DS, 21, liver health & poor sleeping

[Isabelle112]

DS, anxious uni student - upcoming exams which he feels most unprepared for. (Establishing a good revision strategy is something he finds very hard, reluctant to take advice at home or at uni.) Anyway, his sleeping patterns don't help at all. Basically, he's up all or much of the night at his computer (the news, videos, games etc) and asleep in the day. When he tries to sleep at night, he says he can't.

He's not feeling at all well at present but this general pattern, though most extreme right now, has been going on for quite a while. He's had a liver function test and find that his liver health has been significantly compromised - he (and I think the GP) suggests through an excess of alcohol at uni. Massive worry for us (health, money, progress on his course) and clearly, though he's saying very little, hugely concerning for him. Suspect he's really quite depressed as he appears far more withdrawn and disengaged than usual.

So, liver health is a problem - and so is his sleep. I was wondering if there was something I could get for him to help him to re-balance. Perhaps he should go back to the GP but there's a long weekend coming up. And his liver - I've looked into foods that would help but wonder if there was something that might help improve his liver health? Reading between the lines, I think we're looking at alcoholic cirrhosis - hopefully he's had a wake up call but, in the meantime, sleep, anxiety and generally feeling ill is a real problem.

Thanks for any suggestions!

[scaryteacher]

He needs to stop drinking, end of. That will also help with the financial situation, the inability to sleep etc.

My ds is also 21 and in his third year. From tomorrow night, he will be going to bed at a sensible time, and I will be kicking him out of bed in the morning, as he needs to start getting all his shit in one sock for the start of term in a week. I police screen time at night the week before he returns (and yes, I know he's ostensibly an adult), but it gets results and sorts his sleeping patterns out. I am an insomniac at the moment, so appear in his room at odd hours of the night and pull plugs out of sockets!

I would also see if he will transfer his loan to you, and you give it back to him in monthly instalments. We give ds a monthly allowance, as he doesn't have loans, and he prefers it that way, as he knows he has to make the money last a month. I also do a food shop for him when I take him back to university (we live abroad), and ensure he has the basics of a big bag of pasta, so he won't starve. He also prefers food to alcohol, so that helps.

They eventually learn that burning the candle at both ends is exhausting, and affects their work, as does the alcohol.