Is Insomnia Making You Miserable?

Do you nod off quicker in English class than when you're in bed? Is it hard to fall asleep at night because you can't stop worrying? Are you unable to go back to sleep if you wake up during the night? Do you feel unrested and irritable every morning?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, you may be one of the 35 million Americans suffering from chronic insomnia. Insomniacs get little or no sleep each night for months and sometimes even years.

Insomnia is a common ailment but the effects on teenagers are more obvious and more damaging than on any other age group. Teens are the most sleep-deprived segment of society, requiring 9 to 10 hours of sleep each night but receiving far less than that. The resulting sleepiness contributes to things such as poor school performance, inability to deal with emotions appropriately, difficulty with memory retention, increased drug and alcohol use and a higher rate of automobile accidents.

What causes insomnia?
There are many reasons why teens find it difficult to get a good night's sleep but the most common is stress. Worries about grades, friends and the latest argument with Mom or Dad increase heart rate and blood pressure and make it impossible to sleep like a baby.

Other causes of teen insomnia include:

• Irregular sleep schedules -- Teens get up early for school, stay up late working or doing homework then often sleep in on the weekends. The see-sawing sleep schedules disrupt a teen's biological clock and make it difficult to sleep at night.
  
  Irregular sleep schedules can also bring on what's called Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome (DSPS). DSPS usually occurs in teens after a late night of studying or partying. It is a disorder in which falling asleep takes more than 2 hours and waking up at the desired time is difficult. It lasts a period of 3 months or more. One study suggests that 7% of teens suffer from DSPS.

• Depression -- Those who suffer from depression often find it difficult to fall asleep at night then wake up too early in the morning. Half of all DSPS patients suffer from depression.
  
  
• Caffeine, alcohol and drugs -- Half of the caffeine from sodas, chocolate and coffee drinks is still in your body four hours after consuming it which can wreak havoc on your sleep schedule. Alcohol and many drugs may cause you to fall asleep faster but once the sedative effect wears off -- usually just a few hours later -- you'll find yourself wide awake.
  
  
• Too much stimulation before bed -- Do you exercise right before going to bed? Do you watch television or play video games before nodding off? Do you eat a heavy meal, have exciting gossip sessions on the phone or argue with your brother before hitting the sack? All these activities boost your body's heart rate, making it hard to get to sleep.

How Can I Stop Tossing and Turning?

If insomnia plagues you, try these tips for more restful sleep:

• Learn stress-reduction techniques. Write in a journal, pet the cat, listen to relaxing music or do yoga to release tension and anxiety.
  
  
• Wake up at the same time every day, give or take an hour or two. This includes weekends. As soon as you awake, give your body 30 to 40 minutes of bright light to set your biological clock to the desired schedule. Refrain from taking naps which alters your internal clock.
  
  
• Talk to your doctor about depression. Feelings of extreme hopelessness, being unable to concentrate and thoughts of suicide are signs of depression and require professional help.
  
  
• Use your bed only for sleeping. Don't do homework or watch television in bed. Your body will know that being in bed means going to sleep if that's all you do there.
  
  
• Don't have caffeine after noon and eliminate any smoking, alcohol and drug use.
  
  
• Exercise for at least 30 to 45 minutes every day but do it at least four hours before bedtime.
  
  
• Lower the temperature in your bedroom (hot rooms make sleeping difficult). Block out any distracting noise or light.
  
  
• Create a bedtime ritual. Try reading, taking a warm bath or drinking a cup of caffeine-free herbal tea before climbing under the covers each night.
  
  
• If you haven't fallen asleep after 20 minutes, get out of bed and do something boring. Read your VCR manual or watch C-SPAN in the family room for 30 minutes. But avoid bright lights which will make sleep even more elusive.

If you aren't sleeping any better after trying these suggestions for at least a month, talk to your physician. You may have a medical reason for your insomnia that only a professional can diagnose.

Not being able to sleep well is one of the more frustrating aspects of being a teen. But with a little persistence your trip to dreamland should be shorter and the stay there longer, which will go a long way toward keeping your head from dropping to the desk during boring history lectures.