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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask if your child gets tired easily?

37 replies

Dontknowwhatyoumean · 12/01/2019 19:31

This is my first post but I’ve been a long time lurker.

Our five year old complains about being tired regularly. He often looks tired and has rings under his eyes.

He sleeps well - usually from 8/8:30 pm until 7/8 am - and is not busy with loads of activities. He’s in Y1 in school, doesn’t go to breakfast club and only goes to afterschool club three days a week. He doesn’t do any activities during the week, only swimming on Sunday afternoons. Our weekends are pretty chilled - easy morning watching telly and playing, lunch out, walk in a park (usually a 2/3 miles walk)

Should he be this tired all the time? Can this just be school? He seems to find school tiring at the moment, but I do suffer from anxiety so I worry that it’s something else? I’ll take him to the doctors if it carries on but just wondering whether this is pretty common?

OP posts:
MatildaTheCat · 12/01/2019 19:34

Has he always been prone to tiredness? Some dc do find starting a whole school day quite exhausting but will perk up after food and sleep.

If you are worried this won’t make any GP roll their eyes. No, I’m not suggesting he’s I’ll just worth getting their opinion on. Smile

NoTeaNoShadeNoPinkLemonade · 12/01/2019 19:35

Could be his iron levels?
GP is best option if only to rule out any physical issues x

Mrshoneyneedsanewhat · 12/01/2019 19:38

Mine are very much the opposite, more energy than me and DH! Both do 3 activities after school, one each at the weekend and we’re always out cycling/scooting. Reception and year two, so similar ages.

RedTulip86 · 12/01/2019 19:40

No.Both are bouncing balls of energy. Please go to GP.

Kpo58 · 12/01/2019 19:40

Maybe he's not getting enough sleep. I went to bed at 7pm at that age.

RandomMess · 12/01/2019 19:41

One of my DC has always needed far far far more sleep than the others! In reception she struggled to be awake until 6pm, yr 1 7pm and we would have to wake her in the mornings 8am and would sleep in at weekends. She was always hungry and ate loads although was very tall for age so perhaps rapid growth plus as she's not amazingly academic she found learning tiring. Even as baby and pre-schooler she slept loads though and was late to give up naps.

Alas the others needs less than average sleep 😢

Original poster
Dontknowwhatyoumean · 12/01/2019 19:41

Thanks! He’s told us a few times that he finds school days long and tiring so it’s probably just that and I’m just worrying too much (as I usually do!) He just looked so tired this morning, and spent an hour lying on the sofa watching TV ....

OP posts:
Tunnocks34 · 12/01/2019 19:43

Polar opposite of my 5 year old. He sleeps 7pm-5.30am and he is bouncing off the walls the full time he’s awake unless he feels ill.

BertieBotts · 12/01/2019 19:44

Take him to GP. DS1 has never once admitted he was tired except when he has been ill, and that's my experience of children in general.

AhoyAhoy · 12/01/2019 19:45

My 5 year old, in reception has been going to bed before 6pm this week. Getting up at 6.30. He’s utterly exhausted, but I know his diet is very poor, he’s a painfully fussy eater . He’s probably lacking iron. I bought him some multivitamins this week but he won’t eat them as they’re the wrong flavour 🤯😭

SleepDeprivedCabbageBrain · 12/01/2019 19:45

Hmm, I was thinking the same today about our 4-yo, Dontknow. He goes to bed at 7pm and gets up at 7am but he still looks knackered and big black circles. He's in reception and learning so fast, I wonder if it is school?

SmileEachDay · 12/01/2019 19:46

My DC would rather chop off his own head than admit he was tired, but when he was 5, if he had more than a couple of days going to bed after 7ish, would be very pale and eye ring-y.

Earlier bedtime maybe?

mollyweasly · 12/01/2019 19:47

I agree with getting him checked out with GP - iron levels, vitamin D levels maybe ?

Elfinablender · 12/01/2019 19:48

My ds was like this. He's just recently been diagnosed with coeliacs disease. He didn't have the typical symptoms so it took a while to work out what was going on but he was tired all the time and run down.

MinisterforCheekyFuckery · 12/01/2019 19:48

My 5yo DD is often ready for bed at 6.30pm on a school night. She loves school, throws herself into every activity they do during the school day and tries very hard as she wants to please her teachers which is good obviously but I do think it's all quite tiring for them at this age. Maybe bring his bedtime forward?

AhoyAhoy · 12/01/2019 19:48

Just looked read through the replies again, and I’m now considering GP for my DS. A group of friends with same age kids often meet up after school for food, park, softplay. It just seems insane to me- but maybe it’s normal and my DS is not...

TulipsInbloom1 · 12/01/2019 19:50

Definitely try a 7pm bedtime for a couple of weeks and see if it makes much difference

SoyDora · 12/01/2019 19:52

My 5 year old has an insane amount of energy. She does gymnastics, rainbows, swimming lessons and sports club after school and dancing classes at the weekend. She never sits down.
However she sleeps 7-7.30ish. What would happen if you put him to bed earlier?

Original poster
Dontknowwhatyoumean · 12/01/2019 19:53

We tried moving his bedtime forward to 7-7:30pm, but he still stays awake until 8pm! Confused Maybe we just need to persevere... I’ll defintely take him to the GP just in case ...

OP posts:
NewPJs · 12/01/2019 19:55

My son was like this at 5 and I too kept life lowkey. Took him to the GP and pushed for his bloods to be done (they dismissed me once) and they were fine.

He's now 8 going on 9 and has far more energy. He also finds school easy now which he definitely didn't at 5 (summer baby).

He was always (and still is) a big sleeper.

Get him checked out of course but it could just get better with age.

Dragongirl10 · 12/01/2019 19:55

Op it could be his Vitamin D levels, few get enough vit D in the uk, and my son has to take a supplement all year around. I would get some blood tests done......

oliviatrivia · 12/01/2019 19:56

My almost 5 year old sleeps 6.30/7pm - 6am and is often tired. He would fall asleep after school if I let him and often falls asleep in the car at the weekend during the day.

I took him to the GP a few months ago and they did some tests and ruled everything out. The paediarician said some children are just like that.

I would take him to the GP to be sure but try not to worry as it can be totally normal.

My son slept a solid two hours a day until he was 3 whereas my toddler dropped their nap when they were 18 months and is a full on ball of energy from 6am-6pm when he passes out (from exhaustion!). Completely different tiredness wise.

Notquiterichenough · 12/01/2019 19:57

My eldest never got tired. My youngest is exactly the same as your DS - he gets pale, rings under his eyes etc. He definitely gets more tired than other children of his age.

In his case, he is asthmatic and is noticibly worse in winter, even when his asthma is under control.

SleepingStandingUp · 12/01/2019 19:59

How is his diet? Does he drink enough liquids?

Worth checking with docs Re iron, vitamin d etx

Thewifipasswordis · 12/01/2019 20:02

GP for bloods OP, don't just assume it's because of school. It could be anything. For a kid to say they're tired and act like that then they really are unnaturally tired.

I was like that and it turns out I had gladular fever as a kid. My friend's son was severely anaemic. Another friend's daughter had leukemia. It could be anything and you need to rule it out.

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