A tired child? What you should know

Follow me on Twitter @drClaire Children often complain of being tired. Usually it’s for simple reasons — because it’s the end of a busy day, or because they stayed up late the night before, or because they are trying to get out of doing something they don’t want to do. When kids are sick they are usually tired, and need more rest to get better. But when a child complains all the time, and fatigue starts to get in the way of things they usually enjoy, it could be a sign of a problem. Here are some possible reasons for chronic fatigue in children: Sleep problems. This makes sense, obviously, since if a child doesn’t get enough sleep, or good enough sleep, they will be tired. There are lots of ways this can happen, such as: Staying up later than they should for homework or whatever reason. Children need at least 8 to 10 hours of sleep a night; if they are getting less, it catches up with them Waking up frequently during the night, whether it’s because they are a light sleeper or because of a sleep disorder Sleep apnea, or pauses in breathing that happen during sleep. The most common cause is enlarged tonsils or adenoids, but there are other causes as well. Side effects of medications. Many medications can cause sleepiness, including common allergy medications. Infections, such as Epstein-Barr virus. There are some infections that can make children very tired, and some of them can last for weeks or months. Chronic illnesses, such as asthma. When chronic illnesses ...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Children's Health Fatigue Parenting Source Type: blogs