2 year old always tired

[BendydickCuminsnatch]

DS is 2 and 4 months and is tired all the time! Has always been that way I guess but it's starting to make me wonder if there is something going on as it seems to be affecting his appetite and what he does throughout the day. He used to be an OK eater but now seems too tired to sit at the table and eat properly.

He stopped napping around his second birthday, so we moved him into a single bed, but luckily he's gone back to napping now.

Here's yesterday, a typical day:

Sleeps through night 7pm-6:30 am (until recently came into our room a couple of times a night and got up earlier, but star chart has sorted that out fingers crossed).

Gets up, starving because probably didn't eat much dinner the night before due to tiredness, so breakfast at about 7am.

Play play play

9:30 KNACKERED at this point, but had settling in session at nursery, same thing as a session at the gym creche or a playgroup we would typically go to. Usually give a smoothie or Goodies flapjack at 9:30 to give him energy for whatever activity we have on in the morning.

11am home for lunch

12 -2:15 - nap

afternoon - errand in pushchair, park

4:30 dinner offered but usually has a few bites

5-6 chill, videos (youtube kids, he won't watch tv), play etc. May have porridge, toast or banana before bed if I'm worried he didn't eat much dinner. Tried main meal at lunch to see if he'd eat more, but it's the same situation as he's ready for a nap by lunchtime.

6-7 bedtime routine

So he has plenty of downtime throughout the day and he sleeps well at night generally. And I'd say he currently nap 5/7 days. He gets a lot of fresh air, we go out every day without fail. So why the F is he knackered all the time? He is always asking for his dummy, always yawning, rubbing eyes, has tired eyes, just looks sleepy. If he's playing with his cars, he is doing so lying down usually. But can always pep himself up e.g. if DH comes home early to do bedtime they'll jump around for ages, if we arrive at soft play he'll be off like a shot.

Does that all sound normal? He has a multivitamin daily so hopefully not deficient in anything. I guess I'm worried that he's ill, and on a lesser level I'm worried him starting nursery (2 days a week) will be an absolute nightmare. He's not the type to just fall asleep anywhere if he's tired, he powers through unless we put him in his bed.

Watching with interest as my 3 year old is exactly the same and has been for a while, certainly since she dropped her nap at 2. Does he have a lot to drink through the day? Mine is a poor drinker so always suspected that might not be helping.

He does drink a fair bit, water, weak squash etc. I consciously upped it over the summer as he had been constipated (now he's on Movicol argh!).

It's weird it's like he's constantly tired (woke up tired today) but can always find the energy to do stuff (sprang out of bed but is now lying on sofa yawning)

Try an earlier bedtime. At 2 my dc were in bed by 6 at the latest. If still tired then visit the GP.

My DD always eats more in the mornings and lunchtime than evening meal. I've never really thought about why, just accepted this is her way.

She will often have breakfast 7.30am, then "second breakfast" after the school run at 9am with me. She will literally have a complete breakfast again, not just snack amounts.

She will then regularly have two or more fruit or veg portions as snacks during the morning, and lots to drink. Then I usually offer a plowmans-type assortment for her lunch at 11.30am.

Then nap 12-3pm and she usually asks for a price of fruit straight after school run, at 4pm. I note you are serving dinner here, it would be snack time for us.

I serve a family meal at 5.30pm and that's the meal that is hit and miss. Sometimes she devours loads if it's something she likes. Other times if there is any meal she will pick at, its this one. Then bed at 7.30 and up at 7am, still in cot at nearly 3y.

Oh yeah he eats tons at breakfast! Easily something like 1 weetabix with handful of bran flakes, slice of toast, and 2 satsumas. Snacks in morning but doens't seem interested in food much past lunch time.

Just more wondering why the f he's looking so drained all the time! Seems too minor for a GP appt. Unless it's something sinister

Just more wondering why the f he's looking so drained all the time!

If it's not food/drink related then my thoughts, in this order, would be:

• Needs more sleep. Make lunchtime nap earlier and longer and bedtime earlier.

• Needs better quality sleep. Sleep should be continuous chunks of mostly deep sleep now, not restless with any night wakes.

• Too much stimulation and no down-time. Or, conversely, boredom and in need of more active stimulation

• illness

Thanks FATE

- Needs more sleep. Make lunchtime nap earlier and longer and bedtime earlier.
Not sure how I can keep him in bed longer once he's woken up from nap, but can try earlier to bed.

- Needs better quality sleep. Sleep should be continuous chunks of mostly deep sleep now, not restless with any night wakes.
Yep, tends to sleep 7pm-6:15 am, obviously I don't know how much of that is deep or light but I'd say that's a good chunk

- Too much stimulation and no down-time. Or, conversely, boredom and in need of more active stimulation
Hmm I am worried nursery is going to be too much especially if he doesn't nap there! Only 2 days a week and loads of other kids manage it don't they so hopefully he'll adapt... I feel like we have quite a good balance, go out at least once every day, he has a good couple of hours playing at home, I play with him actively every day, read etc, he also gets screen time and quiet time if no nap etc. Nice wind down time before bed. So maybe it is too much stuff going on. Feel a bit crap if that's not enough stimulation!

- illness
He's generally a very well boy as far as I know, rarely ill. Dunno!

Only other thing you might want to consider is a hearing loss. Children (and adults) who have hearing impairments often struggle with fatigue due to the extra concentration required to understand/hear what is being said or from lip reading. Just a thought- might not be the case but could be worth investigating if you've noticed any other hearing related things

Could be iron? Some people fond it harder to absorb it. I would personally take to drs and just say you are worried.
If a mother is worried then no problem is too minor for a dr to check it out. It might be that your DS is just a tired child.

I think the iron thing is a factor in our case, my little one doesn't eat any red meat or beans etc. Broccoli and kale once or twice a week is about it! How do you get more iron into them?

My DC was similar and after a few minor infections that wouldn't clear up he was found to be anaemic. We got sent to a dietician who couldn't fault his diet, but he ate so little dinner as he was so tired by that point. We got iron supplements and fed him his dinner if necessary, just to get it in him! You could also consider having tea a bit later, so he's a bit more hungry?

Is it ok to give young kids iron supplements?

We were prescribed iron supplements by the paediatrician. I wouldn't self medicate with anything other than age appropriate general multi vitamin with iron.

We were prescribed iron supplements by the paediatrician. I wouldn't self medicate with anything other than age appropriate general multi vitamin with iron.

Thanks for more thoughts. His daily multivitamin (wellbaby) has iron in it. My pharmacist cousin says not to give any of the chewy vits etc. for those over 3 until he is 3 because of the levels of vitamins in them (I wondered if maybe it was due to choking hazard). He is on Movicol anyway so I don't want to add more iron to bung him up, unless GP advises of course. But yes I will consciously try and add in more iron rich foods.

We've been doing a 6pm bedtime since Friday and he's been getting up the same time as he usually would, so getting an hour extra sleep, but then sometimes he doesn't nap if we miss the window. We spent the last month doing a sticker chart for staying in bed til the gro clock sun came up. Doesn't really ever get up in the night anymore now although I'm sure that will probably change

He is still pretty tired, 8am ish now and he has eye bags, rubbing eyes etc. I dunno. It's so close to when he got up (6:30) that maybe he's still waking up, rather than tired again?? Hah I am so overthinking

Have you tried a 20min power nap in the morning and then a shorter afternoon nap. We've had to try a few diff patterns to find what fits for dc2.

Also does he snore? This affected our dc1 sleep for a while, thought to be tonsills but seems to have stopped now.

OP, that's good if he's at least going to bed a bit earlier and not waking any earlier.

Isthistoonosy - you might be onto something with the snoring thing, mine has enlarged adenoids and snores a lot so have always wondered if this adds to tiredness during the day.

Isthistoonosy - good suggestion but no he only snores if in the car seat, I guess it's to do with the angle he's at. Could do 20 min nap a.m. but like to get out and about in the morning.

Today was quite a typical homey day, went like this:

Up at 6:30

2 bowls porridge for breakfast (probably equals one large adult portion), innocent smoothie, weak squash with his movicol in. Not the best breakfast I know!

Half hour screentime (I'm sure this makes him sleepy)

Played with train track

9:30-10:30 creche at the gym, just plays with cars etc

11:00 absolutely knackered but tried to feed him corn on cob (favourite), baked beans (iron), broccoli (iron) and bubble & squeak for lunch but he didn't eat a thing, just had melt down and I had to carry him upstairs to bed!

11:30 - 1:15 was in bed but he didn't fall asleep til about 12 - seems to have a cold so couldn't breathe if he had his dummy in! He'd usually nap about 11:30-2:00.

1:15 - 3:15 played, ate peanut butter sandwich (offered lunch but he freaked), hung out

3:15 - 4:30 friends came round, played outside, played with toys etc

4:30 watched about 4 Topsy & Tims...

5pm re-served him lunch from earlier, ate about half of it. Had greek yoghurt afterwards. Had been planning on pasta with chicken and veg, chicken has iron right?

6pm asleep in bed.

He did seem tired today but I guess cold is skewing it. Is it normal for toddlers to look tired? Surely it's not normal to be tired all the time? Maybe I should just chill out

First day of nursery tomorrow!!

Id ask nursery to put him.down for half an hour where you had am.screen time.

Good luck today though

My son was tired all the time and had sleep apnoea. Had his tonsils out and was transformed!

He did always snore and grunt so i probably should have checked earlier. And he had giant tonsils!

How did you manage to get the tonsils out Happydays? They seem reluctant to do so in wee ones these days...

Because of the diagnosis of sleep apnoea we had the choice. He had 'moderate' severity so we went for it and it made a huge difference. He was instantly more alert.

Hi again @glummymummy Have just read your child has enlarged adenoids and snores.
We went on holiday with a friend who couldnt believe the snoring and then stop starting of breathing. She looked up symptoms of sleep apnoea and a lot of the fitted. Nursery had also been commenting on how sleepy he was in the afternoons and were surprised that he was 'sleeping' from 6.30pm - 7am.
Anyway, he was referred to sleep clinic and had to go in overnight for sleep assessment and as a result they diagnosed moderate sleep apnoea.

So is he a lot more active and sleeping better now hes had tonsils out?