8 yr old DD sleeps a lot more than usual..desperately worried in case its a symptom of some life-threatening condition.

[interflora]

Hi, I wonder if anyone can advice/reassure me with regards to dd age 8.

She used to just sleep through the night and not sleep much at all during the day. In the last few days she also sleeps lots during the day as well.

Desperately worried in case it could be a symptom of some sinister life-threatening condition.

We recently deregistered her and her siblings from school, which she seems happy about, her idea in fact, but she does miss some of her friends so we've decided to send them little cards to invite them here to play with her, I wonder if that could be 'bothering' her more than she lets on??

Does anyone know if excessive sleeping is a symptom of some life-threatening condition?? I know if this carries on that she will need to be seen by a doctor obviously, just hoping that someone can reassure me that all should be well or otherwise. We are sick with fear, as like most parents, we cannot even bear thinking about anything happening to our dc.

Advice gratefully received.

Hi, interflora.

I wouldnt worry too much. She may well be fighting off a bug or just where she hasnt been having the chance to sleep in the day she is now.

How much is she sleeping that is causing you concern?

We have the opposite here, we cant get our daughter to sleep naps or when she goes to bed!!

Although I?m sure there are serious conditions which make people sleepy I think in your dd?s case it would be extremely unlikely to be anything life threatening. For one thing you say it has been only for a few days that she has been like this, it is much more likely she is coming down with a mild viral infection of some sort than developing anything sinister. Also, as you have pointed out, the change in her life regarding school could have affected her sleeping pattern.

Maybe she's just not sleeping well at night - nightmares or anxiety about the school thing or something.

Is she drinking more, sign of diabeties and sleeping excess.
How many hours does she sleep in night and the again in daytime?
Worth a trip to gp.

Is she behaving like her normal self when she is awake?

she has sort of 'changed' but I can't quite put my finger on it iyswim.....a friend has suggested that she feels that dd is not too far from starting her periods that she is displaying all the signs???? at only 8 she is very, very young though isn't she.....my mum was 12 when she started, i was 10 so can't help wondering if dd will start at 8? People say that kids to tend to hit puberty much younger nowadays.
If she's starting her periods then fair enough, obviously she has to start them at some time anyway and not being at school would save her the embarrassment of having periods so young. So long as its nothing 'bad' that's fine.

Will take her to dr on monday to get checked over to be on the safe side.

She sleeps through the night as normal, but not being at school she and her siblings obviously are allowed to run around much more at home than they were at school, so maybe that explains the tiredness all of a sudden?

Thanks for your helpful advice.

Tired all the time is a comlaint most doctors dread as there are a million and one things it could be.
Does she have night sweats? Vegetarian diet? unexplained bruises? any other symptoms? Is it possible that she has become depressed at moving out of school and losing her friends?

When you say deregister. does that mean you are now home schooling?

Another thing that can cause tiredness and excessive sleeping is depression.

I don't know why you deregistered your DD so I have no idea if she has been upset about school but you say she was missing her friends. Maybe everything has caught up with her and she is feeling a bit down at the moment? Just a thought.

For what it is worth, given the time of year, my bet is that she has picked up a virus and is fighting it off at the moment. Does she complain of feeling unwell in any way?

I hope she is back to normal soon.

I have read that puberty for girls can start from 8!

I know though that mine started when i was 10 so I am prepared for my daughter to be early.

Does your daughter seem well in herself? Sounds like a virus.

Hope she is back to herself soon!!