Teens who can't ever sleep.

[alyssa525]

How to fix this problem without sleeping pills. I'm already on melatonin and dislike the side affects. any ideas?

[Paderla Anitha, DNB]

Hello and hope you are doing well.

Melatonin though it is naturally occurring its long term effects when used for children and adolescents have not been adequately documented. Hence best avoided. The best bet as discussed above would be good sleep hygiene measures. Follow good sleep hygiene measures like going to bed at the same time, waking up at the same time, avoidance of alcohol, smoking and caffeinated beverages. But, please consult your primary care physician if problem persists to evaluate for sleep disorders.

Hope This Helped and Do Keep Us Posted.

[TheCuriosity]

I could never sleep as a child and as a teen and it wasn't until I hit my 30s that I learned that all that time it wasn't insomnia, but rather than I have a non-24 hour sleep disorder.  Sleep hygiene and other treatments never helped me; sleeping pills had the opposite affect, keeping me awake over 50 hours. Only thing that helped me was acceptance and allowing my self to sleep when I was tired, not when society dictated it.

There are other sleep disorders on this lines, too, like a delayed sleep disorder aka "night owl", but more information on what you mean about 'can't ever sleep' is needed before anyone can give you any suggestions or help that is relevant to you.

[KatEyes]

Just wondering what "can't ever" means. Does that mean there's never a night when you can fall asleep easily, or that you haven't slept at all for a long period of time? Not sure of your sleep habits, but if you google sleep hygiene and diligently and consistently apply all the principles for a few weeks and there's still no improvement in your sleep, you may want to be evaluated for medical conditions that can affect sleep. Do everything you can to help yourself, but if this doesn't work, seek help. Sleep is so important to our well being.