Could my REM sleep be burning me out?

[Paulchoix]

Hi,
I'm 19 years old and I've been struggling with a health issue for over 5 months now The principal characteristic is major fatigue, which has limited my physical activity to a bare minimum: just a year ago I was in very good shape and I did not stop working out until this problem came about. My eating is also relatively good.
I've seen multiple doctors in clinics and in alternative fields of medicine such as chiropractics, but nothing has been conclusive so far. Most doctors have done nothing more than tell me that I am okay: blood tests, x-rays from my head down to my lower torso and the use of decongestants have been inconclusive. The most frustrating thing about this issue is that I can't even figure out what it is.
The way I sleep is what is most concerning. It's nearly impossible for me to fall asleep before midnight, so the majority of this summer I have not slept before 1-2AM. I then wake up at around 10 or 11 feeling like I'm completely hung over (without any alcohol or drugs involved): a splitting headache, immense fatigue and an overall terrible feeling. The rest of the day is then spent without much energy, and often I find myself taking naps for up to two hours.
Now here is where the REM sleep cycle seems to become important. After all these months I have noticed two things in particular: first off, when I dream, my dreams are VERY disturbing and uncomfortable, which I believe is a sign of bad sleep. The second thing is more conclusive: when I sleep under 6 hours (not enough sleep to fall into REM), I feel fine in the morning, even though I know I haven't slept enough. As soon as I get over 6 hours and start dreaming, I feel HORRIBLE and exhausted when I wake up. I noticed this recently when I started working morning shifts... I was expecting to sleep right through my alarm clock, but instead I went to sleep late and woke up early feeling better than I usually do. No headache, no feeling of being glued to my bed.
I have already considered visiting a sleep clinic, and with these recent findings I believe it's obvious I should. But my question for now is this: Is it possible that my REM sleep cycle is the cause of my chronic fatigue? If so, is it even possible that my REM actually reverses the recuperation I get from my ulterior hours of sleep?
Thank you so much.

[Paulchoix]

Really? I usually get this hangover feeling after around 7 or 8 hours... but do you mean I should set an alarm and make sure I wake up after a certain amount of hours? Because this is what I get when I wake up the first time.

[NoLeafClover]

You are oversleeping, which can cause a hangover and headache like you described. Try limiting yourself to 7-8 hours of sleep a night (for me, anything over 7 makes me hung over). Once you've established a habit of waking up earlier, try going to bed sooner. I don't think REM has as much to do with it as you think.