Teenager with Sleep Problems

[Feralpeg]

DD has been having trouble sleeping lately. She is 15. We have a lot going on right now and she tends to be the nervous type. I've tried to get her to bed earlier. She's cut out sweets and caffine before bed. She does have a lot of homework and sometimes works almost up to bedtime. She goes to bed, but she doesn't sleep. If she does, it is not a good restful sleep. I don't want to start giving her sleep aids if I can help it. She feel asleep in Biology class the other day. That can't continue. Any thoughts?

 

[caitycaity]

i've struggled with insomnia since i was a teenager. i haven't seen a doctor about it b/c it tends to come and go and i don't want to take medication.

one thing that REALLY helped me was i used to read, write in my journal, watch tv, do my homework, etc. while sitting on my bed. i read somewhere that you need to think of your bed as a place you sleep, so you should try to use it only for resting/sleeping.

i moved to other places to do the work i used to do while sitting on my bed and it really helped. i still have episodes, but it is easier for me to fall asleep now.

good luck.

 

[FOJMO]

I don't see any problem with letting her have sleep aids -- Simply Sleep by Tylenol is very good and is not habit forming. It doesn't knock you out -- simply helps you to relax to be able to sleep. Her mind might be "racing" especially if she's just finished doing homework and they tries to relax and go to sleep.

 

[Jenn Lynn]

Maybe she needs somr time to relax before going to bed. She could take a nice nice warm bath, read a book, drink a cup of Sleepy Time tea, and/or try some deep breathing exercises to clear her mind. Does she get any physical exercise? That could help with sleeping.

 

[DisneyObsessed]

Funny you should mention this. My DD12 is starting to have trouble sleeping. I think she's really nerved up about school. She is the second to the youngest in the whole 7th grade and I think it's catching up with her. She says everything is moving so fast. Plus I know that some girls suffer from insomnia right before their period each month. So I'm wondering if she will be starting hers for the first time. If it doesn't change, I'm going to mention it at her physical in a couple of months. I know for myself, if I have trouble sometimes, I just take Tylenol PM, but I don't want to start that with her.
______________
Dawn

 

[Harley Chick]

I agree with Jenn Lynn. I've always had trouble sleeping and a cup of chamomille tea (like Sleepy Time) helps. Also I take a really hot shower and put on lavender lotion. Also having a sachet with lavender, valarian and lemon balm under the pillow helps. I hope this is just a temporary problem for your daughter and that she feels better soon.

 

[jsmith]

Two things to remember-distrubed or wierd sleep patterns are very normal for teens-both my sons have had this issue-The other morning my 14 year old was up knocking around at 200 am-and granted we have some special circumstances that contribute but it is still hard to deal with. But our doc has said it is not really something to worry about or medicate-they will sleep when they really need to.
Exercise will help-alot-it releaves stress and helps your body get into good bio rythms. If she is not playing a sport now would be a good time for her to start getting regular exercise of some type such as swimming or jogging-it will help her develope good habits for life.
Also keeping a routine helps-go to bed at the same time, get up at the same time. Maybe try to be done with homework a hour or so before bed time so she can focus on something else for awhile. Don't read or study in bed-all that sort of stuff.

Good luck to her-i know it is frustrating for both you and her.

 

[septbride2002]

Well my opinion is a little different from everyone else's. I would be contacting the school. Your DD is only 15 years old there is no need for her to have so much homework every night that she is up until her bedtime to do it. Your school needs to do something regarding her workload. This is actually being discussed big time amongst schools because they are finding that they are putting to big of a workload on students and that it is more harmful rather then helpful with their education. If your daughter is so stressed out that she can't sleep - then that is an issue that her school needs to address.

Seriously at 15 years old I could see 2 hours of homework a night. There should still be time in the evening for family, friends, and exercise (playing). Your school needs to take some responsibility for weighing her down. And stress to them that it isn't she can't handle the work - it is just that it is to much work for her at this age. I would talk to her counselor. See if any of her other friends are having the same issue.

~Amanda

 

[Octoberbride03]

You can try the sleep aids, but what is happening to your daughter may actually have nothing to do with a busy mind or nervousness. Many teens have messed up body clocks once they start hitting hitting 15-18 yrs old. I was 1 of them. Once i hit 15 i was very hard put to fall asleep b4 1am. Only if i was sick did my body let me sleep earlier. My parents used to hate it and think i was staying up because i liked to. My high school bus left b4 7am in the morning so believe me, if i could have fallen asleep earlier than 1 am i would have. Only after i got out of college did some study come out to say that it was puberty messing up my sleep cycle and i wasn't the only teenager who seemed like a night owl.

I know its probably not what you want to hear, but i thought you should know anyway.

Good luck

 

[MerryPoppins]

I might be able to help. I went to a weekend conference a few years ago and learned a lot. Part of what we learned was how to get "centered" and where we needed to be in order to learn or even to sleep.

You need to start by finding out how your daughter feels when it's bedtime. We were taught to gauge it by the terms "high, centered and low". Does she feel wound up and unable to come down enough to sleep or does she feel too tired or too low?

Once you understand the different levels, you can begin to think about what you do to become more alert or more relaxed. For example, my husband can hardly go to bed without first sucking on some ice. It gets him relaxed and centered. After that he goes right to sleep. We all wiggle a foot or chew on a pen to stay alert in meetings. Well, maybe not that exactly, but pay attention to what you use to stay focused. I guarantee you do something, even if it is just sipping coffee or a cold soda!

Somewhere I have a sensory checklist. It helps you identify the things that help you get where you need to be. It's amazing! When my DD was having trouble sleeping, we figured out that she was actually too low to go to sleep. So we tried several things before we found her answer. We took a huge, plastic pretzel container from Sams. We put a little soapy water in the bottom and gave her a piece of plastic tubing. We told her to blow until she filled the jar with bubbles. It seemed to get her where she needed to be. It can be as simple as that.

PM me if you want my email. I know this sounds a little nutty, but it really works. I'd be happy to see if I have any ideas that would help in this specific case.