Drowsiness

[Nani]

Hi!

I can't remember exactly when it started but I think it has been about a year or so now that I've been feeling extremely drowsy during the day. It's like I have no energy at all. It feels like work to move.

I wake up at 5 AM in the morning every day (even on weekends) because I want to be an early riser, and I need to wake up at this time to get to school on time anyway, but I almost always feel kind of sick when I get out of bed in the morning. No matter how early I go to sleep I never wake up feeling well rested. I'm thinking this is because it takes me so long to fall asleep -- more than a whole hour sometimes. I thought about going to bed when I feel sleepy but if I did that I'd be going at around 12 and I don't think 5 hours is enough...it takes me a while to fall asleep even when I'm tired, so it's actually less than 5. I noticed that I am much more alert at night than at any time. Which is the worst time to be alert, since I can't sleep!

Just from typing that I can guess that my real problem is perhaps that I don't know how to fall asleep... But I also tried changing what I eat. I now eat oatmeal in the morning, although I still feel kind of hungry after that I don't eat anything else, and then at around 12 I eat school lunch which is always two tuna sandwiches. That fills me up and I come home and don't eat anything until maybe 6, and I eat whatever my dad cooks up. I eat a banana or apple somewhere in the day, too.

When I wake up I jump rope, though I don't last even 5 minutes because of that sick feeling I get in the morning. I also exercise after I come home from school for about 10 minutes. Again, I can't last long because I'm feeling so tired by then that I could just collapse on the couch and fall asleep. I exercise again about 10 minutes or so before I take a shower, and then I finish up schoolwork and go to bed.

So that's a quick rundown of my day. Any suggestions as to why I feel so drowsy? I haven't been depressed or anything. In fact I'm eager to do many things, but I just can't because of my lack of energy. I want more energy! Any tips?

[Ninja]

Well, let's rule out the more obvious causes for your problem first. Maybe you overlooked one or two:

- Do you have a good bed? How old is it? What type?

- How about your matress? Your pillow?

- You talk about school, which makes me assume you're still young. Did you know that as a teeager/early adolecent you need more sleep than when you were only seven? The only stage of your life where you need more sleep, is infancy! How much hours are you getting? 8 hours is reccomended for the average adult and young child, but if you are indeed a teenager/early adolecent, you might need more than that.

- You could be anemic. It happens a lot, especially to younger people (I used to struggle with it all the time when I was going through puberty), and is often easily solved with iron supplements. Go see your doctor first though, and don't start taking iron supplements or go crazy on high-iron foods by yourself: you'll risk iron poisoning. Your doctor will know how much you need on top of your regular intake.

- Do you eat lots of sugary snacks/consume sugary soft drinks? Sugar makes you tired!

EDIT: I just read you only get 5 hours. Some adults can get by on that, especially if they have a very healthy diet. But for most people it is not enough and especially not for teenagers! You need almost double that ammount of sleep!!!

Also, you might want to delay your early rising ambition. The biological clock of a teenager is often out of whack: 90% of all teenagers/young adults are night owls by nature. This usually goes away when you turn 25 or so. I'm 22 and I'm already noticing a difference in my sleeping pattern. I get sleepy earlier and have less trouble making myself get up in the morning. When I was 16, and I got up before 14PM on saturdays though, my parents would look at me like my head was on fire. Give your clock time to develope before you try to reset it

[Iamsuperman]

After I cut out dairy I felt a lot more energetic. I think I had a dairy allergy. Eveytime I eat some I still get very tired.

[Nani]

Thanks for the responses!

I should have mentioned my age, I'm 17.
Teenagers need that much sleep!? I didn't know that. But the problem with stopping early rising is that I have to wake up at 5 to go to school, so I don't have a choice to wake up later except on weekends. My school is infamous for its sleepy students, actually. They get very, very little sleep because of all the homework and projects, frequently pulling all nighters, so being tired is accepted as normal by everyone. This is why it took me a while to realize that this really isn't normal and I should do something.

I used to eat sugary and junk foods but I've stopped that altogether quite recently, and there might have been slight improvements in my sleep but not enough. Maybe dairy is the culprit. I think I ought to try experimenting more with my diet. What kinds of foods give the most energy? Fruits?

I didn't think of my bed being the problem. Now that I think about it, I seem to fall asleep much more easily on the couch because it's so comfy, but I don't really get that feeling when I'm in bed. This could be why it takes me so dang long to fall asleep. Maybe I should try sleeping on the couch for one night.

[SeanFu]

Well, these are my thoughts concerning me.. maybe it will help you.. or not.

- Sometimes when I TRY to fall asleep, it takes me longer. It's sort of counter-productive I guess. If I stay up until I'm actually tired, then I fall asleep much easier.

- When I wake up early in the morning I see that it's still dark out. I think it's a 'mental' thing where I look outside and see the darkness and think to myself "Oh man.. I wish I could go back to bed". Perhaps its some sort of subliminal thing.

I think people have different natural clocks, some people are early morning risers and some are not. I find that if I stay up really late (early in the morning) and then sleep till about 10am I wake up feeling like a million bucks. But when I get the same amount of sleep and wake up at 5am, it doesn't matter if I feel rested or not.. I get that "its too early" and want to go back to bed. On another note I remember being under 10 years old and still having issues waking up early, even back when the folks made me go to bed early and I slept 8+ hours per night. I guess by nature I'm just not a morning person.

As for energy, I don't know much about that. I've always had a somewhat average amount of energy my whole life. This even includes my highschool days of sports, weight lifting, and working out in general. Even then I was still only sitting at average energy levels. A part of me thinks some people just have more natural energy and that's just the way it is.

[Jennihul]

It's carbohydrates. They don't have to necessarily be sugar or junk to negatively affect some people.

What is your blood type? I'm a huge fan of the blood type diet and was once erroneously diagnosed with narcolepsy by a neurologist when he observed my atypical fatigue. It turned out to be food allergies and high carbohydrate foods.

Jennifer

[Ninja]

Originally Posted by Nani

Thanks for the responses!

I should have mentioned my age, I'm 17.
Teenagers need that much sleep!? I didn't know that. But the problem with stopping early rising is that I have to wake up at 5 to go to school, so I don't have a choice to wake up later except on weekends. My school is infamous for its sleepy students, actually. They get very, very little sleep because of all the homework and projects, frequently pulling all nighters, so being tired is accepted as normal by everyone. This is why it took me a while to realize that this really isn't normal and I should do something.

I used to eat sugary and junk foods but I've stopped that altogether quite recently, and there might have been slight improvements in my sleep but not enough. Maybe dairy is the culprit. I think I ought to try experimenting more with my diet. What kinds of foods give the most energy? Fruits?

I didn't think of my bed being the problem. Now that I think about it, I seem to fall asleep much more easily on the couch because it's so comfy, but I don't really get that feeling when I'm in bed. This could be why it takes me so dang long to fall asleep. Maybe I should try sleeping on the couch for one night.

Cutting sugar and junk food is a good move, but it will take a while before you see any effects. Your body still has to get rid of the toxins that have piled up, so your symptoms might even get worse before they go away. Fruits and vegetables give lots of energy, but you need to make sure that you don't just eat apples and spinache, for example. Try different kinds and don't stick to just two or three.

If you lie more comfortable on the couch than in your bed, you have a problem. You spend about 1/3th of your life asleep, so it's worth it to invest in a good bed, pillow and matress. Do note: "good", does not mean the same as "expensive". I have a boxspring set from Ikea and sleep like a dream. And I'm really picky when it comes to beds!
This one is going to sound strange, but what is your race? Asians and blacks, need different kinds of matrasses than white people. Asian people, for example, have a rather straight spinal collum and sleep better on sturdy, flat mattresses, lying on their backs. White people have a stronger S-curve and benefit from a thicker, softer matress and sleeping on their sides.
Gender also plays a part: women are more curvy and need a softer matress that allows them to 'sink in' while stil supporting their lower back. Men have broad shoulders and would do well to find a matrass that allows those to sink in without affecting their lower body.
taste varies, but you get the best support from a pocket spring matress, so try to get one of those. They don't have to be expensive

[sgregory]

What time does your school start?

Here are my suggestions These will not work over night. Might take a week, might take a few weeks until you start to feel decent. Remember that even with these tips and after you get used to it, you might not ever feel extremely alive in the A.M. , but you will feel more awake. Then again, you very well might become a very chipper morning person following tis advice. It all depends on the person. :

1) Dawn simulator. Make your own, I did. Get an inexpensive timer (not sure of exact name) that turns on appliances at a certain time. Set it for 5 min before you have to wake up and plug in a bedside lamp with the brightest light bulb you can find on a lamp without a shade. Bonus of it's a full-spectrum or daylight light bulb. Try to get something around 1,000 lumens or lux (same thing). Should say so on box. I usually get into a sitting position, stretch and let the light get in my eyes for a couple minutes.

then, because the sun is not out yet-

2) Lightbox. Make your own, I did. The light in the A.M> has to be be around 10,000 lumens/lux to signal the brain it's morning. Get about 5-7 lamps and the highest wattage full-spectrum light bulbs (usually 1.400 lummens) . I got mine at Walmart and they are usually floresent, but maybe the incandesent will work too? Set these up the night before above the table you eat at, maybe your bedroom as your parents might not let you do what I do which is put a chair on the kitchen table and put those lamps on the chair as I sit on the other side of the table. You can leave those lamps there on a bookcase or something so you don't have to move them. Right when you wake up and as soon as you can, turn on those lamps and sit under them for 30 minutes at least to wake you up, more if you can. This may all seem like much, but it's better tan spending at least 200$ on a light box that does the same thing. This is how they treat people who have seasonal affective disorder, which is caused by the winter month's lack of sunshine.

3) Morning exercise. In the sunif you can, or under those lamps. Morning exercise raises body temps and are actually used to shift the body clock to wake up earlier. You will also feel more awake after. If you can, walk or ride your bike to school. Looking back on high school, I now wish I had done this.

4) Sleep at least 9 hours as a teenager. Someone else said it here and I've read it a 100 times. Save all the fun for weekends if school is a priority to you. I had to do that.

5) Take a nap when you come home from school. It will make you feel better and plenty of well-rested adults to it because it does make you more alert and productive and can help you have a better more well rested state of mind.

6)Maybe you can get into bi-phasic sleeping? Can take a 90 minute nap after get home and sleep 7.5 hours at night. Check these forums for more info, I think it's loaded.

7) One person I read about on a forum actually has teenager who falls asleep when they get home and wake up around midnight , do their homework wide awake and productive , head off to school still alert. Works for them. May or may not work for you.

8) Get as much sunlight as possible during the day (2 hours is good, do your homework outside). It is proven that the more daylight enters your eyes the more awake you will be in the daytime and the better your sleep quality will be. Also , exercise helps sleep quality greatly.

9) I use the Herb Rhodiola for energy and stress resistance. I highly recommend it and there is a ton of info out there if you want to learn more. It's like Ginseng, but better.

10) healthy diet will give you more energy

11) Drink hot cocoa in the morning rather than coffee or tea. Actually, some cocoa and some tea. Cocoa has theobromine which is like caffeine and tea has caffeine. Drinking both instead of just one not only give you energy from the caffeine, but the theobromine prevents you from feeling as tired as just using the caffine alone. Don't use sugar, sugar saps energy. You can drink some in the am, lunch and after your nap as it does wear off after a few hours.

12) Oh, you MUST sleep in complete darkness atnight, even if it means wearing a blindfold. Your body is very sensitive to light and light is what controls your sleep/wake cycle. Bright light=awake complete darkness=sleep. Also, have the last 2 hours before bed be low lights in the house, no extreme brightness. Wind down the last 2 hours-hour before bed. Follow these tips for god night sleep: 33 Secrets to a Good Night's Sleep
I hope these things help

[Nani]

Thanks for your responses, everyone! I really appreciate the help!
I tried sleeping on the couch for a day, and my bed is definitely better. In fact it feels much comfier now that I've experienced sleeping on a couch...heh. I am still definitely going to watch how my bed affects my sleep though. I'm a white female, and my bed seems to fit your description of a good bed for me, Ninja. It's pretty thick, though on second thought I'm not sure how soft it is. I think it could be softer...

I also took note of the tip to sleep in complete darkness, and wow, I find it helps a lot. I never realized how much light comes into my room. To be honest I kind of like a bit of light, but last night I slept in COMPLETE darkness and today I feel much, much better.

About the naps, those actually don't seem to work for me. When I take a nap I end up feeling more tired and wanting to nap more. But this could be because I don't get enough sleep in the first place, so I'm going to try taking naps again once I change my sleep time around to get more sleep.

I decided to relax my early rising plan a bit and wake up without an alarm clock on the weekends. I find that if I go to bed at around 10 or 11 pm I wake up between 8 and 9 am. I felt alert throughout the weekend. I was even able to jump rope for 20 minutes straight! This made me realize -- I really do need more sleep time. School starts at 7 am for me, and on some days at 8 am, so I have to leave the house by 6 or 7, which is why I wake up at 5. I suppose on the days school starts an hour later I should just wake up at 6, but I really like having more time in the morning...

I remember Steve suggested going to bed only when you are tired, but if I do this then I end up depriving myself of sleep, and it seems I need about 10 hours of it! Should I go to bed as early as 7 pm then? I need to get up at 5 no matter what (or 6 on other days), but I'm not sure how I should change my sleep schedule to do that and get enough sleep.

I'm a little disappointed that I need so much sleep. A lot of people can get by with 6 or 7 hours and feel great. This is only because I'm a teenager, right? Around what age do people start needing less sleep?

[Ninja]

Originally Posted by Nani

I'm a little disappointed that I need so much sleep. A lot of people can get by with 6 or 7 hours and feel great. This is only because I'm a teenager, right? Around what age do people start needing less sleep?

On average, your need for sleep starts to reduce around age 25. But it is different for everyone. On my worst, I needed 11 (I kid you not) hours to feel good. I was 19 then. Now I'm 22 and I only need about 8-9 hours, and I feel like on good days, I can even make do with 7.5.
You feel better now that you sleep in the dark and the quality of your sleep has improved. But you still have some catching up to do, as you have been deprived of proper rest for a while, so don't be suprised that you need more hours now. Your body had a taste of the good stuff and now it wants more. Give it some time to recover

As for going to bed when you're tired: at the moment, your biological clock is still out of wack and might not be trusted. Try fixed bedtimes for a while until you feel you can trust your clock again.

[BrettAshlee]

I'm a little disappointed that I need so much sleep. A lot of people can get by with 6 or 7 hours and feel great. This is only because I'm a teenager, right? Around what age do people start needing less sleep?

Likely in or around your 40s.

To fall asleep at night, make sure you avoid any brain-stimulating activities for 2-3 hours before bed. Turn the lights down low at that time, and do not use the computer or tv!! You want to avoid stimulating the pineal gland and create as much of a natural "night" as possible. Sleeping in total darkness helps because the pineal gland can detect even minute amounts of light that fall onto the skin. I use black out drapes - I paid $25 at Walmart for mine.

Reading is often a good helper for falling asleep, but make sure you don't read real brain-stimulating things.

You may want to try experimenting with some protein at breakfast. Protein stablizes blood sugar after the night's fast. You may be waking up feeling "sick" because you are hypoglycemic in the mornings. I agree with the other posters that sugar can make you feel tired. For many people, even natural fruit can spike your blood sugar levels. If this is an issue it can often be helped by consuming some protein along with the carbs.

How is your caffeine intake? Caffeine has a wicked half-life - it stays in your system for a very long time. You might want to experiment by completely eliminating it from your diet for 3 or 4 weeks and see if you sleep better and feel better.

A book I've found helpful in understanding how the body regulates its energy and uses sugars and proteins is Mastering Leptin.

[Freelancer]

Above suggestions plus:
Do NOT watch TV or mess around with the PC in the evening, read a book or write (or meditate) during the last few hours before you go to bed. Perhaps even study stuff if it can tire you out.