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Every night I lie awake waiting for the clock to stop ticking. Waiting for the darkness behind my eyelids to turn into a dream. Sadly this rarely happens.
I’m 16 years old and I’ve struggled with insomnia since middle school. When I lie down at night, my mind doesn’t feel like sleeping. Instead it wanders and I feel restless.
When I started high school, not being able to sleep started to take over my life. I couldn’t concentrate at school, I shut down emotionally, and I become antisocial. I realized then that I needed to change if I wanted to function properly.
So I started working out in the morning. I stopped using my phone before bed. And I drank sleepy time tea. I did this consistently until it became a part of my everyday routine. And my insomnia did get better.
I’m not the only teen that deals with insomnia. According to the CDC, 70 percent of high school students don’t get enough sleep on an average school night. So the next time you see a sleep-deprived teen, don’t blame them. Because if they’re anything like me, they’re praying for one solid night of sleep.