I have so much trouble sleeping!?

okay so every night i go to bed around 11:00pm it usually takes me till about 12:00-1:30am to fall asleep and during the night i always wake up! even if i go to bed at 9:00pm i can'...

okay so every night i go to bed around 11:00pm
it usually takes me till about 12:00-1:30am to fall asleep
and during the night i always wake up!
even if i go to bed at 9:00pm i can't fall asleep till 12:00-1:30am.
So my questions are...
Why does this happen to me?
What can i do to make myself fall asleep faster?
What can i do to make myself sleep all the way through the night?
And what can i do to make myself sleep deeper? ( i am a very light sleeper)
Sorry about all the questions.

Btw i'm only 14 so no pills please
=) thanks everyone!*
Additional Details
its been happening since i weas 9.
and i do exercise during the day

K	To answer your questions, what is happening to you is probably just you are a teenager and your body is changing. Your internal clock is adjusting to the changes in your body. or there could be something on your mind that's been bothering you. You can try drinking warm milk before going to bed. Or you can try meditating and fully relaxing yourself right before you go to bed. You will have a much heavier sleep this way. If all else fails and this issue continues to bother you for a month or two, go see a doctor, you could have a case of insomnia. I had it for over 3 years when I was younger. It's not fun(you will have many boring nights).

sugasuga	Don't drink caffeinated drinks. Listen to music in a really soft volume. Most of the time that works for me. Don't know what else to say - sorry.

chango2008	Exercice during the day (walking, swimming, or any other sport), but not close to your bed time. Read a book to fall asleep...when you wake up in the middle of the night and you have trouble falling asleep again, drink hot milk. Try to avoid anything with cafeine after at night, like coffe, soda, tea, icetea... Try listing to a relaxation cd, it will make you work on breathing slowly and deeply and the music in the background just makes you sleepy...! If you always have too many toughts in your head when you go to sleep, this will usually help because you have to concentrate on the voice guiding you through breathing exercises...

Oh darn!!! :D	Yeah, I have the same problem, and I am your age. =) I tried going to bed a little earlier, and it worked for me! Also, it might be stress. Try talking to your mom about medicines/pills you CAN take even though you are only 14. Hope this helps!

Amn Andrews	Go to bed at a later time and start to calm down and relax those last few hours... Make your room have complete darkness if its light in there, or make it lighter in there if its too dark... Do the opposite of that you're used to lol

m0rdecai	Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, including weekends Establish a relaxing bedtime routine: take a bath or do something calming before bed Make sure your sleep environment is dark, quiet, cool, and comfortable Use the bed only for sleep and sex; keep the bedroom free from distractions like television, computers, and work Don’t eat a big meal before bedtime (but don’t go to bed hungry, either) Exercise regularly, but finish a few hours before bedtime Avoid Nicotine, caffeine (coffee, tea, cola, chocolate), and alcohol before bed. These substances can keep you awake or lead to disrupted sleep later in the night Get out of bed if you can’t fall asleep within 15–20 minutes. Only spend time in bed when you are actually sleeping Don’t watch the clock—it can cause anxiety about sleep Limit napping to 20–30 minutes, or eliminate it altogether Keep a journal or sleep log to record both good and poor nights' sleep. This can help you recognize patterns and expose activities that trigger sleeplessness

Susan Yarrawonga	Some warm milk at bedtime is supposed to help. Other remedies can be found in a web search for "natural sleep remedies".

Lara S	Some people do not need a lot of sleep, or are night owls. but at 14, you do definitely need more sleep than you are getting. There are things you can do to help get better rest. Are you stressed or worried about something? School, tests, friends? If so, write down your worries before you go to sleep to help clear your mind. Try to stay active during the day but do something relaxing before bed, and only go into bed when going to sleep (don't eat or watch TV in your bed). If you are a light sleeper, try ear plugs, go to the bathroom before bed, and make sure your room isn't too hot or cold. I had a lot of trouble sleeping in college because of stress and enviornment changes but these techniques helped me. One of the other answerers suggested Melatonin, but you really shouldn't use that at your age unless you ask your doctor first. BTW, Melatonin did not work for me at all, but regular exercise helped a lot! Good luck.

jukey	You must have loads on your mind . Try slowing down earlier , get off the computer earlier and perhaps lay in bed with a book. I find the computer and tv way too stimulating at night , messes with my sleep. Try praying when you wake up in the night as well.

timmy h	try to wake up at the same time every day. Do not read or watch tv in your bed, only sleep. Do something slightly physical within 2 hours before you sleep.

~* i belong to the skies~~	if you have anything on your mind at night that keeps you up then keep a diary which will make you feel a lot better. trust me. and right before you sleep, it;s good to listen to a relaxing song( i just listen to underoath but what ever..haha) you can listen to a couple and sometimes i find myself sining in my sleep, but it sure does help!!=] and most importantly. DO NOT watch tv or go on the computer before you go to sleep. you could take a shower to relax you more also.

joy r	There is no other better option than to naturally get good nights sleep.Some of the good habits for sound and good night sleep are as follows: * Make your sleeping place comfortable. Be sure that it is dark, quiet, and not too warm or too cold. * Try to go to sleep at the same time each night and get up at the same time each morning. * Get regular exercise. Try not to exercise close to bedtime. Experts suggest not exercising for 3 hours before the time you go to sleep. * Don't eat a heavy meal late in the day. A light snack before bedtime, however, may help you sleep. * Avoid using your bed for anything other than sleep or sex. * If you can't fall asleep and don't feel drowsy, get up and read or do something that is not overly stimulating until you feel sleepy. * If you have trouble lying awake worrying about things, try making a to-do list before you go to bed. This may help you to relieve of those worries for whole night. * Keep the lights low before bedtime. * Follow a routine to help relax and wind down before sleep, such as reading a book, listening to music, or taking a bath. * Try not to take naps during the day because naps may make you less sleepy at night. * Avoid caffeine, Nicotine, and alcohol late in the day. Caffeine and Nicotine are stimulants and can keep you from falling asleep. Alcohol can cause waking in the night and interferes with sleep quality.

danaannellison	Do you lie in bed in complete darkness and try to fall asleep or do you watch TV until you get sleepy? If it's the latter, take the TV out of your room. Also, stop sitting on your bed to read, do homework, talk on the phone, anything other than sleeping. It causes you to associate your bed with awake tasks, and that's not good. Your bed and bedroom should be a place to sleep, nothing else. Eliminating this association will help you sleep better. Also, do not nap, even if you are tired. If you're tired all day, it will help you get into a normal sleep cycle. Get a fan and let that drown out the noise so you can reach a deeper sleep. And ultimately try to keep a regular sleep pattern. Go to bed and wake up at the same time every night and morning. Some people (including myself) can't stray from the sleep schedule too much because it is too hard to get back into a normal routine. I have had a difficult time over the years, but these tips really helped me achieve a sleep pattern I can live with. Sure, I'd love to sleep late somedays when I don't have to go anywhere. But I will end up staying up all night and ruin my sleep cycle again...and it's just not worth it.

Khalid A	You might think a lot about many things which make you busy and not ot fall asleep early. Just relax and decrease the stress and you will be fine. Also, do more exercise.

She It I do	Sleep Problem Lem O Boy do I know of this one What I do when ever I have a hard time sleeping is 1 To get to sleep I count to,1 - 20 and hold up one finger when I do and do it again and another finger on and on Focus on only the number you are thinking When all the fingers on one hand are used up lower one at a time in reverse counting, 20 - 1 When you wake up at night do not get out of bed start counting again same way What you are doing is creating boredom. Just like when you are watching a dud of a show on TV and keep falling asleep. A passenger in a car on a long vacation drive of 900 miles is another good example of how we fall asleep when we get bored. Be patient with it and it will work counting to 20 that is

Leah	Make sure you're not eating and exercising when it starts to get late. That will keep you up. Try getting in bed and reading or watching something to help you get tired. If that doesn't work. Try drinking something hot before bed like a warm cup of milk, cup of tea. Avoid hot chocolate though because there is a little bit of caffeine in chocolate.

♥ PeachBlossom	i had the same problem and sometimes still do. do you have dreams at night?? if you don't that's not good. i went to a homeopathic doctor, they give natural medicine or something other than antibiotics and it usually works. it worked for me. i had to take these small things for a little while and then i was cured!! and its not something you have to take forever. it should actually cure you. soon after i started having light dreams once in awhile again. and i can sleep better. also find out if someting is bothering you. i had someting pretty major on my mind for awhile and i would stay up all night thinking about that instead of sleeping. so solve any unsolved problems. and look up a homeopathic or natruopathic doctor. plus there are those other "helpers" such as drinking warm milk with honey before bed, making sure you room is a stressfree environment (look up feng shui), keeping a regular sleeping patter (going to bed and waking up at the same time every day) and reading before bed. hope this helps!!! ^_^ btw this is not abnormal, many many people suffer from sleepless nights...i belive they're called onsomniac.

chazzm87	count sheep

atomicdoug171	Teens have a different body clock and often can't fall asleep until after midnight. This is despite the fact they have to get up early for school and teens still need more sleep than adults! Exercise during the day, that will reduce tension and make you more tired at night. Do not eat any chocolate or have any caffeine (ie coke, coffee, red bull, mountain dew etc) after 3 pm!! Do not use the computer or TV or any video games for 1 hr before you go to sleep because the bright light of the screen stimulates your brain. There are a couple natural remedies you can try- these are not drugs or sleeping pills and they are safe. Try Melatonin. It is sold over the counter at drugstores. Melatonin is a natural hormone and will make you drowsy. It should help you sleep deeper and not wake up in the middle of the night. Finally, you need white noise in your room. Both my kids have sound machines- these make the sound of the ocean or rain, and block out other noise that might wake you up. Make sure to turn off your cell phone at night too- many teens are kept awake by constant txt messages coming in. Sweet dreams honey!

John R	Hmm... interesting question. I think your circadian rhythm has been changed or something, so that you are used to falling asleep around 12:00- 1:30. Try sleeping 15 minutes earlier every night after you've found a time where you fall asleep. Focus on your breathing rather than the things that happened that day. Or focus on what has happened (People do different things). Feel like you are sinking into your mattress and feel all your limbs get heavier. On staying asleep: Exercise- Make your body tired and need that rest. Food: Don't eat heavy meals near bed time Water: Use the washroom before you go to bed, so you're less likely to wake up at night. Deeper: Make sure there isn't a lot of sound or some soothing sounds at most. Turn off ALL the lights.

UCh Swamp Poodles CDX, OA, OAJ	Exercise- you can exercise throughout the day, or even right before you go to bed. You can even do some stretching exercises. The stretching of the muscles is really relaxing. Avoid caffeine- it's best if you can avoid it at all, but try not to drink any after you eat dinner. (And, this includes chocolate) Take a hot bath before bed- and soak for a little while. Try reading before you go to sleep- start early- read until you start to get sleepy. Also, check your pillow and your mattress- if one or both are too soft or too hard, then you need a change. I didn't realize how soft my mattress was until we started traveling- and I always slept like a rock in hotels- I thought it was the daily exercise (agility trials)- but then I slept on my mother's spare bed shortly after that, and also slept like a rock- both mattresses were harder than mine. I also need a VERY firm pillow- I wake up in the middle of the night or the morning with shoulder pain- when I get a new pillow, I sleep better- longer. One other thing you can try, is to taper off of the liquids you drink at night. I know I wake up a lot during the night to pee if I've been drinking a lot at night. Good luck- I feel your pain!

DanceThug	try sleeping naked.. its really comfortable.. and its probably because your used to sleep late.. try sleeping earliar like 9:00-10:30... and you'll get used to it

T_Bone	I jus think about different things and make up scenerios in my head .. Helps me :)

Ruba	Your body might not need more sleep than you already get, but since you are complaining about it, it must be tiring your body out. Yes, get more exercise in the day. A warm shower and herbal drinks (with no caff) would make you relaxed and ready for bed too. You can try these things and gradually get better and better. Wish you the best.

Bozema	Get the book called "No More Sleepless Nights" by Peter Hauri who used to be head of the Mayo Clinic Insomnia program. He has a worksheet that you do to try and pinpoint what causes your insomnia and then tells you how to deal with it. Some keys are absolutely no caffeine and going to bed and getting up at the exact same times every day. He does not advocate pills, but healthy habits to be a better sleeper.

Dave	Get more exercise during the day and avoid caffeinated beverages after 5 PM.

Leo	hehe...try weed. it will definantly help you.Doctors prescribe it as medicine too for sleeping aid and many other stuff like cancer. Try it..you wont go crazy or hallucinate ...you will just be happy,hungry,and sleepy. what do you have to lose.and you dont lose your brain cells smoking either...they gradually decrease when high then come back when sober...its been proven by a lab.

Amy R	U might be in pain. Well even tho this sounds funny, put a pillow in between ur legs and sleep on ur side. You may have pain in ur back even if u dont notice. trust me ha If you have stress, and all that shitttt then try distracting urself by playing like a gameboy type thing ahha trust me if you can get into something like that youll get distracted and fall asleep. : ) hope it helps haha Cali

Afsdaf S	i have the same problem i sucks but ive asked the doctor and he says it happens to almost all teenagers

TunS	all the worrying you are doing about not sleeping is probably making it harder for you to sleep... seriously

etereno	Avoiding caffeine beverages and exercise during the day is great idea! Also drink "bedtime" herbal tea before going to bed. I listen to CD for relaxation when I'm in bed. The session last about 15 minutes and I'm out before session is over. I can try to email it to you if you want.