I have struggled all my son’s life (so far) with getting him to wake up. He is now 26 and still struggles. It is like his brain “hears” his alarms as he sometimes turns them off but his brain doesn’t engage the action of “waking” and moving (he doesn’t remember switching them off). I used to go in and he would have some gobble-de-gook conversations and sometimes abusive ones - of which he remembers nothing. I was always told he was just being lazy/typical teen or having a late night but it doesn’t matter what time he goes to bed. He used to stay up all night before exams in case he couldn’t wake up on time.
He is now 26, in a very good job but one that needs him to work a 9 to 5 hour day so I ring him (even though he lives with me) to help break the cycle and help him get up. He is really worried that when he has saved up enough to move out, he will end up losing his job being late for work a lot.
Is this something out there we can try that can help as we have had no help and not sure where to turn
thank you.
This inability to wake up is generally called “sleep inertia”. I’ve actually experienced it myself for my entire life, although I’m not sure if it’s as severe as your son’s. Something that helped me is setting multiple loud alarms away from the bed, forcing me to get out of my bed instead of turn them off and fall back asleep. At some points in my life I’ve even had a coffee maker right next to the alarm so I can start brewing coffee immediately.
Another thing he can try is maximizing light in the morning. This might involve sleeping with the curtains open if possible, or perhaps looking into some lighting with a timer function. Don’t be afraid to get creative, and do whatever is possible to create as much noise and light in the morning.
If these things still don’t work, it sounds like something that should be taken to a medical specialist.
I agree with sleeping with the curtains open. Alarms loud away from the bed so have to walk to it to turn it off. Setting regular bedtime and wake up time 7 days a week so the circadian rhythms become synched. Good luck he’s lucky to have you