At what age did your DC start recognising they were tired?

[Bubbinsmakesthree]

Just wondering when your DC started recognising they were tired or actively seeking a rest or sleep (lying down on sofa or whatever).

DS is 2.5 and doesn't seem to understand the concept at all so just wondering what's normal / how much children differ.

My 2y6m old has been telling me she is tired for a couple of months now. She will also actively tell me she wants to up to bed when she is very tired. If I miss the boat though, once over-tired she will flatly refuse she needs to go to sleep.

She doesn't tell me each and every time though. Mostly I just take her to bed at set times and doesn't mention anything. Sometimes once upstairs she will say "I'm tired" in a weary voice, not all the time though.

But, I don't think any of my older children did this, not for a long time. My 7 year old would never in a million years admit he is tired. My 11 and 12 year olds have only just started acknowledging when they are tired.

DS1 is 2y5m, doesn't say he's tired and will never admit he's tired if I ask, but will enthusiastically run off into his room if I suggest going to bed!

My 16month old will nod enthusiastically when we say it's time for her nap or time for bed.

3, we were on a plane going on our holidays and had been up since 4am, 10 minutes before landing she said 'I going to sleep now' and did. That was the very first time she went to sleep without me telling her to.

Dd1 is 9 and I'm still waiting

I'm the same Jenny, my son is 6 and still bouncing of the walls at 8 pm!!

Dd was tiny, 18 months or even a bit younger when she took herself off to bed or would curl up on the sofa. But she loves sleep!
Ds is 20 months now and doesn't volunteer for sleep, although is happy enough to go when you tell him (long may it last!)

My DD was the same as tinypops, would just disappear and I'd find her in bed - from a very small age. Or she would just put her head down (bum in the air and fall asleep) - I have many photos of her snoozing like this on the sofa footstool, or just on he floor surrounded by toys or even on the bottom stair step!

She is a great sleeper even now at 10yo and packs in 11 hours a night.

I find it depends on the child. My dcs 2 & 3 have both been very good at recognising when they're tired (from maybe 18-24m?) Dc1 however never really grasped it and he's 13 (years!) now.

Oh god well into double digits. Generally kids will argue they are not tired even when they are. I think toddlers recognising tiredness is the exception rather than the rule.

I'm 35 and I still don't admit to my mum when I'm tired!

My dd is 21 and still doesn't!

My ds always has- one of his first utterances was "mine tyard" and he'd take himself off to his bed.

Ds would say he was tired and wanted to go to bed. This was since he could talk. He'll go up to his room to sneak a nap now aged 3. He's always thrived on a set routine and gone to bed/napped on schedule with no fighting it.
Dd on the other hand has fought sleep since birth and still does at age 11! Thankfully dd was born first so I had a lovely surprise with ds after preparing for more years of sleep stress!

Really interesting how much this varies! My DS goes off to sleep well, but only because it's "bedtime" and that's what happens at bedtime, not because he seems to recognise he is tired.