persistent tiredness in four year old - ADVICE PLEASE

[inglis]

Over the last two years I have felt that my daughter lacks energy. (Or much more so than her peer group) She appears to get tired for no reason wanting to 'crash' infront of the telly, lying across chairs sucking her thumb, reluctant to go out, reluctant to play - preferring to 'slump' on a beanbag. Some days/weeks are worse than others.

Of course I have taken her to the GP and she has had blood tests and has been tested to check for intolerance to wheat (Can't recall the correct medical name for this) No problem was found. She has a multi-vitamin supplement most days (when I remember) and her diet is pretty good. She sleeps well at night. Goes to bed early and wakes up late.

I wonder if anyone has any other ideas. Do some kids just get very tired? What would you do? Am I missing something? Apart from a series of colds and a couple of cases impetigo over the last two years there are no other symptoms.

Your GP can't probe further? Don't let them give up on her. Pester them. That doesn't sound right.

I suppose some children are less active than others, but I would go with your gut instinct and keep pressing the gp. Not to put her through endless procedures, but certainly for them to keep an eye on her.
Perhaps you could ask for them to see her on a regular basis, checking height/weight etc
Also keep a diary of her typical day, that might help you to see the scale of the problem or any patterns. it would also help a gp to see the extent of the problem.
Presumably at this age she is at school or pre school. If so, what do they think about her energy levels?

Message withdrawn

My ds gets 13 hours a night and still struggles in the morning. We have to set an alarm clock to get him up for nursery. On holidays he'll sleep 7pm til 9:30/10am and then he's in such a good, energetic mood.

I just figured he needed more sleep than the average. He's happy to crash, but if I see that coming he gets force fed a banana and made to run around outside (within reason). HE would flop around the house all day if I let him.

THat's not how the world works for little people though, goodness knows how he's going to cope with a school day come August!

Yes, tiredness varies from child to child

But my ds was chronically tired (and this apparently common) because of enlarged tonsils and adenoids. He was snoring and spluttering and waking himself up at night. . .and so never got a good night's sleep.

Check on that maybe. If it turns out to be the case for her, she'll just get the tonsils/adenoids out and then will be fine.

Thanks, everyone.

Diary, good idea. Regular height/weight check - also sounds like a smart idea. (Forgotten about that little red book)

icod - Food and sleep seem fine. Least i think they are.

Medea - I guess with the enlarged tonsils i'd hear her coughing at night, would i. Hadn't ever thought of that.

bobsmum - My husband thinks we should go down more of a biscuit-and-a-runaround route. That maybe we allow to her flop around to much. But I let her 'cos she seems so tired. I don't feel that way inclined with my other two children because they don't ever appear tired. But still it did struck a chord when you said that if you let your son flop, he would. Because i do let her flop. Did you ever think of getting your son checked out to see if he was a celeaic (I've no idea how to spell it - but it's that wheat intolerance thingy.) When did you get relaxed about his tiredness and accept it as normal?

bumping for bobsmum, really
(and any other replies)

Inglis - just spotted this.

A food intolerance had never occurred to me. What other signs would I see if that was something to be concerned about?

I just really based it on my own feelings. I know if I have a lazy day I feel even sleepier at the end of it, but if I'm busy then I tend to sleep better at night. Still feel knackered the next day, but I guess that like ds I should just be having more sleep than I give myself.

There have been times when if he's gone to bed even at 7:30 rather than 7pm, then he's just zombified in the morning. He's usually telling me how tired he is by 6pm, but I can't bring myself to put him to bed then it sounds so early - maybe I should!

I have made more of an effort to get him out and about - he says he's too tired or his legs hurt sometimes, but can be distracted or bribed which suggests to me there's nothing more sinister in his case than turning into a teenager at 4

HE also eats well, has a vitamin etc. He just can't deal with less than 13 hours sleep.

dd is 20 months and was a terrible sleeper until she turned 1 - now she would ideally sleep 13 hours plus daytime naps if undisturbed, but she's a much lighter sleeper than ds and tends to wake when she hears me and dh at 7am.

Keep mentioning it whenever you see a GP anyway.

hth

Bobsmum - A Celiac is someone whose body can't absorb gluten. (Not some quack thing - this is a medical condition.) Early symptoms are tiredness/anaemia. (Can get more serious if not treated.)A GP can do a blood test to check.

Sounds like your ds, though, just needs his sleep - and, though i do get overly worried sometimes, I can't help thinking maybe it's the same for my dd.

what about being tired makes you tired, maybe a snack and/or fresh ahir

oops, sorry, just seen you already mentioned that inglis.. it always wakes me up!