until after my pregnancy finishes, I'm supposed to be on bedrest)

7am wake up
8am clean / pick up toys / dishes
9am get baby dressed / do breakfast
10 am -2 pm play with baby outside or inside (weather dependant)
2 pm - 5pm baby nap (usually I nap too at about 3 -5)
5-7 cook / eat dinner
7 - 10 free time
11pm bedtime


Even if you don't fall asleep at 11, let's say you decide that's the time you want to go to bed, lay there. Force yourself to stare at the ceiling and eventually your body will adjust. You can even try meditating, practice astral projection, write in a diary, read a book etc.. but just make sure you stay in bed and let your body know that it's bedtime. If you get up and move around and go do things etc... it tricks your body into thinking "hey, it's ok to be awake!"

Also, ask your psychiatrist if perhaps a low dose of benedryl would help you fall asleep at night. Benedryl is a very safe medication used for allergic reactions (antihistamine so if you have a stuffy nose it's two for one!) and it's biggest side effect is sleepiness. They use this medication for people of all ages, 1 day old babies to 105 year old seniors.

One more thing .. don't keep your alarm clock near you. Put it across the room, it forces you to get up instead of hitting the snooze button. And if you find the snooze button is doing you in, pop it off with a screw driver. Now you can't push it without intense poking with something small, by that time, you're annoyed, but awake!

[One Walker]

Well, all I can say is I went through the exact same thing as you are going through now; starting when I was 13. Your biology is different than everyone else's so I wouldn't judge yourself against others. And I would be careful about taking too much to heart what a therapist or psychiatrist tell you. They can be very helpful to be sure; just remember they're in a business. They make money through their clients so they NEED clients and they need their clients to keep coming back. Also remember the Psychiatrist's Creed: "We want to find our who you REALLY are! And change all that!

If your body is in the process of changing over you're not going to have a set sleep schedule for awhile unless you do something in the evening to really tire yourself out before you go to bed. You may want to try something like this: After dinner at night (5 PM-6 PM) spend the rest of the time until sundown playing some sport. Shoot hoops, bike, run, play baseball, or anything else that is an active sport. When you go to bed, try turning on a room fan and listen to a bedside radio on low volume and tuned to mellow music. Give it a couple of weeks and see if that doesn't do something for you.

Hope this helped some! Keep us posted on your progress! We're with you in this!

One Walker.

[gwenblackbird]

Alright, thank you all.
:]

Oh and @ One Walker, just a P.S. I don't have to worry about paying my therapist. But so far my family's insurance covers my psychiatrist visits, but I only visit them just in case I need to be put on some form of medication.

[gwenblackbird]

Alright sooooo, I went to my doctor's for a check up and what not and found out that I have some pretty bad Insomnia. And now I take pills. :]
haha, thought I'd let you all know.

[One Walker]

Did he say what was causing the Insomnia?

One Walker.

[Syndica]

u should also use self hypnosis, for calming down and getting ready for dream land.