Toddler keeps complaining of being tired

[Janel85]

Hello, my two-year-old (three in January) keeps complaining of being tired all the time. I don't know whether to take him to the doctors about it? He doesn't nap anymore, he hasn't done since he was about 15 months, this is not me dropping it, he just receives to nap unless he falls asleep in the car, if this happens then I'll let him sleep for about 30mins but three he doesn't settle at bed time. He goes to bed at 6.30 and will usually have settled down to sleep by 7 and then he wakes up between 6-6.30am. Could it be he isn't getting enough sleep? I'm wondering whether to put him to bed earlier or try to reintroduce a nap, but that would be difficult for the days he goes preschool. Could it be a growth spurt or something he isn't getting enough of in his diet, or is this abnormal toddler complaint? Sorry I'm rambling just a bit concerned. Thanks in advance.

Does he seem tired to you?
It's been many years since I had a toddler, but I do remember suddenly realising that with limited vocabulary, mine was using 'I'm tired' as 'I'm bored, hungry, anxious, need a hug' and so on.

Does he actually mean that he is tired? I would go more by his actions than what he tells you at that age. Does he look and act tired? - if so you might pursue it further. Or is it just something he has got in the habit of saying, especially if it means you give him attention when he says it?

My kids for example used to say that they were hungry when what they really meant was that they wanted to do something different.

I am tired could mean- eg. I am bored, I want you to stop what you are doing and interact with me, I am fed up of doing this, I am feeling small and want a hug or something else. It doesn't necessarily mean the same from a two year old as from an older child. They do get in the habit of repeating things if they know it gets the reaction they want from mummy.

Has he got a diet rich in iron? Does he take a multi vitamin to include vitamin d?

Your DS is a 2 months younger than DD. In any 24 hour period, she gets about 13- 14 hours of sleep. 1.5-2 hours of napping and 11-12 hours of actual sleep. So it's possible that he's not getting enough. With DS, he wouldn't nap except in car so we planned our lives around a lunch time car journey somewhere so he'd nap. You could try that. Or you could try putting him to bed even earlier for a while - say 6pm? I have a friend whose dd went to bed at 5:30 until she was about 4! And slept straight through until 7am every day.

Does he seem tired, is he lounging around instead of playing ?
If he is then I would probably take him to the doctors as he could have an infection or maybe a vitamin deficiency ?