Should I worry about tired DC or not?

[Probablygreen]

2 DC aged 4y9m and 3y10m. DC1 started reception and DC2 30 hours nursery in September. Both previously attended private nursery for 22 hours per week.

DC1 has always been a sleepy child, only dropped naps in January of this year. DC2 less so although both have been reliable 7-7 sleepers from a young age (not a stealth boast I promise!) DC1 has preciously needed iron supplements for iron deficiency anaemia, despite being a good eater of red meat and green vegetables (no cause was ever found). Both children now take daily supplements containing iron.

Since the first week of school DC1 has been falling asleep on a Wednesday afternoon, either in the car or on the way home. At the weekends he often falls asleep if we go out in the car. Last week he fell asleep in the car going home on both Wednesday and Thursday and I had to switch to a 6:30 bedtime at the weekend because he just couldn’t last any longer.

This week I’m having to wake them up to get them out of bed on a morning, this is new and has never happened before. They have to be up between 6:45 and 7 as they start school at 8:30, on a weekend they’re allowed to get up at their leisure and do this any time up until 8am. DC1 has had to have 6:30 bedtimes all of this week so far as he has been almost falling asleep in his dinner. DC2 took herself off to bed when she got in today (3:30ish), I woke her up for dinner and then she went straight back to bed and was straight back to sleep.

I know children tend to be really tired in their first school term but this seems excessive to me! Should I be worried or is this totally normal? I’m worried that with 2 and a half weeks remaining we might end up with 6pm bedtimes!

For what it’s worth they are not currently attending any extra curricular activities and on a weekend we have been just pottering around the house to try and give them a break, with just a little walk with the dog, but it doesn’t seem to be helping!

I can’t imagine it is an illness if both of them are experiencing the same thing. They’re so little still bless them.

Just adjusting I would think... give it a few more weeks & see if things have improved!

Not that I have any experience...! Mine are both pre school! So what do I know?

@SideAfries haha that’s my problem, I’ve heard of the first term tiredness but never experienced it so didn’t realise the extent of it! Just wondering if others are the same or if mine are somehow having some weird issues!

I think this is totally normal: school is exhausting. DC1 used to regularly fall asleep on the way home (doesn't do it now she's in Yr2), DC2 falls asleep in car on way back at lest once or twice a week and on any long journey.

Can’t comment on DC1 but for comparison DS 2.5 does 8-5 at nursery 4 days a week with 1 hour nap. Bedtime is 7, sometimes goes asleep straight away sometimes can be awake until 8 ish, mostly wakes up around 7am. He is tired (ratty) sometimes after nursery but generally not sleepy. At weekends he is dropping his nap (I presume as we do less than nursery so not tired out) and can last until 7pm bedtime with a bit of rattiness

My eldest, who gave up naps before her second birthday, regularly fell asleep after school in her first term. So much for them to learn! I wouldn’t worry

Ds4 started school this September and has been sleeping like anything. Usual bedtime was 8 which we brought forward to half seven as he was so tired and tonight he toddled up at seven. Think it can be such a change for them and it does tire them out

Ah this is great, all sounds perfectly normal then! To be fair to DC2 this is the first day she’s actually slept through the day so it might have just built up a bit.
Thanks everyone!

My dc used to need 12+hrs sleep at this age but as they got up at 7:45am to start school at 8:45am they were able to go to bed at 7-7:30pm. Why do your dc need to be got up quite so early? Some children just seem to find it very easy to fall asleep in the car when they are relaxed/tired. I still can. I imagine they are just shattered after a busy day. Reception children used to only do half days at school until Christmas. My dd used to get to Thursday & be exhausted.

I think it is a bit of excessive tiredness and I’d see how they are in a few weeks time, however it is likely to be general school tiredness - sensory overload and so many new things to see and experience.

@Badgerstmary we have to leave the house at 8 so by the time they get up, we have breakfast and get ready that’s really all the time there is! I wish we could get up later 🤣 school used to start at 9 but because of staggered starts (and reception is first) they’re starting at 8:30

Could be entirely normal. Some people just need more sleep. My two who are back at school are finding it exhausting after so long off.

That said if you have gas I would double check your carbon monoxide alarm and that there's definitely nothing disturbing them in the night (my sleep was low level disturbed a while back by an alarm going off nightly. It wasn't enough to wake me, but it explained crap sleep).

@lyralalala thank you, we do have a CO alarm which has been fine so I don’t think it’s that, definitely would have been worth checking though!
DC1 does regularly have nightmares (although he does usually just go straight back to sleep) so there could be something in the disturbed sleep thing. Thanks 😊

My daughter used to nap in the book corner when in Reception. Both children would regularly fall asleep on any car journey. They would be so tired and hungry when they came out of school that tears were not uncommon. By all means get them checked out but what you describe seems pretty normal.

@Claireshh aww bless them 😍 thank you, that’s reassuring!

Honestly this does sound a bit extreme. I had terrible snorers and although they were excellent sleepers their sleep quality massively improved once they had tonsils and adenoids removed. I would wonder about sleep quality, does it seem ok?

Mine was 3 in June and gave up naps about February time. She only does 2 mornings a week at pre-school but for about a week she’s been having an afternoon nap every day. I think it’s a cumulative effect - the more weeks they’ve been at school the tireder they are. Until they get a bit more used to it.

@Pumpkinnose could be worth checking for DC1 to be honest, he does have quite a nasal voice although he very rarely gets ill so I’m not sure! I do think his sleep is a bit disrupted though, he shouts out sometimes and has frequent nightmares so it could all be linked. DC2 is fine I think, just over tired!

@AmyandPhilipfan yes it definitely seems to be going that way, I’m not sure how they’re going to make it for another 2.5 weeks 🤣

I just wanted to add my 15 year old is asleep by 6pm every Thursday, he’s exhausted by Thursday! When he was little I had to wake him for dinner almost every day for the first year.

@2toe that’s so sweet bless him 🤣
Good to know I’ve only got another 10 years of it! 🤣🤣

My teacher pointed out that DS2 was almost falling asleep at school, and recommended I got him checked out at GP. They dudes blood test and he was really low in iron.

I’ve been anaemic and falling asleep on the afternoons was my biggest symptom. And breathlessness and light-headedness. .

My friends ds was like this, up until he was about 10 he's go to bed around 6.15 and sleep through until 7am. Some kids just need more sleep than others.

But I would get them checked by a gp again.

Mine have always been 12 hrs a night up until teenage years.

Yes it sounds normal. My DD just started in reception and sleeps at 7 until 7:30 in the morning. She only dropped her daytime naps in lockdown. She comes out of school all flushed and looking ready for bed and it is only 3 o clock!