Really tired 6 year old?

Question

My 6 year old is always tired. She goes to bed at 7:30 every night and sleeps until 6-6:30 in the morning. That is roughly 11 hours a night, but she is still tired. She goes to school in the morning but comes home exhausted at noon. I have tried to put her in for naps, but she fights against it. Full blown fits. If she doesn't nap she is even worse in the evening. I have been to the doctor a few times about this, but they haven't found anything. This has been going on for years and nothing has been found. I am really worried now because of the mood changes that I am starting to see as a result. Has anyone ever dealt with anything like this?? I would love to have something to bring to my doctor. Is there anything that I can try to help her feel more rested?

I am careful about her diet. She doesn't get a lot of sugar and absolutely no caffeine. I tried a 6 month run of a childs multivitamin, but saw no change.

Answer 1

I'm sure from reading your Q. that you are looking after her well and lovingly, so you don't need to be told the obvious stuff. Could be an intolerance to gluten or dairy...something she has every day so you never notice changes. There are tests for these but the medical ones can be very unpleasant, so just eliminate it for a few weeks, try her on it again and repeat to see any differences in her health. Other things that are very unlikely are more serious so I would take her to the doc. and have her blood tested for any nasties, just so it's ruled out.
Take care.

Answer 2

I would keep a diary of her daily activity for about a week, write down everything, mood changes, diet, when she goes to sleep, when she gets up, how much physical activity she has that day, etc..
Then reschedule a doctors appointment, and perhaps this time the doc will pay closer attention and help to discover what is going on with your child. If it isn't something he can find, he should refer you to someone else. If your not happy with the doctors findings, don't be afraid to go to a different doctor.

Also, are you certain she is sleeping all night long, not waking in the middle of the night or sleep walking?

And I would keep her on the multivitamins until you can figure out what is going on.

Answer 3

Is she taking a multivitamin? I would watch her sugar intake as previously suggested. No soda unless it's decaffienated, popcorn instead of cookies etc.

Are you letting her have a quiet time in the afternoon after school? I don't mean putting her down for a nap I mean just letting her veg for an hour or so ... perhaps watching a children,s movie....or sitting quietly with her & reading. She might just be one of those kids that plays really hard in the morning at school & is beat when she gets home.

If when she gets into school full time & you have a problem with her falling asleep in class - I would have her checked out by a pediatrician.

Answer 4

Try a quiet time instead of a nap. Tell her she doesnt have to sleep but has to lay on the couch or a bed and look at books or play quietly with a toy. 90% of the time she will fall asleep but because you said she didnt have to she wont have to put up the power struggle with you. One thing you may have not thought of is that maybe she is actually getting too much sleep. When a person sleeps too much its the same symptoms as not enough sleep. That is one reason why some people sleep too much- they think they are tired.

Answer 5

Sounds like her sleep isn't restful. She's sleeping yes, but not resting well. My daughter who is 6 is the same way. I did naps but didn't call them naps. I called them rest periods. Told her, her body needed time to rest after such a big day at school and getting up so early. I let her lay on the couch with a blanket over her. Usually she falls asleep within a few moments. It's tough getting up so early for a little one and then school on top of it. I'd keep up the vitamins though, they do help keep her from being sooo run down.

Answer 6

Baw could be right, sugar, junk food.
My daughter's 7 and she is tired all the time, pale, mouth ulcers. I took her to the doc and he said she's going to be tested for VITAMIN B Deficiency. We're awaiting an appointment for blood tests at the local hospital.
I give her MINADEX tonic in the meantime, it's got vitamins and iron for children and it's worth a try.
My daughter eats like a horse so I know it's not her appetite giving problems, I've been cutting down on her sugar intake too.
Just got to wait on these tests now though.

I'll let you know if I find out anything that can help you out with your little girl...

Answer 7

Possible chemical sensitivity. There are so many chemicals in our lives and some people find it hard to cope with them. I know that it is hard to remove all chemicals but for some people one of the symptoms can be a lack of energy due to a high level, or what is for them a high level, of chemicals in their diet. And half of the things we don't even consider. Soaps, cleaners, fly spray, laundry detergents, freshly painted rooms, car fumes, preservatives in food, and the list goes on. If you aren't having any satisfaction with the doctor you are going to, try another. We often take our car to several mechanics but when it comes to people, wether ourselves or our family it does not often occur to us to get a second opinion. And good luck. The other answer have all brought up very good points, some of which I have seen in children.

Answer 8

Have you had any blood work done on her or is the doc just dismissing your concerns? Ask the doc about possible thyroid problems. I dont know if a little one can have thyroid problems but it could be possible. Ask about any other potential disorders. Or you may want to get a second opinion. Try changing her diet. No sugar. will she eat spinach? That's probably a crazy question. Maybe you can get her to eat it if you make a spinach dip with some pita bread chips or baked chips. You could probably do a search on "energy foods" to get more ideas.

Answer 9

11 hours of sleep at 6 seems ok but i'd bet she still needs a nap. A full blown fit is a power struggle that you must win and the sooner the better.

Answer 10

at the same time as talking with a Firestone Tire organization the former day and replacing 2 of my 4 3 hundred and sixty 5 days previous blown out tires, , i grow to be suggested that the conventional existence expectancy of tires is 5 years. fortuitously, the blow out got here about on a small street the position there grow to be no different site visitors transferring. hence, i advise you no longer to take your vehicle out on the expressway till you've them checked and altered with new tires, aligned and precise inflated. No volume of money saving is wisely worth risking your existence and protection for one minute. that is all it takes to have a blow out and on the expressway, that ought to effect in a very damaging collision. maximum ideal needs.