Hi! I’m a 17M and I’ve had sleep issues for as long as I can remember (since I was a kid). I’m not looking for a diagnosis, just wondering if this pattern sounds familiar to anyone or if there are things I should discuss with my doctor.

This year I’m really trying to improve my sleep because I want to see if it helps my mental health, energy, and overall quality of life.

One thing I struggle with is going to bed early. According to Apple Health, my average bedtime over the past 6 months has been around 2:00 AM, and my average sleep duration has been 6 hours 36 minutes per night. My long-term goal is to gradually shift my bedtime to around 9:30–10:30 PM and consistently get enough sleep.
Here’s what happens:
It isn’t every night.
Some nights I sleep through the night just fine.
Some nights I wake up around 2–5 AM for no obvious reason.
When I first wake up, I’m still sleepy and feel like I could easily go back to sleep.
But after a few minutes, it’s like my brain switches on. I’m not suddenly full of energy, but my brain becomes alert, and then I can’t fall back asleep even though I still feel like I need more sleep.
Usually there isn’t an obvious trigger. Sometimes it has been the bathroom, feeling hot, or stress about something the next day, but a lot of the time there’s no clear reason why I woke up.

Some other things I’ve noticed:
If I come home from a busy trip where I’m exhausted or really don’t sleep a lot, I often sleep much better that first night and stay asleep.
If I have something important the next day (camp, school event, etc.), I sometimes wake up earlier than usual.
If I eat close to bedtime, I sometimes notice I’m more likely to wake up during the night, although it doesn’t happen every time.
Large changes to my sleep schedule are difficult. If I suddenly try to go to bed much earlier than normal, I usually struggle to fall asleep.
I have ADHD and take Vyvanse.
I occasionally take melatonin, but I usually don’t take it if it’s already within about 2 hours of when I’d normally wake up.
I don’t regularly drink much caffeine.
During the day I can usually function, but I often feel like my energy just isn’t there.

Questions:
1. Has anyone experienced this pattern?
2. Does this sound more like sleep-maintenance insomnia, a circadian rhythm issue, ADHD-related sleep problems, reflux-related awakenings, or something else?
3. Is there anything specific I should bring up with my doctor or ask about if I decide to see a sleep specialist?

Again, I’m not looking for a diagnosis. I’m just trying to understand what might be going on and what questions I should be asking. Thanks!

Why does my body feel so weak after taking a nap around 6-7

I'm trying to sleep but when I try to close my eyes it feels like I have a very faint red glow or flashing? I don't know how else to describe it, the room is completely dark, no it's not my phone or some weird light I double checked that.

i’m 19 and my sleeping habits have been awful for years. i will be incredibly exhausted almost falling asleep anywhere but it’ll take me hours and hours to actually fall asleep in bed. i’ve taken melatonin and it doesn’t work at all, i’ve tried rescue remedy sleep gummies and they also don’t work. for the past maybe 6 straight weeks i haven’t been sleeping until 2-3am sometimes even 4-5am and it’s currently 3:30 (i have to be up at 7 every morning). it gets to the point im crying every night because i just want to have 1 good nights sleep. i took melatonin at 9:30pm and fell asleep at 12 then my cat woke me up at 1am and i’ve been up since just crying. i’m so exhausted i think im hearing things because i swear i heard tapping at my bedroom window but my partner didn’t hear anything

i really need help and i think being a woman makes it harder because non of my past doctors cared and they told me it’s anxiety. i do struggle with AuDHD but i feel like i have insomnia or just literally anything else, is this insomnia? why don’t doctors want to help me

i just really need help im so desperate, on top of all of this ive been struggling with sleep paralysis and constant nightmares for years also. i’ve tried milk at night, ive just caffeine because it seems to have the opposite effect on me and make me sleepy, ive tried a night light, avoiding naps, sleeping in there dark, no tv or phone before bed. i just need help please i cant keep doing this

So I think this might only happen when I’m really tired. I generally fall asleep on my stomach. I check the clock and close my eyes, and fall asleep pretty easily.

Pretty much exactly 20 mins later, I wake up from a vivid dream. Usually a cliffhanger, and usually a loved one’s life is on the line, or a natural disaster hits. I’m suddenly awake and staring at the ceiling while I process and try to conclude the dream, or try to forget it altogether.

Anyone else? Just me?

I (F18) have been stuck at home for over 5 months, only went out to take my exams 4 times during these 5 months.

I can't go out for some personal and family reasons. And I can't go out for likely another 3 or 4 months. And I'm talking not even going to a store to get a drink or something, haven't touched our front door during these 5 months (excluding the 4 times for exams)

I have 5 more very very VERY important exams left that are future-determining. And I study for them and push my anxiety aside (I never did feel it much anyway) however a HUGE barrier to my studies is that I constantly need sleep. Always. And I KNOW like being stuck at home is the reason (I know from experience, every year of school during the 3 month holiday I can't go out of the house and I get the same symptoms)

I could be getting 9 hours of sleep at night and during the day the minute I sit down I fall asleep unless I actively fight it. No matter what I do. Less sleep at night? More sleep at night? Regular naps? Tried it all. I just always need sleep.

And the times that I am awake? Maybe I can find my focus for 1 hour and then it's gone, my brain is just foggy. Taking breaks and whatever, still nothing. And to add, my diet is extremely healthy, maybe now and then in a week I throw in a sweet, that's all.

My exams are really really important, if I don't get grades here it's not like the American system where u can just apply for unis. No, you're done for, you can't go to your dream uni. Or study what you want, because if my grades aren't high I can't study what I want.

For context, I've always been a topper, always 97% above in school, but this year instead of 3 months of being stuck it's been over 5 and it's making my grades go lower.

Any advice?

Hello!

For the past few years since I turned 16, whenever I try sleep I would see flashing white light when I close my eyes. Like a strobe effect. This has gradually progressed, and has just turned into multiple colours like green and rarely red, but guaranteed white every time I try to sleep.

More recently, past year or so, I also will see gore of people close to me, usually disfigured faces covered in blood, basically anything within the limits of what my mind can think of. This will then also be overlayed by the white flashing.

I am diagnosed autistic, and have had a portion of counselling purely for how vivid my intrusive thoughts can be, and issues with disassociating due to them. But that was no help really. This is just to say that my imagination is so extremely vivid.

I do have a history of psychosis (potentially) which started when I was 5, but stopped until I turned 16. It is directly correlated to how much sleep I get and the amount of stress I’m under, alongside a depressive episode. The leading theory within therapy has been me getting extremely broken sleep for months at a time can just lead to my mind going a bit crazy in such a way.

When my sleep gets worse, typically 2 hours of broken sleep (10+ nightmares/dreams) for a few weeks a night. I’ll start having my dreams carry on when I wake up, and it’s basically only nightmares and it just sends me down a spiral.

I have enough of a grasp of this to not see these nightmares when I wake up now, but the gore and flashing lights have yet to disappear and are annoyingly consistent.

Some nights, once a week or so I’ll also hear people screaming for help when I am about to finally fall asleep and it’ll wake me back up and stop, in a cycle for hours until I’m worn out enough to finally pass out.

I have no energy left, until I’m going to bed, no matter how long I’ve been awake I’ll manage to be energetic and motivated when it’s time to sleep.

Weed has been amazing for my sleep, but it doesn’t stop any of it, only makes it easier to brush off and get sleepy.

I have been reluctant to try sleeping medication, as I have long extended nightmares that I’ll perceive in the moment as hours to a day, and they can really throw me off for the day, and I just fear if I’m medicated for such, then I’ll be stuck in them even longer.

I am considering trying CBD gummies, I am extremely curious if people have had success with these. I figured if weed helps me, then they would too, especially considering the lack of THC.

A smaller detail, maybe even just 3 times in 4 years. I’ll see what I can only estimate as thousands of tiny glowing cubes, that form this large 3D pattern. I have only ever been able to see the beginning of it, but it seems to be a spiral that’s apart of a larger structure. I get further every time I see it, but at one point, usually 20 or so seconds my eyes ache and feel like they are itching from the inside.

I’ve had my eyes scanned and that sort of general checkups, and doctor visits about it. But aside from mental problems, I’m perfectly healthy.

Sorry for the length! It would just be nice to know if other people are going through this too.

Any advice would be very appreciated, even if it’s hyper specific weird routines that you use. I’m so desperate.

Please do ask me anything, I’m not bothered about sharing details.

Thank you!

I'm a man and I'm tired all day because normally I sleep less than 8 hours, immediately after whatever physical activity I do my eyes feel like shutting down and just falling asleep right there on the spot, but when it's 10pm and it's my time to sleep I'm suddenly full of energy, until like 4am.

then when I finally get to sleep, my body wakes me up and all the sleepiness goes away in the morning, but I'm still tired because it's like my body doesn't want to go to sleep even though it clearly needs it, and if I try to go back to sleep, there's a sudden burst of energy again.

I normally listen to streams or youtube videos to help me sleep but my train of thought and Restless Leg Syndrome have me in a hyperactive state all the time I'm trying to sleep, I'm tired of neglecting my sleep, does anyone know of anything that can help.

This day for example I slept at 9pm soundly, when I open my eyes, fatigue is gone, but it's still nighttime, I check the time; 2 am, what, how, 5 hours and my body thinks it's time to wake up? there's got to be a problem here.

Ive been having sleep issues for a very long time now, I just turned 18 and since i can remember I have always slept walked and talked, with age the walking has died down slightly however I still do sleep talk frequently. I scream bloody murder in my sleep almost atleast once a week, I got a sleep study done years ago but it came back as unconclusive. It has become embarressing as I was at my friends house and I fell asleep and i started talking now im nervous that when i go off to college here and have to room and dorm with someone i start to do it, can someone please recommand ways i can put this to an end. I am an adult now I shoudnt have these problems anymore.

Hello everyone! My name is Kaydince, i am 20 years old (5'3 and 180lbs) and I've been having trouble with my sleeping. Let me elaborate. I can sleep for 13+hrs with ease, my mom will come up to my room, bang on my door, yell, and or shake me hard and I barley wake up. I have a hard time falling asleep sometimes but once I fall asleep its almost impossible to wake me unless on my terms. And during the day I'm always sleepy.

Past medical history: sleep apnea (had tonsils removed at 4 years old but I dont wake up gasping or short of breath)

Last year I had a hiatal hernia surgery.

I don't have insurance but I desperately want to know if this could be something, I don't want to lose my job because of my inability to wake up. Please help

Well as the title states, getting a good nights rest has eluded me for like 4 years now. I have done a sleep study in my home city and nothing. Then I saw Dr Sing at the Mayo clinic and her could not help me either after dropping some serious cash there. bBe warned, the Mayo clinic is OBSCENELY expensive. So now I am consulting with Raziuddin Ahmed, MD at Houston Methodist. I really hope he can help me.

I have struggled with not sleeping well for some time now and it kicks my ass during the day. My body will not let me get more that like 4.5 to 5 hours of sleep at night and the really weird part is most of the time when I get out of bed I feel perfectly fine! Then it is during the day that I pay the price and it IS RANDOM. I can be perfectly fine and then just randomly thru the day I get sleepy spells that can last up to an hour. I have sat in interviews and told the applicant that I might have to stand up to keep from falling asleep and they are completely understanding. The other day I stood up and I still started to experience brain fog and I was only getting bits and pieces of what the person was saying and I could feel myself drifting off. He asked me if I was ok and told him yes. Very embarrassing, but he told me suffered from the same thing and for him it was B12, D and testosterone that helped him.

That is just one example of how the past 4 years I have struggled with this and it is very frustrating. I can sit down at home after work and I am perfectly fine and then I find myself dozing off within minutes so I have to walk around to wake up. And at work I will doze off really bad for like an hour or so and then I am perfectly fine once it passes. It is just strange. It really makes it difficult to focus on my work and sometimes I have to read things over and over when I am in my office because of brain fog so I have to walk around to wake up.

I don’t know if anyone has ever gone thru this, but if you have please tell me what Dr you saw. I hope Raziuddin Ahmed, MD can offer me the help I need. I honestly did not get the warm fuzzies when we chatted on the web. First he prescribed melatonin and that gave me a horrific headache and almost tripled the affect my sleepy spells the next day. So now he prescribed something called Ramelteon. We shall see if that works. If not, it is back to the drawing board and on to the next Dr.

One weird fact is I go into a dream state as soon as I doze off!

I have so much fatigue and daytime sleepiness that I can't function well even when my sleep is even pretty good. I'm currently on summer break from uni so I let my body wake-up whenever it wants to without alarms, and my body doesn't let me sleep more than 8 hours a night no matter what, so I don't think I need any more than that.

I can get 7 or 8+ hours of uninterrupted sleep but still wake up like a zombie and it lasts for the whole day. I've ruled out sleep apnea, vitamin deficiencies, thyroid issues, sleep hygiene issues. I also don't believe it's narcolepsy as it doesn't happen everyday, as there are some days where I actually feel refreshed and great without needing a nap. I haven't been able to pinpoint any patterns that cause that, though. I have ADHD, but stimulant medications don't really do anything to counter this issue for me.

The odd thing is that naps are like a magical fix most of the time. A single nap can give me more restoration than I get throughout a whole night, whether it's 2 hours long or just 30 minutes. That's the only reoccurring pattern. The issue is that I physically can't nap until it's been around 6 hours since waking up. So half my day gets wasted in bed if I try. (Yoga nidra and similar practices don't have any effect on me, unlike naps.)

Melatonin, magnesium, no screens before bed, sleeping early at 11pm, sleeping late ar 4am, everything in between, as well as many other tips that haven't really fixed anything. My smartwatch says my sleep is perfectly healthy, doctors say the same thing.

I really need advice on this because most of my days are ruined by it.