15 year old girl with trouble sleeping

Margaret - posted on 01/26/2012

Reading to her is a great idea-- Nothing too exciting though. For example, the harry potter books are THRILLING, but not bed time story material. My favorite go to is a company called Lush with all natural products. They have bath bombs and bath "melts" -- they have kid versions! Lavender smelling, sleep inducing, definitely worth a try. You'd be surprised what a bath and some lavender can do. Even if you put the lavender drops (just a couple, 2-3) in the bath tub that works too :)

Connie - posted on 01/26/2012

WOW Danielle, we finally got our daughter to drink Honey Vamilla Chamomile tea throughout the day and stopped all caffeine and articifial sweetner drinks. We also limited her milk intake as she seemed to rile up after much dairy. If you've already removed sweet drinks, caffeine drinks and milk chocolate sources, then see if her diet is off from gluten etc. The ongoing mystery and challenges our families and ASD child face! As the autism saying goes "Until all the pieces of the puzzle fit.. Good luck

Elaine - posted on 01/20/2012

have you had her vitamin D level checked.

Amy - posted on 01/20/2012

I haven't read through all of the posts, but have you tried melotonin? It's over the counter and CHEAP! My son uses it. He has anxiety issues and it works about 1/2 after he takes it...works wonders. If he doesn't take it, he will be awake until 1ish!

Amy - posted on 01/20/2012

I haven't read through all of the posts, but have you tried melotonin? It's over the counter and CHEAP! My son uses it. He has anxiety issues and it works about 1/2 after he takes it...works wonders. If he doesn't take it, he will be awake until 1ish!

Alba - posted on 04/11/2010

Hi Danielle, My name is Alba, My son is 17 and he had the same problem before, I don't know if your daughter any have medical condition, but my son have DMD, I guess his problem was depression and Axiety, actually he is taking medication along with therapy to help whit this, since he is been in medication his sleeping problems desapear and his mood and life style change for good, now he is very open with the people, and at night he have better sleep time... I wish you can find a way to make her feel confortable.



Best wishes.



Alba

Laurine - posted on 04/10/2010

Gloria , I am curious about your comment about young women having thyroid issues. Can you say more ?

Barbara - posted on 04/08/2010

Have you tried a quiet/down time before bed to allow relaxation to set in before actual sleep time? What does her doctor say? Also what is her activity level just before bed? What time does she have to be up in the morning for school? Most teens have a huge natural change in their internal time clocks and it could affect her sleep rhythm. Good Luck

Deb - posted on 04/08/2010

How about her activity level?If she is not getting enough exersise .Find an enjoyable activity.Sports,walking,dance class,gardening,walking out doors to bird watch,even walking at the mall counts,pet walking as a little part time jop.
If that is not the proplem my next thought would be some thing is on her mind,she might not even know what is maybe making her worry.Mabe spend more causual time with her and listen to her talk.What ever it is may not come up rite away but think about the things she talks about.She may express her self some way.
Has she had a regular physical at a family Dr. in the past year,if not just take her in for a rutine physical,in privite or call ahead and mention to Dr. some proplems sleeping.He or she will check your daughter out with that in mind and you duaghter will not be any wiser to it.
My last thought ,over the counter benidryll the allergy medicine,alot of people have used (once in awhile) to help sleep.Ask your family Dr. first.
If no luck try two benadryll

Clara - posted on 04/08/2010

Hi there,
I know that my 18 year old always has trouble sleeping when she has something on her mind that she just can't work out for herself, so I try to find casual ways to start conversations about whats going on in her life. Sometimes its turned into 2-3 hour long talks and ended up with me & her in tears over stuff. But she has eventually opened up when she sees how concerned I am for her. You need heaps & heaps of time & patience at this age. All the best.

Kellean - posted on 04/07/2010

I agree with Gloria you should have her Pediatrician or Family Doctor look at her. I just took my 15 year old son in on Monday. He hasn't been sleeping well for over two years and it isn't getting any better. He doesn't sleep at night so then he has trouble concentrating in class. When he does sleep he is either difficult to wake or he tosses and turns all night. He gave him some medication to help him sleep. He is also scheduled for a sleep clinic. The Doctor says that in a lot of cases this sorta thing shows up in teens and it is important to diagnose it correctly. Not to ignore it, as it can affect your health. Sleep is very important. In most cases it is Neurological, most likely in my sons case. It would be a good idea to present this to your Doctor and the three of you could figure out what is going on. Hope this helps!

Natalia - posted on 04/07/2010

If you navigate through the website I just posted. there are a lot of intersting articles. This one should not be ignored. The Safety of Melotonin in Children...
http://www.sleeping-with-a-sleeping-diso...

Natalia - posted on 04/07/2010

I found an interesting article about sleep disorders in kids and the use of melatonin. Folow this link. I hope this will help.
http://www.sleeping-with-a-sleeping-diso...

Celeste - posted on 04/07/2010

Try Melatonin, it's an herb OTC. My 17 yr old uses it.

Penny - posted on 04/06/2010

Sue - posted on 04/06/2010

Have you checked to make sure she's not napping at other times of the day? Like after school or even during school? Depression can affect sleep greatly so be on the look-out for that. How do you feel about her sleeping with her listening to music on her ipod as she drifts off? My daughters both set theirs to play for a particular length of time and then shut off. My only other thought is limiting electronics 30-60 minutes before she wants to go to sleep.

Loretta - posted on 04/06/2010

My 17 year old is having trouble sleeping also. We've tried everything and some things help a little some of the time, but nothing has really cured it. Recently she pinpointed that she was experiencing some general anxiety--possibly just hormone related. We've been researching and trying things that help alleviate anxiety in teenagers and that seems to be helping more than anything else has to this point.

Grandma - posted on 04/05/2010

First talk to her. is there anything she is stressing about, boys, peer pressure, teen girls take so many thing personally. If your nt sure she is really talking to you, do you have a good friend she looks up to who she might be willing to open to. My god-daughter (16 yrs) comes to me her and her mom can't talk about things. If that's all good talk to her Dr and have thyroid test done. Than if all looks good there. I have this to say. SHe is becomming a vampire, that's what I call them. All 3 of my sons and most of their friends all started around age 15 or so surviving on less and less sleep. They would be up days at a time with 4 or so hrs of sleep a night. than after a 4 or 5 days they would power sleep. I use to fight with them to go to bed. and at 10 they went to bed and at 1 am I would check on them and they would be in their rooms in the dark wide awake. Than I figured out they were not getting enough excersie during the day to make them sleepy. Karate and Basketball beame the answer. After a few hrs a day of real moving they would sleep like angels again. But keep the excersise time period between 3 and 7 pm or they will be to wound up to sleep decently.

Natalia - posted on 04/05/2010

My daughter had the same problem and she is almost 13. I narrowed it down to her period. It seemed when she was close to or on her period she would have trouble sleeping. I started giving her natural liquid iron suppliment which I got in the health food store. It's very safe for kids as the iron content is derived from natural sources such as vegi's. The name escapes me at the moment but it worked for her. She seemed to be suffering from a bit of an iron difficency and for your daughter, it may be as simple as a vitamin deficency. Check with your doctor. I too have a sleepoing disorter but mine was a brain wave isssue. My brain would not shut down so I have to take a brain chemical balancer but I doub that is your daughters problem at such a young age. Kids don't always eat the best nutritial foods so try a multi vitamin suppliment in between. Good luck.

Gina - posted on 04/05/2010

MELATONIN works for my 16 yr. old daughter. Does come in pill form, but can be crushed into something, maybe small glass of milk, or something, or may possibly come in liquid form, not sure on that one. Did start out with two pills a night for first week due to size of my daughter, then just one a night, and continue to do it everynight, so it keeps the buildup in the system. Give about an hour before she is ready to sleep.

Another thing that I use for myself is at Walmart in the "bath crystals", health and beauty section, is a lavender aromatherapy bubble bath. Also works great for all kinds of pains. Take a bath in a capful of it, just before bed, cuz it WILL make you sleepy. The bottle says for aches and pains. The liquid is a pretty purple. I first started using it after a hip surgery. It is awesome & costs only about $5.00 for a large size bottle. Excellent value. I also have a small fuzzy blanket right next to my cheek. It is comforting to me. Hope this info. helps.

Caroline - posted on 04/05/2010

You might focus efforts on identifying the source of the problem. When did the sleep loss begin? At 15, it could easily be anxiety over a million different school and social pressures. Boy trouble...being sexually active...social media pressure from peers... girlfriend relationships . . . How is she as a student, anything going on with teachers? Are you sure no boys and/or especially older men are pressuring her or being inappropriate? Seems a bit young to be worrying about college or leaving home . . . but it's a consideration. There's also experimentation w/ drugs & alcohol and the guilt involved....and don't forget prescription drugs or diet pills--that could affect sleep patterns. Maybe she has self-concept or self-esteem concerns. Worrying more about what she looks like and popularity, etc. And at that age, hormones affect their energy levels and sleep needs--there are studies showing teens need more sleep during the day and less at night. Maybe you can work out a better sleep schedule. Has she said what is going through her mind when she can't sleep?

Toni - posted on 04/04/2010

When my daughter had trouble sleeping we used the sounds like water flowing on a waterfall. You can get these cds at major bookstores like Barnes and`Noble. They have other sounds on them as well she would need to choose the one best for her.

Angie - posted on 04/04/2010

Hello, I would suggest usings oils. They do work. Essential oils. You rub it on their feet before they go to sleep. Lavender. I also use melitonin (not sure about the spelling) 3mg. This has worked for my son too. Good Luck.

Gina - posted on 04/04/2010

that is true and maybe there are underline problems that need to be looked into lets hope this mom check here every so often and sees what we have all offered. Thanks for the chat

Wendy - posted on 04/04/2010

is she having nightmares ? jerking in her sleep? or just up and down all night? drugs keep ppls awake ,even the over counter things, no doze, and at 15 pgness and date or party rape are out there too, sorry to say. If it just started happening and wasn't part of her behavior all along if i were you i would do everything possible to find out. Been threw most of this my self.

Gina - posted on 04/04/2010

wow you sure have lived through it all . Good idea . 15 children . And you are still here and sane i had 3 and i thought some days that was to much to handle . 8-) God bless you .
Gina Hodder

Gloria - posted on 04/04/2010

It would be a good idea to check with her pediatrician. Young women sometimes have hormonal issues or thyroid problems. Hyper or Hypo thyroidism would effect her sleep. It is a simple blood test but very important that this does not go undiagnosed. I always consult the Dr. before deciding it is emotional. I am the Mom of 15, my oldest is 31 so I have lived and learned through experience. Hope she feels better soon.

Gina - posted on 04/03/2010

Hi Danielle
lol I thought this only happened 30 yrs and up. I am 50 nowand i hav ebeen sleeping no more than 3 hours a night for years. However. my doctors have givenme a few ideas and they help me relax and at least those 3-4 hours are good sleep.
Does she like milk. if so does she like warm milk. One of the things i have done for years is a cup of warm milk with honey, molasses etc. whatever she likes. It is very calming. Another idea and this has been proven to work is every night go to bed at the same time and wake up at the same time. Some times a hot bubble bath relaxes my mussles and helps me relax. Some people believe that sometimes it is what you eat before bed. I have a small water fountian that helps me sleep the sound of the water flowing. I also find that sound of my betes fish tank does the same. Does she like to write sometimes we have so much on our minds that when the body says stop our minds are in over load. I find that when this happens get a pen and some papper and just write till she feels relaxed. I have tried all these ideas and one or the other has worked at different times. Remeber i am 50 yrs old. lol I might add i have used these with my children to. They still use these methods. I hope this is of some help to you and your daughter good luck.
Gina Hodder

Kim - posted on 04/03/2010

sometimes teenagers wont tell you when something is wrong, try talking to her, or her friends to see if there is anthing bothering her.

GAYLE - posted on 04/03/2010

Have you thought about asking her friends if they have noticed a change in how she behaves and tell them you are concerned. Or you could try taking her to a counsellor or doctor. I really don't have any more suggestions apart from let her know that no matter what is on her mind you will always be there for her. Could it be she is pregnant and scared to tell you or something has happened at school that she feels unable to talk about. I do hope you can get this sorted sooner rather than later. Good luck.