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Original poster

Is a teen falling asleep after school sometimes relatively normal?

37 replies

itme · 17/07/2023 20:42

My 14 year old DS has started falling asleep after school for an hour sometimes over the past school year (year 9). It’s usually on a Friday at around 6 after he’s had school followed by music lessons. I’ve assumed he’s really tired because it’s the end of the week and a long day for him. More recently it’s occasionally happened on other days too when he’s been home at the normal time of 3:15ish.

Is that within the realms of normality for a teenage boy? I can’t identify as I was quite an energetic teenager - I used to spring out of bed most mornings and never fell asleep when it wasn’t bedtime unless I was ill. His dad says that he was the same as me, but a friend said that she regularly needed a nap after school. Some of his friends are up at 5 to do paper rounds or to work out but DS struggles to get out of bed for school at 7:15 (and no, he’s not awake especially late - usually asleep by 11 at the latest, usually earlier). Should I be worried or is this standard for some teens at this age?

OP posts:
EducatingArti · 17/07/2023 20:44

Are you sure he is not getting up in the early hours to go online/ game etc. Several friends have found out their teenage boys are doing this, usually when they fall asleep unexpectedly.

Pkhsvd · 17/07/2023 20:45

My teen DD is like this; more so as we’ve reached the end of term

HollyGolightly4 · 17/07/2023 20:45

No kids, but teacher of teenagers- a lot of them say they need a nap! There's a lot of research documenting that teenagers need more sleep. If you're generally concerned I'd book a blood test to rule out iron levels etc!

dizzydizzydizzy · 17/07/2023 20:45

I've only got girls but they never ever napped after school. Maybe he needs some blood tests to check for medical conditions, such as B12 deficiency.

Vallmo47 · 17/07/2023 20:46

He might sneak up to go online in the night like I used to 😂 but if he seems low in mood and more tired than normal it could be his thyroid needs checking so I might suggest that to him and see if he has anything to tell you. ;)

TheaBrandt · 17/07/2023 20:48

My 14 year old girl does this sometimes. We call her down for tea and she is passed out asleep. I just think shes growing and lives life to the full and gets tired

Original poster
itme · 17/07/2023 20:48

EducatingArti · 17/07/2023 20:44

Are you sure he is not getting up in the early hours to go online/ game etc. Several friends have found out their teenage boys are doing this, usually when they fall asleep unexpectedly.

definitely not. Once he’s asleep he stays asleep until the morning (unless her gets up for a wee, and then he’s like a zombie who just goes straight back to sleep). I usually check that he’s asleep before I go to sleep.

OP posts:
Original poster
itme · 17/07/2023 20:50

HollyGolightly4 · 17/07/2023 20:45

No kids, but teacher of teenagers- a lot of them say they need a nap! There's a lot of research documenting that teenagers need more sleep. If you're generally concerned I'd book a blood test to rule out iron levels etc!

This is reassuring. I’m hoping it’s all to do with growth spurts and stuff. He’s smaller than his friends and reached puberty later than them so it could be that they were like this a year ago and he’s just catching up. Also, he had Covid in September and that awful flu over Christmas so wondering if that’s wiped him out this year.

OP posts:
TheFairyCaravan · 17/07/2023 20:50

Mine used to. They’d usually come in, eat me out of house and home, then fall asleep for an hour. Wake up, have dinner, do homework, eat some more, then bed.

Castlereagh · 17/07/2023 20:50

Honestly I would be a little worried about this. Has he had any illness recently, any weight loss, increased thirst, anything at all you can think of? X

Original poster
itme · 17/07/2023 20:51

dizzydizzydizzy · 17/07/2023 20:45

I've only got girls but they never ever napped after school. Maybe he needs some blood tests to check for medical conditions, such as B12 deficiency.

I’m going to see how he goes over the school holidays and if he’s still really tired after a couple of weeks of chilling out I’ll take him for blood tests.

OP posts:
AmyandPhilipfan · 17/07/2023 20:53

I used to sleep my evenings away as a teenager. I still like to sleep in the day in my 40s. I went to the doctor in my 20s and got blood tests and the doctor concluded there was nothing wrong with me but 'some people get more tired than others.'

Original poster
itme · 17/07/2023 20:53

Castlereagh · 17/07/2023 20:50

Honestly I would be a little worried about this. Has he had any illness recently, any weight loss, increased thirst, anything at all you can think of? X

Covid and flu over autumn/early winter which may have contributed. No weight loss or increased thirst. He’s eating loads and growing so definitely having a growth spurt. He’s very cheerful and plays a few instruments which he likes to do every evening so he’s not lethargic and doesn’t seem ill, he just randomly falls asleep.

OP posts:
Original poster
itme · 17/07/2023 20:54

TheFairyCaravan · 17/07/2023 20:50

Mine used to. They’d usually come in, eat me out of house and home, then fall asleep for an hour. Wake up, have dinner, do homework, eat some more, then bed.

This is good to know!

OP posts:
TheGaffer · 17/07/2023 20:54

I did this…every day! I’ve always loved an afternoon nap. Id get home from school, fall asleep on the sofa and wake up on time to watch neighbours and get my tea at 6. Then sleep like a baby all night long. I just really needed the sleep. I would do it now if I didn’t have one of those pesky job things 😂

FfeminyddCymraeg · 17/07/2023 20:55

TheFairyCaravan · 17/07/2023 20:50

Mine used to. They’d usually come in, eat me out of house and home, then fall asleep for an hour. Wake up, have dinner, do homework, eat some more, then bed.

Same. DD is 15 and practically nocturnal so needs her sleep after school.

Original poster
itme · 17/07/2023 20:56

TheGaffer · 17/07/2023 20:54

I did this…every day! I’ve always loved an afternoon nap. Id get home from school, fall asleep on the sofa and wake up on time to watch neighbours and get my tea at 6. Then sleep like a baby all night long. I just really needed the sleep. I would do it now if I didn’t have one of those pesky job things 😂

This has made me long for it to be 1990 so I could do exactly this ❤️ it sounds blissful. Could just go for a nap, a bit of Neighbours and my mum making my tea.

OP posts:
DominoRules · 17/07/2023 20:59

My 13 year old has fallen asleep a few times recently at 5/6pm or after dinner watching TV at 8ish. He’s mid massive growth spurt/puberty so I’m putting it down to that

CocoPlum · 17/07/2023 21:00

Mine currently don't but I remember around Neighbours time falling asleep on my bed because I literally could not keep my eyes open.

Teen bodyclocks are wired to stay up late/sleep in and yet they have to be up for school (and I used to do a paper round early too!), it's no wonder. You might find this stops in the holiday.

Chickenwing2 · 17/07/2023 21:00

Naps are super healthy! We should all be napping Smile

sproutsandparsnips · 17/07/2023 21:00

Yes my 13 year old DS falls asleep once a week or a fortnight after school - and he's dead to the world often for 2 or 3 hours. His older brother never ever did. He has had more illnesses - a recent nasty virus for 5 days and an upper respiratory virus before Christmas - than his brother did but generally healthy and still needs to nap. I think he goes to bed later despite me telling him to go to bed earlier - I fondly think he is sleeping only to find him come downstairs to ask if he should turn his light off.......

Oblomov23 · 17/07/2023 21:00

I've got this with year 9 ds2. Never had it with ds1. Assuming it was late night phone use, but now that's removed it's still happening. ??

sproutsandparsnips · 17/07/2023 21:01

I do think he is just entering puberty too mind.

Sweetashunni · 17/07/2023 21:02

Both I and my sister fell asleep after school as teens, usually napped for about an hour or so. Looking back I think we were stressed for various reasons. Could he be stressed?

itsmyp4rty · 17/07/2023 21:03

Mine has never done this but goes to bed much earlier than 11. I keep him dosed up with vitamin tablets though so that might be worth considering just to make sure he's getting all he needs.