Teenager can’t stay awake

[Sexnotgender]

Background:
17 year old
Heart condition but under control (spoken to cardiologist and he doesn’t think this is the issue)
Depression- on sertraline

She literally cannot get through a day without at least one nap. Isn’t going to bed late (midnight at the latest).

Is this normal? Last Tuesday she had 3 naps!

She says she physically can’t stay awake.

Maybe get her iron and vitamin D levels checked. If they are low they can cause you feel sleepy all the time.

Also when she does sleep, does she have quality sleep or is it restless type sleep. Like keeps waking, intense dreams. That can make a difference

I'd say midnight is quite late tbh. Is she going to be with her phone? Is she actually sleeping when she goes to bed.

But yes has she had bloods done?

If she definitely having decent sleep at night? Not wide awake in bed worrying or on the phone?
Has she had a blood check? When I could barely stay awake during the day my vitamin d and b12 were incredibly low.

@Sbsh

If she definitely having decent sleep at night? Not wide awake in bed worrying or on the phone? Has she had a blood check? When I could barely stay awake during the day my vitamin d and b12 were incredibly low.

She says she is sleeping well.

She takes b12 and vitamin D(high dose) every day. We’re vegetarian so I like to make sure she has these.

She’s not had bloods done, that’s our next step.

12 is late I agree if she was getting up early but she never surfaces before 10 unless she has to.

Does she not go to school or work?

Shes a vegetarian teenage girl, I'd definitely want her B12 and iron checked. Also probably her thyroid

Fatigue and tiredness is one of the side-effects of Sertraline, so it may be that

When did she start the sertraline?

I was prescribed a low dose of Fluoxetine for severe pms and I had to stop taking it as I lost so much weight. This was because when I tried to sit down to eat I would fall asleep. I had two small kids and couldn’t chance nodding off so I didn’t sit down. I have never known tiredness like it.

@NutterflyEffect

Does she not go to school or work?

Shes a vegetarian teenage girl, I'd definitely want her B12 and iron checked. Also probably her thyroid

She’s literally just finished her final year of school. She starts university in about 8 weeks.

@Seesawmummadaw

When did she start the sertraline?

Just before Christmas. The fatigue is only in the last 6 weeks or so though.

So today she got up about 9.30. Was asleep again by midday-2pm or so and at about 6.30 was going for another nap.

Speak to gp. Sounds like a side effect of her meds.

I felt like this when I had glandular fever as a teen. Lasted a couple of months.

@IdblowJonSnow

Speak to gp. Sounds like a side effect of her meds.

Tried to get an appointment today but couldn’t get anyone to answer. Will call again on Monday.

I think it's very normal actually. It could be the sertraline. I teach university students and it is not uncommon for them to find it really hard to get up in the morning. There is some research to indicate that, at this age, they genuinely do need an awful lot of sleep.

Can she plan in a nap in the middle of the day without missing her studies? An awful lot of university courses would make this possible.

I think it's very normal actually.

Really? To be so tired after at least 9 hours sleep at night that you need 2/3 naps a day. Literally fighting to keep her eyes open after being awake for 2 hours.

She’s going to get a doctors appointment this week so will update after that.

Sertraline, whilst brilliant, wiped my out for months, especially after dose adjustment.

2 other possibilities I’ve experienced with my (now adult) children.

Daughter. Already compromised by weird allergies which required high dose steroids (and nearly died). After this crisis period, she slept for 18-20 hours a day. Her thyroid antibody levels topped out the scale at

Thanks @CentrifugalBumblePuppy that’s really helpful.

I have b12 deficiency and I'm like your daughter in the week or so before my injection is due. As the other posters say, push the doctor for a blood test.