If this was your DC, would you bother the GP?

[ThatDamnDog]

DS is 3. He's always been a rubbish sleeper, and his behaviour stinks when he's tired. He gets distracted, doesn't listen, mumbles, and can get to the stage of being quite purposefully naughty/defiant. The last couple of weeks he's been sleeping better, following a very disrupted few weeks when we'd been on holiday then had family staying. So, bed at 7, up and into our bed at midnightish, then up for the day at 6-7am.

He started nursery (2.5hrs 4 days a week) last week. So we've been tough about early bedtimes etc. But the last 2 or 3 days he's been really hard work again, he was a complete turd yesterday and it's now barely 9am and he's rubbing his eyes, mumbling and whining already. Refuses to accept that he's tired. I'm going to get him out for a good walk in the woods once I've got a couple of chores done, then hopefully he'll gee up for lunch and nursery this afternoon.

So, the question is, is he just bleary because of nursery (although he seems to cope fine, better than when he was spending eg whole days with a CM), or should I now be wondering why exactly he is so hyperactive/exhausted all the time? I'm torn between shrugging it off as "just his way" and the stimulation of nursery, and taking him for a check up because he seems to struggle so much more than his peers.

[ProfessorLaytonIsMyLoveSlave]

Is he still napping in the day, and is he just 3 or nearly 4?

I'd give it another couple of weeks to settle into the nursery routine before re-addressing I think.

[ThatDamnDog]

He doesn't nap in the day unless we've been out in the car. He's only just 3.

I'm sure it's fine - I just feel uneasy because he seems to wake up tired, even after what we'd class as "good" sleep. Just can't really make him sleep more. And he's such a lovely, lovely, pleasant lad when he's rested, but a horrorbag when he's tired, which does add a bit of pressure!

[oricella]

Hard one, and not sure what I'd do... since it's been ongoing it might be worth a visit to rule out any underlying issues (undiagnosed glue ear springs to mind... do you have any concerns about his hearing?)

[ProfessorLaytonIsMyLoveSlave]

The first thing that strikes me, then, is that he's not actually getting a lot of sleep for his age. Vague guidelines for a 3yo are 12 hours at night and an hour in the day, while he's getting somewhere between 11 and 12 hours at night and none in the day.

Now, guidelines are guidelines rather than rules, and plenty of children are obviously fine with less sleep, but combined with the fact that he's acting tired I wonder whether there's any chance of getting him to sleep more at night?

[ThatDamnDog]

He's got revolting waxy ears, but he hears well enough (can hear a sweet wrapper at 500 yards with the wind blowing in the wrong direction). When he's this distracted way he doesn't listen though - I describe it as the words bouncing off the side of his head, then he looks all grumpy and mystified when you actually take hold of him and make him look at you. I don't think it's his hearing ...

[ThatDamnDog]

Ha, more sleep!

We've been discussing rapid return with him, because although until now we've been fine with cosleeping some of the night, he's extremely restless and wriggly when he joins us some nights and we're fed up. BUT having just started nursery, and with DC2 en route within the month, it doesn't seem like a very good time ...!

So, 6pm, half 6 bedtimes for a few days and then reassess?

I'll never say that tiredness isn't his problem, never - he's been overtired since he was about 3 weeks old.

[castille]

In your shoes, I'd take him to the GP for a thorough check up first. If GP has no concerns about his health, then his sleep needs addressing. Nursery is exhausting.

I'd start with reintroducing a nap. As he's up early, I'd try an hour before lunch, if he's doing afternoon sessions at nursery.

[ThatDamnDog]

Nap can be tough though, twice a week he starts nursery at 9.00, twice a week at 12.30. SO hard to have a routine. Also he hasn't napped regularly for a good 6-8 months and it will be met with vigorous resistance.

Might try very early bedtimes first for the rest of this week then see where we are, if no better make GP appt and consider nap?

So indecisive just now, thanks for talking this through with me. I'm a mess of hormones, long list of pre-baby jobs to get done, really tired and getting to grips with being on ML and being a SAHM after 2.5 years of being a WOHM - all a bit much I think!

[bubbleymummy]

My DS is 4 and only ever slept for 10-11 hours a night. By all means try the earlier bedtime and see if that helps but if he's anything like my DS he'll just wake up earlier :) What's his diet like? Is he getting enough iron? Maybe something like Floradix Kindervital would perk him up a bit- it's a vitamin liquid you can add to juice/water. Google it if you get a chance. If he had gotten himself into a routine and was doing well it might just be tge extra nursery that's taking it out of him and he needs an extra boost for a little while...

[ThatDamnDog]

Right, so he's got an infected penis - may explain him being under the weather! Abx started tonight so we'll see how we go once his poor cheesy appendage is fixed up.

Thanks :)

[bubbleymummy]

Poor wee man! Hope he feels better soon.