Hi! I'm a fourteen year old girl and I have been having trouble sleeping for the past six months. I lay in my bed for up to five hours trying to sleep. I used to love to sleep and would get around ten hours of it a night. Now, I get around six. It is not every night that this happens either. It's about four nights a week. I usually try to make myself sleep by taking an antihistamine and a melatonin pill. Sometimes that works, other times it doesn't. I want to be able to fall sleep again without the pills and without having to worry. I worry about sleep almost all of the time and I believe that this worry makes it even harder to fall asleep. I have tried many relaxation techniques and many do not work or if they do, not more than once. I have told my parents all of this, but they will not get me help. Do you have any suggestions to what I should do or what is wrong with me?

Sleep is a normal healthy bodily requirement as I am sure you are aware of.

Failing to get to sleep is a sympton of something else. I am not a physican, but I do suffer from sleep apnea so I am familiar with most of the buzz words.

If you would conside me as a kindly grandfarther, then this the advice I have for you.

What is going on around you that seems to be jump-starting your mind in the evening?

Self medicating is not a very good idea. Just because some over the counter medications seem to be the quick fix is no reason to take them.

My sincere recommendation is to either see a school conselor or contact your family Doctor. The underlying cause for your lack of sleep should be identified and worked on.

I appreciate your advice! Thank you!