Sleeping issue really getting me down :(

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hey everyone I'm a freshmen in high school . I have this really big problem with school, I am always late or absent to my first period class to the point were I feel too embarrassed to come to class I think that the teacher really my not think well of me ( but I know he doesn't hate me I guess I just think he's really sick of me ). I barley get any sleep and even if I did I would still be exhausted though out the day and not think about anything else except how tired I am. Now I am doing very well in school but I believe if I get 24 absences I will automatically fail (even though I do almost all my work). And I've never failed a class in my life. Also I have drama club after school which can be socially and physically draining. I've tried everything to go to sleep early and get to school on time even resorting to medication from my physiologist but it all failed. I've been having this problem for years but it is most evident in high school. Today I had a meeting to discuss this and iep modifications and I don't believe the iep team understands the weight of this issue. They do not understand how exhausted I feel every day.
The believe I am just making excuses. Or say something like I am tired too but ...... or I also had too go to high school......... or when you get a job ............................. . I think this because my school is across the street and a little walk down ( for about 10 minutes or 15-20 if I don't go though the parking lot) and that I no longer use a van for transportation. I My family thinks I just want to avoid school or I want to drop out. My physiologist wrote the office abut this saying I had extreme ocd tendencies. And I was only marked absent 4 times on my report card vs the times it was shown on recorded. When ever I am late I feel so bad and mortified and kind of sick to my stomach like somebody is screaming "You failure!" right in your face. But never the less, during school and outside of school I feel extremely tired and maybe kind of weak. And also about once or twice every month or two I feel so weak and tired I have to go to the nurse an go home because other wise all I would do is fall asleep in class or pass out from exhaustion. I don't know what to do. I asked my pediatrician about it and he just says this a behavioral issue and just tells me to go to bed earlier.
what should I do>?

Have you been checked for any medical problems that might be causing your tiredness? Anemia, mononucleosis, or even something like a B vitamin deficiency could make you feel low in energy. You might also try coffee, tea, ginseng, or some other mild stimulant during the day to help perk you up.

Really, though, it's exhausting just dealing with being "on" all the time during a long school day. I dealt with it as a high school student by taking a nap immediately after getting home in the afternoons, then getting up for dinner and doing my homework afterwards.

Don't stress yourself out about it, you're doing fine.

I'm curious about your specific circumstances. What's your typical sleep pattern? Do you keep a daily diary of sleep habits? If it's insomnia or something, you might be able to get a sleep test (or whatever they call it) where you're medically observed overnight to see if there's any breathing issues or heart issues or something else that are interfering with your ability to feel rested after sleeping. Sleep apnea is a big one these days.

Any drugs, caffeine, nutritional issues, sugar intake, diabetes? Allergies? I had a friend in school who was out a lot for medical reasons; they only later figured out he had intense allergies to something he was exposed to frequently.

If it's a timing thing, here's a crazy thought, how about going to bed right after school/drama and then staying awake all night? Shift your schedule around.

I'm just throwing ideas out there. I believe that there's a problem. I believe you can figure out what the problem is. And I believe that once you do, you can solve it.

Well, you have that hormone thing going on.

The mom in me suggests you could give up drama - ugh! Shut up Mom!

I have had extreme issues with my mind never shutting down. For years I took Ambien just to get through. Not a good combination with single motherhood but what was I to do? Then, my doctor took away my Ambien because there are health concerns, whatever.

Desperate for a solution, I tried Medical Self-Hypnosis. I got a simple recording from Dr. Daniel Amen that takes me through several easy exercises that actually shut down my brain. I only really listened to the recording for about a month until I didn't need it anymore. It seems to have conditioned my brain to respond to certain triggers by shutting down. The triggers are things like deep, slow breathing, counting backwards while imagining myself descending a staircase to my special place, rolling my eyes back in my head - then relaxing, etc...

So, now as I sleep, I dream. I haven't done this in over a decade. I'm calmer, have way fewer meltdowns, my thoughts are clearer and I'm much more productive than before.

Interesting. Link to that recording?

I remember reading about this song, and it certainly is extremely relaxing:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMmMNyTwePY[/youtube]

You should definitely make an appointment with a sleep specialist. You very well could have delayed-phase circadian rhythms, which would make it impossible for your body to go to sleep early enough for a high school wake-up time. Delayed-phase circadian rhythms are more common in adolescents to begin with, but it sounds like you might have an even more severe case. I have idiopathic hypersomnia, which began my junior year of high school, so I totally sympathize with you. It's a big struggle to not be able to do your work, not because it's too difficult, but because you simply can't stay awake.

Have you tried sleeping in your own bed?

Not sleeping is a decade's old problem for me. Over time, I've created a bed cave - basically a soft, sensory deprivation chamber. I can't imaging having to sleep with my grandma on a regular basis. I did once, on vacation when I was about 30 and that was enough for me, but maybe you're closer to your grandmother.

Weird, but k.

You could have your doctor check your melatonin levels. Its the chemical in the brain that regulates the sleep cycle.

http://www.helpguide.org/harvard/sleep_ ... _clock.htm


I know they sell this in pharmacies as a sleep aid. Check with your doctor first of course.