SHE'S ALWAYS TIRED

Dear Jellybean,

My parents are obsessed with me catching the bus. Like, really obsessed. I know that should be an easy solution: Just catch the bus! Duh! But it's honestly not that easy for me. In the mornings I feel so tired I can barely think. Like, before thanksgiving I was fine and always caught the bus, but now I just can't seem to. I feel so much more tired then I used to, and it's not even that I have been falling asleep late, because I try to fall asleep around 9:00, 9:30. Also every time I don't catch the bus I have to pay my parents and they yell at me. They have tried nagging me, turning the radio up really loud, and they tried leaving it all up to me(which actually worked a bit) but they're really starting to get frustrated. I don't know what to do! I was fine before Thanksgiving, but now I'm not. My parents and I fight a LOT about this. They really want me to catch the bus, and I want to help them, I just feel so tired. It's not at all because people are teasing me on the bus, because they're not, and I don't know what it is. I know this seems really over-exaggerated, but I just don't know what to do. I guess I'm asking both how can I convince my parents that I'm just so tired and I have to sleep later or I'll collapse in class, and what might be wrong with me that's making me so tired.

Sincerely,
zzZZZZzzzZz

Dear Zs,

If your sleeping habits haven't changed, but you're suddenly feeling more tired (since Thanksgiving), have you considered that something may be going on with your health? My suggestion is, go to your family doctor for a thorough checkup. Your drowsiness could be due to a ton of things. Perhaps it's something in your lifestyle, like not eating enough complex proteins or getting enough exercise, or something medical, such as an infection or virus that's sapping your strength. It could just be that the darker mornings of winter are making your body want to hibernate. But the point is, you don't know what it is, and you shouldn't just guess.

Don't take chances with your health! Go to the doctor and get a total workup, to determine what's going on. Maybe all you need is an antibiotic, or a change in diet. If the doctor rules out any medical causes of your sleepiness, you can ask her/him to help you study your lifestyle and habits to try and fix the problem.