A Teenage View During A Case Of Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome

by Rebeca
(Canada)

I'm 15 years old. I've heard many thoughts about the circadian rhythms affecting teens as well as other opinions on how electronic devices such as televisions, cellphones, computers send out waves and manage to keep us more alert. I usually sleep from 2am to 6am on school nights. I usually feel alert at night and even at 2 it still takes a bit of effort to fall asleep.

When 6 rolls in I feel completely alienated, I turn off the alarm immediately with a horrible feeling of having no strength in my muscles that makes it harder to get up and breathe deeply, really shallow breathing, having a sense of feeling "heavy" and feeling dizzy or with heavy eyelids in the morning. With that, I simply go back to sleep and wake up a couple of hours later. I go through the same routine everyday. So much that by the end of the week I don't have much energy to do anything, not even complete any studies due to lack of sleep and fatigue.

On weekends or during holidays, summer, etc. I still end up falling asleep around 2 am maybe even later, and wake up at around 12pm . It feels like I've finally caught up on some sleep but I still have the same feelings when waking up as I did at 6am. Theses sleeping patterns aren't very beneficial since it keeps me from doing many things.

I wish I could go to sleep at 11-12 , wake up at 6 and still feel refreshed and alert. I understand by reading some articles that a person my age needs about 8-9 hours of sleep. That is not very possible for me and I don't think I could ever go to sleep any earlier. I've tried homeopathic remedies for sleeplessness and a hyperactive mind but it fails. In the morning I keep my curtains open so bright light shines through but it has no effect on me as I go back to a deep sleep not too long after waking up.

I have come to the conclusion that I do indeed have delayed sleep phase syndrome. Even with your helpful treatments I don't know if i'll ever get out of this mess.

I have also come to realize that I'm unable to relax at night to induce sleeping. During the past year to present I suffer from many anxiety attacks without any logical reason as to why they come. Now a days, I still get them, usually during the day but I'm not sure if that would have anything to do with my sleeplessness. At night I find myself thinking of the many things I have to do, and even dream about them sometimes. I plan to perhaps watch what I eat, specifically in the afternoon evening, so that I don't consume too much sugar or heavy food that might help keep me awake, try to just sit and relax 1 hour before my desired sleep time so that I will be more tired when the time comes, and expose my eyes to bright light therapy due to the fact that sleep debt is obviously not working for my case.

Any suggestions of what I can do to shake off the zombie like feelings in the morning and improve my sleep? I'm hopeless.