Help please! Constant tiredness and sleeping problems

I've spent far too much time moaning about this to the people around me, until I finally realised I was a member of a forum that was all about sleep! The background info is, I've had sleeping problems for as long as I can remember. I found it really difficult to get to sleep as a child but then it seemed to get better. I was able to get to sleep more easily and I think it was due to less stress. Well, it all seems to be coming back again!

The worst problem is that I seem to feel tired all day. I wake up and go to school feeling crap and come home feeling extremely tired and stay like that for the rest of the evening. There's a 1-2 hour period at around mid day and early afternoon I feel fine, but the rest of it really gets me down. Sometimes I come home and just do absolutely no homework becuase I'm so tired every day, and I procrastinate constantly. Last year I would always have this trouble (who doesn't?) but the difference is I managed perfectly, now I've got three coursework projects that are hopelessley overdue, just because I'm so tired all the time. I drink 1-2 cups of coffee a day, and they either do nothing or make it worse. If I drink a lot of it at once though I'll be too hyper to concentrate, so there's no balanced state, I'm either really tired or really hyper. It's getting really serious because I'm in my GCSE year now, and so far it's been my worst year at secondary school academically.

That's the main story, but you'll need to know about my sleep pattern obviously. I find it impossible to get to sleep at any time before 10:30, even if I'm really tired, and it takes me about an hour to get to sleep. Since I get to sleep at the same time roughly each night and get up at the same time you'd think there'd be no problem but there is. And for everything I've discovered, if I have 9-10 hours of sleep I'm more tired the next day and if I have 3-4 hours sleep I am much more alert. My BEST and most productive days have been when I have had hardly any sleep the previous night. When I get into bed at night there's no guarantee I'll be able to sleep. I have some "failed" nights about three times a month so then I have like 3 hours sleep and wake up feeling great. Everyone else tells me to "get more sleep" but I couldn't even if I wanted. If I sleep in too long on a weekend I feel worn out, sick and headachey (if thats a word) all day. Finally, in case this crops up, masturbation helps me sleep but I feel even shitter the next day than usual.

Sorry for the long post, but I would really like some advice. My parents got me these insomnia or whatever its called aid CDs but they didn't work either. I thought what might have started it,and I was really upset because my best friend became wanted nothing to do with me, and the isolation might have caused it (it was the only significant think that changed in my life). NOW, I have a really good social life with plenty of friends (better than before), but nothing changed. BTW, I've learnt the difference between a friend and just a mate, I feel socially secure really. It could just be becuase I'm a teenager, but I'm too stubborn to accept that because I'm supposed to be doing my GCSEs, so I should be expected to "cope" with all this.

Thanks, any replies and advice will be appreciated.

I skimmed this, but do you get enough IRON EACH day (but not too much!)? This could be the problem, if you are getting enough sleep but still have bags under your eyes, this could be it. Meat has the best absorbed iron and cereals seem to be fortified with it (less absorbent?). Drink a glass of orange juice with it, Vitamin C especially (and calcium) help iron absorption.

Reduce your stress, stop relying on caffeine - slowly... see if this helps.. I've been there...

If this doesn't help PLEASE SEE YOUR DOCTOR!!

Or take one multivitamin pill (with iron) a day! :)

Don't drink coffee just because everyone else thinks it's a good way to keep awake. It's not.

Also, if you feel great after like 3-4 hours of sleep, then why on earth do you feel like you should be sleeping 9-10 hours? Just sleep 3-4 for the rest of your life! If you can do it, GREAT! What's the problem?

Some people need more sleep than others. I work with someone who only sleeps 3-4 hours a night, and functions perfectly fine. She's always been that way - couldn't sleep any longer if she tried. Maybe your body just doesn't need 8-9 hours of sleep a night, and you feel worse when you get that. I know when I get TOO much sleep, I feel groggier than when I get a typical amount of sleep.

Like the others suggested, taking a daily multivitamin won't hurt, but I'd also recommend exercising if you don't already. You may feel more relaxed at night and have an easier time falling asleep if you work out or do some sort of physical activity during the day.

Thanks for all the replies guys... It's actually been of some significant advice (unlike some other people's I know!). I swear I never even knew about this whole iron deffeciency thing. It's nothing I wouldn't do because I love meat (well except chocolate and junk food) above all other meals and orange juice above all other drinks. I'll have to make it my responsibility to make sure I'm getting a good diet really, it's no surprise my parents didn't suggest this seeing as I have three other siblings!

About the sleeping pattern... that sounds great! I just didn't feel it was "realistic" to sleep every night for such a short time. I find the day better though because I feel fine and can also get to sleep properly that night! You've got no idea how many people bombard me with "get more sleep" every day though, understandably that gets to my head.

I get less exercise than I used to, true, and I know that exercise helps. I have Wednesday as a half day and I usually just bugger off just because I can now. I used to go rowing, sometimes three times a week but I hated it and stopped :(. Hopefully in the near future I'll be able to help myself get back on track, thanks!