The following is a visitor-submitted question or story. For more, you can submit your own sleep story here, or browse the collection of experiences and questions other visitors have shared here.

Sleep Deprivation Causing Behavioral Problems For 12 Year Old?

by Gwen
(Petaluma, CA)

My son 12 year old son has had problems sleeping since day one! I did have a sleep test done at age 2 but nothing was found.


Right now he is given 10 hours to sleep or more to sleep per night.That mean no screens its lights out. Over the years he has had behavioral problems at home, often sick, and very irritable with mood swings.

He does not seem to have energy until after noon and has such a hard time getting up in the morning for school. This effects our family relationships,as well as his focus in school and his grades!

Over the last 10 years I have been searching for answers exploring everything from brain function to ADHD, therapy, food, allergies, chiropractic care, ect. Still there are no answers .

There must be some reason my son feels this way and I want to make his life easier than this. Could it be possible that sleep deprivation is causing his symptoms?

Thank you
Gwen Foursha

Comments for Sleep Deprivation Causing Behavioral Problems For 12 Year Old?

Click here to add your own comments

Mar 08, 2015
no sleep :( NEW
by: Anonymous

My daughter is going through sleepless nights or very little sleep. It started a year ago & has gotten progressively worse. We have tried alot of different natural things & nothing has worked. I found this disorder"Circadian rhythm sleep disorder" on UCLA Sleep Disorders Center. I would ask your Dr. about, I'm going to on Monday morning. Good luck

Aug 23, 2015
Is my child turning nocturnal? NEW
by: Anonymous

I have a 12, almost 13, year old daughter. There's only a week left of her summer holiday and I don't think she's going to fix her sleeping pattern in time. Usually, she stays awake until 7-9am and falls asleep around 12-1 in the afternoon. She then sleeps all day until I wake her up for dinner at 5/6 pm. She's starting to reject her meals and not come out of her room. I'm getting worried she's going to lose weight. I need help, thank you.

Feb 08, 2016
10 year old cannot get off to sleep NEW
by: Very sleepy mums

I also have a 10-year-old has difficulty getting off to sleep. I've tried everything that I can think of, have been back and forth to the doctors, seen numerous paediatricians, and the only thing they tell me is that he is healthy, there's nothing to worry about and may grow out that when he's older. I have had his school nurse involved and nobody wants to know. He has had problems sleeping ever since he was a baby. I know my own child and know that there is obviously a problem there but just feel as though the doctors are fobbing me off, and then they ask me stupid questions such as his diet and what he eats before bed. He's now keeping me awake which is affecting me at work. Has anybody else had any medical advice that has helped them? I am at the end of my tether.

Thanks,

Mar 31, 2017
my son sleep now and then NEW
by: Anna Tlholoe

My 12 years old son sleeps now and then after playing,he even sleep at school during the day may 2 to 3 times when the teacher is busy teaching,I am worried that next year he will be going to high school and be teased by fellow classmates,in the afternoon he sleeps as early as 18 hours,his school grades are good but immediately after playing he sleeps so deep,he even sleeps under a tree before reaching home after school when he feels the sleeps,

Click here to add your own comments

Join in and write your own page! It's easy to do. How? Simply click here to return to Experiences With Sleep Disorders In Children.




Enjoy this page? Please help us pay it forward to others who would find it valuable by Liking, Sharing, Tweeting, Stumbling, and/or Voting below.

About This Site

Welcome! This site is continuously being created by students of Dr. William C. Dement's Sleep And Dreams course at Stanford University.

We made this site as a call to action for people all over the world to live healthier, happier, safer, and more productive lives by learning about their own sleep. We have faith that reading the information provided on this site will motivate you to be smart about your sleep deprivation and strategic about your alertness in order to live life to your fullest, most energetic potential.

In fact, we challenge you to do so! What do you say, are you up for the challenge?


A Note On Visitor-Submitted Questions:

Publishing sleep stories and questions from our visitors is meant to create a forum for open and proactive dialogue about an extremely important portion of our lives (one that occupies 1/3 of it and affects the other 2/3) that isn't talked about enough. It is not meant to substitute a trip to the doctor or the advice of a specialist. It's good to talk; it is not good to avoid consulting someone who's profession it is to help you with this kind of stuff.

If you are in any way concerned about your sleep health, don't wait for an answer on here, and don't necessarily rely on them. See a sleep specialist in your area as soon as possible.

More Questions:

Ask | Answer

The Stanford Sleep Book

Stanford Sleep Book Picture

Dr. Dement's pioneering textbook has been the core text for Sleep and Dreams since 1980, but it has just recently been made available to the wider public for the first time.

In it you'll find a more detailed account of the most important things you need to know about sleep, alertness, dreams, and sleep disorders. Studies, statistics, plus plenty of Dr. Dement's classic anecdotes painting the history of sleep medicine.

Preface | Intro | Contents | Get A Copy

More Sleep Resources

The Zeo

A revolution in personal sleep tracking, the Zeo is a wireless headband that transmits your brainwaves in realtime to a dock (pictured here) or your smartphone. The result? You can wake up and see exactly what stages of sleep you were in during the night! Unprecedented personalized sleep knowledge.

Sleep Paralysis: A Dreamer's Guide

Sleep Paralysis Treatment Book

Ever woken up paralyzed? A surprising number of us have, believe it or not. But few know the actual causes of this phenomenon, and fewer still how to exert control over it. Dream researcher and sleep paralysis expert Ryan Hurd shares breakthrough insights into how to do just that.

Important Disclaimer

Please Note:

The information found on this page and throughout this site is intended for general information purposes only. While it may prove useful and empowering, it is NOT intended as a substitute for the expertise and judgments of healthcare practitioners.

For more info, see our
Terms of Use.