he sleeps more than a newborn-my 13y.o.

[thisiswhatwedo]

I know they need lots of sleep but my 13 year old has had this sleeping-oversleeping problem going on a year now. When I was a kid (6-8) my mom could not wake me up, she would dress me in my sleep and set me outside the door (outside) to wake. So it is something in the family.
My son started getting into power sleeping and upside down hours about a year ago. We have been in counseling for 6 months and you know what it is almost 7PM my time and he is still asleep. He was up all night and has been almost the entire winter break, but today I am letting him sleep and then going to make him stay up to get through school tomorrow. You literally cannot get him up. It becomes very very upsetting.
Any similar situations or advise would be well appreciated!!!

[Peppermint Leaf]

yes -- my 17 year old slept until 3 pm yesterday.

I think its a combination of the winter makes them more tired , the christmas break has thrown off their system, they need the break to get some catch-up sleep , and of course - the growth spurts.

However, 7pm is pretty late ....almost not worth getting up ... its almost time for bed again .. LOL

we usually allow until noon on weekends and then we make him get up!

I have been known to use a squirt gun to get him up. I will also turn on some really loud music that I know he hates and go downstairs -- forcing him to get up and walk down the hallway to turn it off :-)

I have also baked something yummy to get him up

[MusicianDad]

You might have to set up some rules to force a more normal sleep pattern. If he is having a huge amount of trouble with it after an extended period of time. (i.e. even after being awake all day he's still more awake at 3 am then at 3 pm) then it might be worth looking into. Some people are never able to get their body intune with outside sleep cues like the sun going down and it can be a sign of other issues.

[kolleen9]

If it's a family thing did you ever get a decent explanation from a doctor about why this happens?

I know my one nephew ended up dropping out of high school because he was an insomniac almost all his life and once he hit the high school years he couldn't get up for classes at all.

There is rule that you must follow normal sleeping patterns.. but his lifestyle would need to fit in with what he would be expected to do as a citizen: finish school, get a job, function in society.

You also might want to look into a change of diet, and/or some detox cleanses (such as liver and colon) just to make sure that he's getting all the nutrition that he needs.

-Kolleen

[KaraBoo]

I read someplace about circadian rhythms and how teens go through a period of needing A LOT of sleep.

Here are a few links but there's lots more info out there on this:

Sleepy Teens
Cnn article
Stanford article
Mayo Clinic article

[SeekingJoy]

Melatonin might help him realignn his sleep patterns to go to bed earlier (so he gets enough sleep, so he wakes refreshed).

Did you eventually grow out of it? Some people don't (my BIL) and are a great during the 3rd shift.

[KaraBoo]

I would caution giving adolescents melatonin...perhaps do some research on how melatonin affects people during such a hormonal-surge time in their life.

[MusicianDad]

There are non-hormonal things you can try first.

One is a few hours before a normal sleep time for him, reduce the lighting in the house or have him wear sunglasses. It might help prepare his brain for sleep time.

[ledzepplon]

I went through a phase as a teenager where my hours got "switched," i.e. I was sleeping all day and up all night. My doctor recommended staying up for a full 24 hours to get back on schedule. That worked pretty well.

I think it's generally recommended that people with the tendency toward problem sleep are very careful about keeping consistent hours, avoiding caffeine, using bed only for sleeping (not reading or TV), not doing stimulating activities before bedtime.

As far as the heavy sleep, I am a super heavy sleeper as well, and I don't know how to "fix" that. But when he does wake up, is he rested?

[SeekingJoy]

Originally Posted by KaraBoo

I would caution giving adolescents melatonin...perhaps do some research on how melatonin affects people during such a hormonal-surge time in their life.

Do you have any links? That would actually be really helpful for me.

[sharon.gmc]

I think over-sleeping takes a toll on our health. When I was a kid, I sleep a lot when I don't feel well, when I don't want to face the world. When all I want is to forget some heavy problem.

Maybe your kid has a problem and is afraid to confront it?

[mommy68]

Originally Posted by MusicianDad

You might have to set up some rules to force a more normal sleep pattern.

I agree. or like another poster said, maybe your child has problems or is depressed? A teenager is supposed to be full of energy and full of life. It's when you get to be my age (over 40) that you desire sleeping in and want more rest. A teen is in the prime of their life as far as energy goes and I feel its up to the parents to have rules for their child if they live under their roof and this includes sleep rules.

This wouldn't happen in our house. Our children are up between 6a-7a every single morning. They thrive on their routine each day. There are some kids who live on farms and have other circumstances that warrant them doing chores very early before school and after school. I was one of the lazy kids and liked to sleep late as a teenager and I look back and see that now as an adult. My parents didn't try to change me because they thought it was part of being a teen.

[greenmama]

You've got a wide variety of responses and I have a few to add to the pot.

1. Is it causing problems in his life? My dsd kept pretty normal hours during the week and then on the weekends and holidays he pretty much slept 3-4am to 4-5 pm. It seemed to work for him. If he is still living a full life and likes it I would let him be.
2. If HE feels he is letting missing some things he would like to be getting more done I would see about getting his sleep quality checked out. He may have sleep apnea and be sleeping a lot because the quality is poor.

[E_Ganderson]

Sounds like some boundaries should be set. My DS had the same problem at aound 12 and we made the rule that he had to be up by 10:00 am regardless of school or not. It didn't seem to have any negative side effects

[thisiswhatwedo]

Good advise here. I did have him stay up for 24 hours and it got us through this first week of school. He has been up in the morning when I wake and says he feels happier to be up during the day. He is asleep right now and I will get him up soon. I do think he is a bit unhappy but improving. Still thee is this inability for him to wake up that seems more medical.
thanks for the links and comments