I’m a 15-year-old male struggling with excessive sleepiness that’s been ongoing since the beginning of the fall semester in August. Each day after school, I find myself napping from around 3:15 PM to 8:00 PM, and this pattern persists over the weekends as well. Despite getting a solid 7-8 hours of sleep each night, I feel overwhelmingly tired throughout the day, which has started to impact my academic performance and social life. I’ve moved from being an A student to having lower grades and find myself skipping out on events and distancing from friends due to fatigue. I’ve previously had blood tests which showed everything as normal, though I was close to having iron deficiency. Any insights or advice on what might be causing this or how to manage it would be greatly appreciated.
It sounds like your diet might be impacting your energy levels, especially if it’s high in carbohydrates. However, considering your blood tests were normal except for nearing iron deficiency, it might be worth discussing potential dietary adjustments with a healthcare provider.
@Nico
Thanks for pointing out the possible impact of my diet. I’ll look into balancing my carb intake and consult with a nutritionist.
Given your history of trauma and ongoing depression, these could be contributing to your excessive sleepiness. While you’ve noted that ADHD has been ruled out and you’re hesitant about medication, exploring therapeutic options or lifestyle changes aimed at managing depression might help alleviate some of your symptoms.
@Valen
I appreciate your insight. I’ll discuss these options with my psychologist to see if there are non-medication approaches we haven’t tried yet that could help.
If your sleep patterns are this disruptive, it might be beneficial to consult a sleep specialist who can offer a more targeted approach to diagnosing and managing your condition.
I recommend seeing a neurologist or a sleep doctor who specializes in sleep disorders. They can provide a more focused examination and potentially identify underlying issues not previously detected.
Winslow said:
I recommend seeing a neurologist or a sleep doctor who specializes in sleep disorders. They can provide a more focused examination and potentially identify underlying issues not previously detected.
Agree with this. A specialist in neurological sleep disorders might offer new insights into your condition.
@Kim
Yes, particularly since disorders like hypersomnolence often begin to manifest in adolescence.