Do your teens get very tired and grumpy during a growth spurt?

[Iloveitall]

My (almost) teen is in the middle of it all (voice broken, growing a lot - about half an inch a month, etc and he’s always tired. He struggles to get up in the morning but doesn’t want to go to bed any earlier 🤦🏼‍♀️ He’s in bed for around 9-9.30 and I call him at 7. He sleeps in at weekends but complains of being tired all the time.

I’m going to up his nutrition - more fruit and veg and protein. I think his body needs it.

Normal to be tired during a growth spurt?

[Iloveitall]

I hadn’t thought of it like that! 😬

[Mincingfuckdragon]

OP that's harder - if he's growing steadily then he's grumpy all the time! At least mine only grumps about for one week in every 6 or so.

You have my sympathy!

[Iloveitall]

@Mincingfuckdragon

Totally normal for them to be grumpy, starving and sleepy! Every time my DD13 is like this, she grows an inch in a week! This too shall pass, OP.

🤣. I’m wondering if his inch every 2 months is likely to increase. He’s been keeping this pace up this year and maybe even a couple of months of last year. I can’t really remember. Seems to be a steady growth though.

[Mincingfuckdragon]

Totally normal for them to be grumpy, starving and sleepy! Every time my DD13 is like this, she grows an inch in a week! This too shall pass, OP.

[Iloveitall]

Haha. Mine has come home with a full lunch box! Apparently he wasn’t at all hungry at school today. Maybe the growth spurt is slowing down a bit……

[Fimofriend]

No, they don't. They just eat a lot. A lot!

[Iloveitall]

Yep I’m upping the nutrition. Not sure what he’ll think of that but it needs to be done! He takes a vitamin and has been good at drinking more lately. Will encourage a slightly earlier night in the hope it improves a bit. He already has a lie in at the weekends.

[Divineswirls]

Give him vitamins, Make sure he drinks enough water has enough fruit, veg, meat normal balanced diet which I'm sure you're doing.

He might also need a duvet day midweek perhaps if he just needs to catch up on his energy

[Iloveitall]

Yeah I remember sleeping really late in the weekend. I don’t remember being really tired all the time though but maybe I just don’t remember.

[Divineswirls]

I used to have teenage foreign students staying a few years ago and every single person no matter what part of the world they were from would have a massive lie in in the mornings at the weekend to catch up on their sleep and energy

[Iloveitall]

I don’t wake him up if he doesn’t have to be somewhere! I get enough moans when he needs to be up for school. I wouldn’t do it for no reason.

[Divineswirls]

Growing teens need a lot of sleep as their bodies get tired.

I would never wake my DS 15 up at the weekend unless he had to be somewhere

Read the book Raising Boys by Steve Biddulph

[Iloveitall]

I’m glad it’s normal (even if it is frustrating!)

[Iknowtheanswer]

Yes, very normal. My youngest went through puberty in lockdown and pretty much moved from his bed, to his desk, to the kitchen, and back to bed.

He grew like a weed, his voice broke, went from a shoe size 4 and a half to an 8 in a year.

Sleep, food and lots of understanding.

[Iloveitall]

I’ve just switched him to a bassets multi vit for 12-18 yrs. realised he was still taking the 7-11 one when nearly 13 but I don’t suppose it really matters that much. Cutting out the sugar is difficult as he has a really sweet tooth but he does like his fruit too. Will look at some more healthy snacks for him too. Will attempt to get him to bed a little earlier if I can but doubt that will happen. 🤣

[iklboo]

Very tired & an eating machine. Not really grumpy as such, but not as talkative. Lots of good food (fruit, veg), multivitamin, encourage some exercise. We let him slept longer if he can, especially the weekend and holidays.

[Harpydragon]

Yes, completely normal. My 17 year old has just h as another grown spurt and been a proper little shit. Words have been had!

I make sure he has plenty of good food, Try and cut out the sugar and also a good multi vitamin just in case I'm missing anything. I let him sleep in when he can and a regular bedtime of 10.30, no phone. We seem to get a semi reasonable person this way.

[LagneyandCasey]

His sleeping pattern sounds fairly normal. Teens do need a lot of sleep. They also need a lot of food. I would make sure you have plenty of healthy snacks available. For reference, when my ds hit his teens he would eat 4 weetabix with milk plus toast for breakfast alone and be 'starving' 2 hours later.

[Chicchicchicchiclana]

Yes. Hormones. Hopefully we all give a little bit of extra understanding to women who are pregnant and hormonal, or menopausal and hormonal.

It's the same sort of thing for teens. They feel terrible sometimes.

[SecretKeeper1]

Ooooh, following this one for ideas. Got a very grumpy / tired / hungry 13.5 year old who is suddenly taller than me. He's never had a noticeable growth spurt before so this is all new!