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Teenagers

Parenting teenagers has its ups and downs. Get advice from Mumsnetters here.

Original poster

17 year old nocturnal hermit

38 replies

stevienickstophat · 24/07/2015 17:04

Is mine the only one?

Awake most of the night, wanders downstairs in Dressing Gown of Doom at about 4, eats cereal, disappears back to room.

I swear he's developing a hospital pallor.

So tired of this battle, but I really worry about him. He's letting life pass by him on a screen Hmm

Tell me I'm not alone, someone, please...

OP posts:
Mrsjayy · 01/08/2015 10:26

Dd friends must be the same because they hardly meet up last time was mid june for a pals 18th they must all be wafting about their houses inpjs doing nowt dd1 is older she never did this well sleeping later but she did stuff. As i said i cant wait for college.

TheMoonOnAStick15 · 01/08/2015 10:27

I am taking much heart from this thread. 16 yr old dd is exactly the same.

In turn I cajole, leave her to it and erupt about it. Nothing makes the slightest difference. I work PT and often come home at 1pm having done 5 hrs to bleary faced dd who says sleepily 'oh have you been to work?' Hmm

Then she's up till late rummaging about in her bedroom or wandering about making late night drinks.

Tbf she has tried to find a holiday job, but no success. Goodness knows getting up for college in Sep is going to be a shock Grin

MyballsareSandy · 01/08/2015 10:37

My 14 year olds are always saying they're the only kids in their year who have to leave gadgets downstairs at bedtime, blah blah. I've always taken it with a pinch of salt, but this week decided to experiment and see if they can actually self regulate a little.

DD1 has been fine, off gadgets and asleep when I've gone up about 11.30/12. DD2 has been online until 5.30am, and not appeared until 3ish the next day. Her moods have been awful.

Mrsjayy · 01/08/2015 10:38

It is hard to get a job dd started volunteering and has picked up a few shifts a week from that. Its the wafing about eating breakfast at 2 showering at 3 it just mucks up the whole day imo

Acatcalledfluffy · 15/08/2015 02:13

I don't know why it bothers me so much that dc's are up all flippin night. Its the holidays after all but it drives me mad and I get wound up about it and then I can't sleep myself. Dd currently facetiming friends who are away on holiday. Why? Its 2 am. I just don't get it. I wish I was more laid back and could let things go. Its not that important in the grand scheme of things Confused

Travelledtheworld · 15/08/2015 16:33

DS 15 is the same and made worse by jet lag last night he did not go to bed until 2 am, then woke up at 6am and went for a walk. He was back in bed by 9 am and slept until 1pm.

Right now he is cutting the grass which will be his token 10 mins outside.

I too worry about lack of vitamin D and the fact he is not building his bone density by doing any weight bearing exercise.

The older one has a job as a lifeguard and was at the swimming pool by 8 am !

MuddhaOfSuburbia · 15/08/2015 19:37
KatharineClifton · 15/08/2015 20:20

I had no idea a router could be programmed to be turned off at night. Have googled and do now! Wonder how long it will take my nocturnal hermits to work it out? Grin It's really bloody annoying when I get up for work at 6 and they are just dozing off!

ArseForElbow · 15/08/2015 20:33

They can also hack routers if they have the knowledge my DS has Hmm

My next option is taking the router/hub to bed.

BoffinMum · 16/08/2015 04:31

Take fuse out his laptop plug and then send it 'off for repair' for ages. Also kill router if necessary via parental blocks or physically unplugging it.

Technology is addictive.

Scoobydoo494 · 16/08/2015 13:03

I have the opposite problem. Dd1 (19) is up at 6am to get the horses sorted... Unfortunately she is not the quietest and slams every door as she goes! Dd2 (9) would love to be a nocturnal hermit and whinges about being woken up at 10am!

T00oldforthis · 19/08/2015 19:03

GaryBaldy said (I'm sure I read somewhere that the circadian rhythm changes in teens making it harder for them to go to sleep early and want to stay awake later.)

This is my understanding too! And I think I also read that it is far more prevalent in boys.

Speaking as someone whose body barely knows how to go off to sleep and has serious problems with insomnia. You probably know this, but scientists are starting to appreciate that the blue light emitted by most of the stuff we have, computers, TVs, low energy lights, etc. stimulates the brain and keeps us awake as it is close to daylight.

I have to keep well away for some hours in order to get slightly sleepy.

Not surprising then that teenagers will be up all night. They are being hit both ways.

Its the moodiness and grumpiness that results, that I find very hard to deal with when DSS does the same.

Sorry, I have no remedies, having a technology curfew would likely result in major hassle and grief! But I always take a bit of comfort if I can find the explanation for things that happen.

pot39 · 25/08/2015 16:36

Xbox all day is my 15 ds's obsession.
He goes to bed a reasonable time.
His 19 yr old brother would round up all local children for football, playing in woods and all sorts of jolly japes when he was his age. And one advantage of the many advantages of this is that was it was free. The memory of returning from work to hear all about it makes me v sad now as I look at the pallor of his younger brother now...
Horses for courses I guess.
I was talking to my younger sister this morning and we remember being quite happy doing precisely zilch several days a week during the summer hols (this was 1970's, with little more than Jackie and Jilly Cooper to while away the time) we still prefered it to school.
So I would try to curb the irritation, or try to irritate your kids instead. Always a good solution, I find.

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