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Teenagers

Parenting teenagers has its ups and downs. Get advice from Mumsnetters here.

13 year old dd falling asleep in lessons

128 replies

ReflectiveGilet · 03/07/2026 22:44

Unsure if I should post in health. Dd2 is in year 8. Her teacher has spoken to her today very kindly about her falling asleep in lessons and encouraged her to talk to me about getting her checked for anemia.

We already have bloods booked end of the month. Gp booked then after prescribing her the contraceptive pill got awful heavy and painful periods. we are 3 weeks in to that. We have had a paediatrician for about 3 years as she has diagnosed IBS and she is medicated for that. We have an appointment coming up so I will be reporting this and asking for help.

She goes to bed around 10 and gets up at 6. She leaves the house for the school bus at 7.15 so not much I can do about that.

This started about a year ago and her teacher is right it’s got much worse. I feel a bit scared now. She is very active, does 4 hours of dance a week which she loves. She is lean and muscly. She snacks like all teens but she eats meat and 2 veg type meals most days. She has a packed lunch because I don’t want her eating friend beige food at school.
When she goes to bed she usually goes straight to sleep. She rarely wakes in the night.
i am panicking as she loves school and gets on with most teachers but she is clearly struggling.
Im worried she doesn’t eat v much at school so we have agreed to much more snacks - friend fruit and nuts etc and some flapjack to try and keep her energy up.

only iced coffee at weekends never on a school day and no pop as a rule just occasionally.

dd1 has never fallen asleep at school and has normal periods and none of these challenges and I feel a bit lost. Dd1 looked a bit tired during her exams but she’s radiant again now.

I don’t even know if the tiredness is linked to the heavy periods and the IBS I feel clueless

OP posts:
PassOnThat · 05/07/2026 21:59

ReflectiveGilet · 05/07/2026 11:31

@PassOnThati am also diagnosed with adhd.

ADHD has quite a high heritability rate so maybe something to consider if there are any other signs, given the links to fatigue and burnout.

ReflectiveGilet · 06/07/2026 08:02

She was in bed at 8.30 last night. She let me even read up her! It took a long time for her to fall asleep but we are trying. She’s tired already this morning. I have sent many many snacks and said she has to eat it all. She’s v cheerful just tired

OP posts:
ReflectiveGilet · 06/07/2026 21:50

Dd2 went to dance and a youth club tonight as she insisted. She thinks the energy gels I got her do work a bit. Still awaiting a call back from the gp. She was knackered after school. She ate all the dense snacks I sent with her though.

OP posts:
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