Brief Answer:
I agree that a sleep study is a good first step

Detailed Answer:
Good afternoon. From your short description of your son's problems I would agree that having a sleep study to investigate why he is sleeping long hours and still not feeling refreshed along with having headaches, fatigue, and difficulty with memory is a good first step.

I don't know the extent of the blood work done but one must always keep in mind that teenagers entering college from high school can be under quite a bit of stress and anxiety to adjust to a new environment, get good grades, and of course, keep up with the social scene.

If the results of the sleep study do not reveal anything out of the ordinary such as a sleep disorder along the lines of narcolepsy, idiopathic hypersomnia, or even sleep apnea (though he is admittedly a bit young) then, I would expand the search for a cause by having a counselor have a few sessions with him......one must always also keep in mind that drugs and alcohol often can become unwantingly mixed up in a collegiate's lifestyle. Things such as "study speed" or any number of other "in vogue" types of substances that kids tell each other about in terms of making them better at scoring on tests or remembering things in class, etc. need to be kept in mind and actively searched for by drug screen and toxicology testing in blood and urine.

If these searches for an organic etiology fail to reveal anything or if your son begins complaining of other things such as feelings of numbness/tingling, or even severe migraine like headaches that seem to come out of nowhere....or if the tinnitus (buzzing in the head) gets worse or seems to give way to vertigo or loss of balance then, I would get a consultation with a neurologist and even consider getting an MRI of the brain to make sure we are not dealing with anything unexpected such as a mass lesion, increased intracranial pressure, or demyelinating problem that needs to be identified.

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