Is it normal?

It's now nearly 2am and I've been waiting to hear him move. I'm going to have to go to bed myself. He has an appointment at the opticians tomorrow, if he can keep his peepers open.

What was he doing the night before?

Sounds like someone is sleeping it off (whatever IT is). When my son disappeared to bed like that, turned out he had been drinking with his mates and didn't feel very well. A few glasses of water and the sound of him making his way to the bathroom were evidence of him being in the land of the living. His younger brother grassed him up next morning.

See if frying some bacon gets him up! It always worked for DSs! X

I remember my brother doing this and he was definitely sleeping something off!!!

As the Beatles said 'please don't wake me, no don't shake me, leave me where I am, I'm only sleeping'

Some kids can sleep for Britain! Hope you have managed to tip him out of bed by now!

Don't worry one bit,both my boys could sleep the clock around and still complain of being tired I think it is just a teenage thing,both my boys now rely on about 6hrs sleep at the most now they have career's so it does get better eventually.

I read somewhere that it's perfectly normal for teenagers to sleep a lot, as so much is going on in their bodies that it's necessary to get the extra rest.

I remember not getting up until about 11am when I was a teenager. I now get up just after 6 am. My parents were incredibly patient - or just happy to have me out of the way for a bit!

Yes, normal, my teen is very sluggish since he came back from uni. We're away at the moment and two days ago he had a full day with friends out airsofting. He's still recovering, he seems to need a lot more sleep lately. We have to wake him up because we are going out every day, otherwise I would just leave him. He wanted to come with us but I do wonder if he just needed to sleep for a month instead.

The average teenage boy can turn sleeping into an art form. They do need a lot of sleep but if he sleeps excessively for several days it might be worth checking that he hasn't got glandular fever. Our GP wasn't impressed when I took DS along and said he must have glandular fever because he was sleeping all day - but after a thorough examination he had to agree with me - result!!!

Thank you for your lovely replies. He wasn't sleeping anything off, he's not a drinker, of the alcoholic kind, doesn't care for the stuff. He drinks milk. He's a little nerdy, plays on his computer most of the time when not studying. I think though that when he's on it he gets carried away and looses time. So when he should be getting into bed he just carries on playing and then he needs to catch up. He woke just after I posted last night. Trouble is, he was then up most of the night. I'm a pretty laid back parent really, as long as he eats well, sleeps sometime and washes occasionally, then I leave him to his own devices. He'll have a woman nagging him soon enough. A couple of girls are after him at college but he doesn't want the hassle (his words, not mine, lol). He was very hyper as a child, couldn't get him to calm down, now I can't get him to wind up! I can't win! lol I'm not complaining, he thinks the world of me and sits with me at any time of day if I'm upset or not well, so he's a great lad. I love him to bits, just wish he would spend more time with me sometimes, but he has to have his own life, and he says I'm boring now I'm 50! Cheek.

Screens are the work of the devil.

I would encourage him to get some structure to his days. Has he got a bike? Running shoes?

jingle He's actually doing some astrophysics work on his computer as well as playing which will be of great benefit when he starts work. So not all screens are the work of the devil as this is the way in which my son's generation will be earning their money and keeping their little grey cells active as well as discovering new and exciting things in the science field. He is a very intelligent young man and sometimes I have to tell him to stop doing what he is doing because he over-thinks things and his brain doesn't tend to rest or give him peace. Maybe that is the over sleeping, he pushes himself too hard and then he just flops and has to sleep.

I home schooled him for four years and we learnt lots of different things, things which school doesn't teach children and so he has a alternative outlook now on life and how things work so he is always questioning, always striving for answers. He will make a fantastic scientist.

As I have said before, I am a laid back mum, I believe in letting my son find out himself what he want to pursue, encouraging him in his field and supporting him when he finds his feet, hence the home schooling. It was very liberating to be able to teach your own child the way he wanted to be taught and not how the "institution" thought fit. It was the fact that he was sleeping more than I thought was sufficient, not that I was worried that he was up at the time other people are usually in bed. I'm up due to health and he likes to make sure I'm ok. So because of my illnesses we can't keep much structure to our days. We work out what works best for us. Plus I threw the rule book out for "normal" daily timekeeping when my authoritarian DD left home. (She liked to tell us what to do and when to do it even though I was the mother.) As for his bike, he sold it, he didn't use it. He won't go running, not for him but he does do gym equipment and weight training.

Teenagers do need more sleep - some schools acknowledge this by starting later and some good results have been obtained that way.

Well done you for home schooling your son, I wish I had done that! I'm sure it makes for a more rounded education.
Don't worry about the sleeping it's normal.
Sounds like you have done a good job with him, it's nearly time for him to find his place in the world now.

You sound as if youhave a great relationship! I love the way you are both looking out for each other. I think you've raised a really well rounded person

Aw, thank you Freda and Deedaa, it's nice to get a little pat on the back sometime.

I know, he's going to be flying the nest soon, in two years (it will fly by), off to uni. So I am going to try to enjoy every second with him, if he ever comes downstairs! Lol.

He is a lovely young man, while home schooling he would go and help others who needed help, older people. He also did a class of gardening with a 78 year old man at B & Q and woodwork with a man around 60ish at the same place so he learnt to be with and chat to people of all ages, not just his own age group. He helped a distresses older lady who had put her bank card in the receipts slip part of the cash machine and couldn't get it out at Asda. He went inside, bought a pair of tweezers and got it out for her while staff stood around saying they couldn't help. I was really proud of him. I know that wherever he is, if anyone needs his help, he will be there for them.

Home schooling was really good. We did make a pact however, that if either one of us was getting on the others nerves, we would just be honest and say and give each other some space. So we did and it worked. Now he says "you're boring me, I'm going upstairs" to which I just laugh because I love honesty and he certainly calls a spade a spade.