Question: I’m 17 years old, a parent, and a high school student. I live with my boyfriend and his parents. Recently, I’ve been feeling as if I’ve only gotten a couple hours of sleep each night and even on the weekends. I haven’t been able to sleep in to get the sleep I feel that I need. The only ways I’ve been able to do that is staying the night at a friend’s house but that happens only very rarely.
I’ve been moody and had the lack of interest in most of my hobbies and activities. I’ve been getting really frustrated from the lack of help I’ve been receiving and it’s taking a toll on my body. I’ve been told it was because of all the anger and blowups I’ve been making because I’m so high strung and not lightening up. Thing is tough is that they don’t know that I’ve been having this problem for quite some time now and they don’t know how it feels. I’m just hoping it’s nothing serious and I’m able to get back to my normal life. What do you think is wrong or what’s going on? I need help.

Answer: Hey Anna, thanks for writing in. I think you can conquer your sleep and energy troubles. Let’s think about some strategies.You mention that you seem to sleep better at friends’ houses. What is the difference between the two environments for you? Does it have to do with noise or light? For instance, does the friend’s room not let light in in the morning, whereas your room does? Chances are that didn’t hit the nail on the head, but maybe you can identify some of the traits that go along with sleeping at friends’ houses so you can bring them back to your home environment.Let’s talk sleep disorders now. You say you feel like you’ve only gotten a couple of hours of sleep a night. Is this after sleeping for a good 7-8+ hours? Maybe you are getting a high quantity of sleep at low quality, due to a sleep disorder. Sleep apnea is one that will commonly lead to that feeling. (If you snore, it’s even more likely.) Do you think you would like to see a sleep center in your area? You can see a list of them here.

Thanks for your question and good luck,
Kevin