My 15 year old daughter has had me worried. I made her an appointment with the dr. on Tuesday but I was wondering if anybody has run across this and could give me some insight. She has had trouble eating. She’ll tell me shes really hungry and when she starts eating she’s ok but after a few bites she says ‘ugh I cant eat anymore” and shes also having a lot of trouble sleeping. Since its summertime she has her sleeping scheduled messed up. She’s sleeping until 2 in the afternoon and is up most of the night but when I do wake her up early (on weekends, cause im at work all day during the week) she will after some struggle get up around 10 or so. And be up all day, so Im thinking she will be able to sleep pretty good tonight…wrong! She ends up staying up most of the night and restless the next day. She finally just said “mom I think something’s wrong with me. I cant eat and I have trouble sleeping at night even when I wake up at a decent time” And maybe its nothing(hopefully). I may just be paranoid but my first thought was anxiety issues. Shes been stressing about her relationship with her best friend…in adult world its no big deal but in teen years it’s the end of the world. Anxiety issues do run in our family. Any advice would be appreciated. Overall she is a pretty active, normal teenager. She’s not overweight or underweight. She keeps hydrated. She’s pretty outgoing. I don’t know what it could be…
I have had the same issues when dealing with extreme anxiety. I'm glad you have an appointment for her,you are on the right track! Good job!
I hope this is resolved for her soon! Hugs to both of you.
Some of that sounds a little like hyperthyroid.
As far as sleeping goes - what does she do at night when she can't sleep?
Is she watching tv or on the computer or on the phone or texting?
The bright light can help to mess up your sleep rhythms.
Best thing to do is to stick to a regular schedule.
Up at the same time every morning - have the alarm set for the same time 7 days a week - and to bed at the same time every night.
See that she gets some bright outside sun time early in the morning and some exercise (go for a walk together).
It wouldn't hurt to have her thyroid checked - anxiety can be part of hyperthyroid.
Untreated hyperthyroid can lead to heart and eye problems.
I agree, anxiety or hyperthyroid. Can you have a long talk with her to discuss possible emotional issues?
A good dr. will be a lot of help. Make sure s/he runs all the appropriate tests.
Good luck!
There are so many things that it could be but you are correct it could be axiety. I am glad that you have an apt for her. I would say until then just give her as much lovin as she will let you.
A few others have mentioned thyroid conditions, and I have to say that jumped to my mind as well. I have a hypothyroid condition, and the exhaustion, insomnia, and lack of appetite sound very familiar. Also, thyroid conditions can cause depression/anxiety symptoms, too. Here's a list of symptoms; it's worth having her look through and see if any other symptoms seem familiar: http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/long-and-pathetic/
C.:
Good thing she is communicating with you!! Great job, mom!!
What's her electronics usage? During the school year, there is no electronics for 30 minutes prior to bedtime. If she has a cell phone, iPod Touch, Tablet, etc. the electronics may be a factor.
I will assume she has started her periods. Has she been checked for iron anemia? If not - I would ask the doctors to check for that.
Has been been changing friends or other habits lately? Like for example - trying to be "skinny" like some star?
The issue with her best friend? Is it "serious"?
Maybe you can find a psychologist or counselor for her to talk to - someone not personally involved - to help her sort out her feelings and compartmentalize? If anxiety is something that runs in the family? Have a professional help her deal with it - so the cycle can be broken.
Good luck!
Does she have a phone, tv, or phone w/ texting in her bedroom past the hour of 10 pm ?? All of this technology is stressful for any child. When we were kids were weren't in constant contact w/ friends w/in seconds. She should be on a regular sleep schedule.
When my daughter was that age, the rule was that the phone had to be put on the kitchen table no later than 10:05 pm. She was not happy about it, but, she had no problems sleeping after that.( In my house, tvs are not allowed in any of the bedrms). ***My daughter would've been texting friends until 2 am, if she didn't have a "parenting" rule in place.
It most certainly is a big deal to stress over a relationship at age 15.
My daughter's friend was diagnosed with anxiety in her teen years. Her Mom refused to give her any meds. But, theraphy helped this child alot.
It's not easy being a teen or a Mom of a teen...I know. I hope your daughter feels better soon! I am glad to hear that u made an appt to discuss this w/ the dr to rule out anything medical.
I was nervous about this until it sounded like your daughter is just a wonderful daughter and you are a wonderful concerned mom. There was mention made of electronics usage...but also what about caffeine? any sodas with caffeine? I also think anxiety is a good question, however she sounds pretty open and would confide in you (lucky you). definitely go to doctor if it continues...
Waiting until she is super hungry to eat can increase the likelihood of acid reflux. This is really painful and makes it impossible to swallow. I know this first hand, unfortunately. Getting her on some sort of regular routine is really important. Find out something that is important to her, a day at an amusement park, back to school shopping excursion, something that she really wants and make that a reward for getting up and accomplishing something productive before 10 am. Remind her to eat before she feels like she is starving. Good luck!
It could be anxiety. My daughter drove me nuts the last 2 months of the school year because she would be up all night, and then I would have to drag her out of bed to get her to school. She suffers from anxiety and was worried about some friendship issues. As soon as school stopped it was mostly resolved. Lack of sleep can disrupt your appetite. There are really several things that can be causing it and your doctor can rule things out. The other thing is that age, your sleep rhythms start really changing. I remember I could never get enough sleep, and would fall asleep during my first 3 hours at school. Finally around 10, I would wake up. Those classes before 10 were a blur and my notes were horrible.
Your daughter sounds exactly like me when I was her age and my daughter (who is 18 now) was this way too....for us it was hormones. It's great that you are so concerned and taking her to a doctor to rule out anything major, but it sounds like a hormonal phase to me.
She could be suffering from anxiety CAUSED by sleep deprivation. I'd try to get her on an actual schedule.
Gosh, this sounds like when I was pregnant, except I HAD to get up to go to work. Please quietly ask the doctor to do a pregnancy test. I know this is a hard thing to think about, but you NEED to rule it out.
Other than pregnancy, I hope she can get ahold of this soon. I would get her a counselor to talk to. Some kids overeat when they are under stress. Your daughter is the opposite, and this can turn into anorexia. Getting a counselor before she turns THAT corner would possibly prevent that from plaguing her longterm.
Good luck, mama.
It sounds a lot like me during my 16th summer. I had an eating disorder (that lasted into my 20s) and mild to moderate depression. Neither of these things were diagnosed at the time (the 70s) even though my mother took me to the doctor.
Does she have a purpose to her days? If she's sleeping until 2:00 it sounds like she has no reason to get up. Then, she ends up staying up later and later and it becomes a cycle.
She needs something to do, that will motivate her to get up and get going. Volunteer work, paid work, a project that she's excited about, something!
What eventually helped me get out of my eating issues was regular exercise. Exercise relieves anxiety, helps with depression, and can improve body image.
