Sleep Deprived
Last night I didn't sleep until 6AM because of my phone, I was on this app. And on usual nights, it's till 2AM that I even get into bed after using the computer or eating. I'm 14, and it just feels horrible. I've got heavy purple bags under my eyes and I look pale and sickly, it just feels wrong to be so declining in health at an early age. My head hurts, my eyes are sore, my chest is warm. Please, I really want some advice and tips, I have no idea how to train myself to get to sleep early, especially with the fact that I have nothing to do all day except browse endlessly. I get that only I can make myself sleep early and it costs mental training, but I really want someone to give me a kick start. 😊
@SBJme
Hey there... That certainly sounds very tiring, exhausting and draining! As well as challenging...
I can say that I can relate. As I consider myself a true "night-owl". I like staying up late too. I always have. But, eventually that catches up with you. And as you stated above, I can see that it is by all the effects that you are having because of it.
What things have you tried in the past to help you? Are there any adults around you that can step in to ensure that you are going to bed on time? Do you have a bed-time? What about school and things like that? Are you doing the same the nights before you go to school? What about having someone to step in and take your electronics before going to bed so that you don't have access to them until the next day? When you are looking at devices before bed-time the back light on them interfere with your sleep pattern and quality of your sleep. Which could be a reason why you are not in the mood to sleep b/c its hard for you to put them down.
Have you ever tried things like taking a warm or hot bath before the time you'd like to lay down and sleep? Usually doing so helps to relax the body and put it in a state to where its relaxed and ready for sleep. Its something very simple that you could do & try? Or some warm non-caffinated tea? Or ... find a new/different way and approach by 'Reading" before the time you'd like to lay down. A small book, magazine etc... It can also cause your body to become drowsy and help you drift off to sleep without interfering with the quality of your rest.
OR.... what about a Sound machine that you can set to different nature sounds (like rain, or waterfalls, or "white noise" that can help you to become relaxed and drift off to sleep. Or there are also Apps, that can help you with Sounds and sleep music to help you to become relaxed and drift off to sleep sooner!
Theres various things you can do and try,.... you just have to be willing to do them and try them for yourself to see which ones work for you! Or perhaps even a "Combination"? Like a Hot bath and magazine, Or Hot bath and calm music or sounds... etc.... You can try ALL of these things mentioned by doing them up to an hour or two before you would like to be in bed and asleep!...
Best of luck to you on being able to figure out what will work for you moving forward to get a great night sleep! (And at a decent time!)
Thank you for replying! I'll definitely try some of the things above. Though I can't have a bath since it costs too much money, and I'm newly homeschooled, so I don't really have a proper timetable or plan for waking up and occupying myself. I suppose I could try asking my parents if they could interfere before me, to help me get on track. And I don't really have a bedtime, I used to when I was younger, but it kind of drifted when I got in highschool and to now. I don't have many friends and I've exhausted youtube for myself, but yet I still pick up my phone and browse. It's tricky, but I guess I need more will power to stop and place it away from me. I know placing it away from me would work because when I used to, I'd always shoot out of bed in seconds to get on with the day...so I start my day early instead of at lunch time. When I'm on my computer though, I turn the lamp on and put a night light on the screen, but that becomes useless when I stare at my phone next. I'll stop using the my phone, I think. And I also think I'll stop eating before bed and drinking too much in the evening. I always wake up uncomfortable with a full bladder that disrupts my sleep, and I eat unhealthy things at night because my body gets hungry telling me, "hey! GO to sleep, we need to begin replacing cells but you're still awake!" I've been considering to get a kindle as a phone replacement, as I don't read much and apparently reading a book you're not that interested in before bed can help you doze off. And the sound machine sounds cool, from experience, I almost always get to sleep and feel relaxed, and I lost my busy thoughts, when I listen to nature music. So I think I'll look into a sound machine, thanks! But I think a large problem I have is my thoughts. I have maladaptive daydreaming, not as serious as it used to be, at the beginning of my homeschooling I would lay in bed and daydream a lot, and every night I do it with a new scenario, sometimes continuing on previous night ones. That actually, despite making my mind really busy, helps me get to sleep, but I find myself losing new ideas as I've done them all, so I spend ages browsing my phone hoping I can find something to daydream about, but I end up not even wanting to sleep. I'm not sure what to do with that. Maybe I could harbor earlier day ideas for nighttime so I'm more excited for bed. Usually it's when I'm in the bathroom or kitchen, I'll go into the state of mind and begin pacing around in circles for ages silently while mimicking different scenarios lost in thought. I'm an inaginer, not an actor, and what I mean by this is I'll think about going to bed and I'll think about things I could do, but when it comes to bringing myself round to doing it, I almost never do. Thank you for your help! 😊
