to find the term 'overtired' irritating

[dorisbonkers]

I don't know why, but I hear this many times and find it irritating, irrationally I suspect, but it sounds glib, and often not used in the right context.

Put me right (because I reckon I'm actually BU)

No, you're not imagining it Olifin.

Ahhh, thank you doris. So it is perhaps possible for someone to 'give 110%', especially if they are making more effort than they previously have in a certain situation?

I always thought it meant when they are past the point of simply tired and are now unable to go to sleep. Totally legitimate term.

I use 'overtired' to mean something beyond normal tiredness. Ds will usually go to bed when he is tired but if we are out or he is doing an activity sometimes he gets to the tiredness stage then. By the time he gets home he is incredibly tired and won't do anything - eat, get ready for bed etc. I think it is an appropriate phrase even if not pedantically perfect English.

There is a mile of difference between tired and overtired... My dc's are always tired when they go to bed, they are likely yawning and happy to crawl in.

If however, we have had a busy day, missed a nap and are late to bed for whatever reason then they are most certainly something far more than tired.

If they are so tired that the crying starts and they start fighting sleep then that to me is overtired. I don't care if it's not "good english"... It perfectly describes they way they are.

I suppose 'tired' normaLLY MEANS sleepy and quiet and not concentrating. 'Overtired' is often used to mean cross, shouting, whining and genenrally active and loud but not in a good way.

I agree exactly with what Olifin is saying.

When my DD is tired she just falls asleep.

When my DD is overtired it's like she can't sleep - she seems wired and hyperactive but also short tempered and irrational. So lots of tantrums, throwing herself on the floor etc.

But if you put her down for a nap she will do anything but sleep. Often she just screams hysterically in her cot, and shouts random demands for food/drink or that she needs her Upsy Daisy socks on, or she needs a certain teddy.

I've also found that the only way to get her to sleep when she's like this is to let her cry herself to sleep as any attempts to calm her down just enrage her even more

DS does get overtired and I use this phrase a lot. I can't let him have a sleep in the day now because he won't sleep at night. I used to stay at home when he was overtired and try to do calm things with him but actually his behaviour seems to improve if we go out. I think it takes his mind off it. It does mean I have to watch him even more like a hawk than usual though.

Very tired, extremely tired etc fine.

Overtired grates on me it really does.

Is it a combination of overwhelmed and tired?

You're not going to convince me, sorry!

leonie... I think your right! We should all start saying overly tired from now on and then we can rest assured we are using "good english"

I am 44 and when I was little my parents often would say I was overtired... it drove me mad, I wasn't tired at all! - why couldn't they see that? I didn't need to go to bed, I was perfectly happy, apart from bursting into tears every five minutes and being unreasonable about everything.

I would also struggle to get to sleep and sometimes sleepwalk, coming downstairs complaining about being unable to get to sleep while being totally out of it. Even as an adult I have once in a while slept-walked or talked due to overtiredness. My Ex-H said it was really scary when I would open my eyes and start talking without being "there" - he said it was like that bit in Aliens when they lift up the head of the "dead" woman and she opens her eyes.

Now we have three DCs, and DD definitely gets overtired, although DS1 doesn't. And guess what - she hates being told so.

I think it's a term like overwound, like if you overwind a watch the spring breaks and that's that.

To me overtired does not mean a "very tired" child. It is a child who is at the point of the day when they would normally be tired, but who for some reason (missed nap, or extra energy-sapping excitement such as birthday party) is so tired they have gone into a state of mild hyperactivity.

Oh I couldn't actually give a monkeys what anyone else says! It doesn't make my blood boil or anything. I wouldn't use it though, it sounds wrong to me.

ROFL at the telling off I'm getting

I would much rather it was "too tired" or "very tired".

Leonie- I agree, but too often "overtired" is used when people simply mean "very tired".

I don't think it is always used by people meaning they are "beyond sleep", or too wound-up and stressed to get to sleep.