Pure Exhaustion?

[GirlMomma]

Have any of you ever seen a child that is constantly exhausted?

DCG2 comes in rubbing her eyes. DCG will play on the floor laying down, not upright or at the table. She’ll rub her eyes until nap time - then she’s the first one out and the last one up. By the time she eats and plays for 30-45 mins, she’s tired again and laying down. DCM says she’ll fall asleep on the 15 minute drive home at 4:00 and is ready for bed at 8:30.

[Blackcat31]

Yes, I've seen it a lot in kids that either don't get enough sleep or don't get quality sleep. Especially those that "nap" during weekend errands or fall asleep to a movie etc.
So many parents think when their kid runs around like a chicken with it's head cut off is proof their kid isn't tired but in reality it simply means their brains went to sleep already so their bodies are acting all crazy now... Best way to address the issue is good, sound quality sleep WITH a routine.

[GirlMomma]

The last two families I’ve enrolled don’t seem to have a solid bedtime routine. I’ve never seen anything like this.

[Blackcat31]

It's crazy how some of the basics like sleep, food and play are just ignored as important for some of these parents now days.

[GirlMomma]

It’s truly mind blowing!

[Annalee]

I have dcb3 that faceplants on the table immediately after drop-off.....sometimes I place his cot out as he will not wake up....dcm says he is up all hours of the night with an ipad...sad!!!!

[GirlMomma]

This!!! She does this exact thing some days. Do you let him sleep it off? Do you send him home if he’s disruptive at nap?

[Annalee]

Yes; he sleeps through nap; I can't even get him awake for meals some days.....tired of discussing it with dcm......I tell his grandpa when he picks up I didn't even see dcb eyeballs that day? I'm wondering if dcm is giving him something to sleep really late night or possibly early morning to get him to sleep and he goes out at daycare??? just a thought I"ve had!

[GirlMomma]

That’s so sad! I would think melatonin would wear off… maybe she’s giving him Benadryl?

[GirlMomma]

I expressed my concern with DCP (this is so unusual) and they took her to the doctor today. The child’s blood work shows she has high levels of iron… but DCM says it’s a deficiency. I’m confused & perhaps she’s using the word “deficiency” incorrectly?

Have any of you experienced this?

[Annalee]

Probably, so Girlmomma! I am not a fan of melatonin and neither is this child's grandpa as he has expressed concern and I've shared what I know but i can't do everything for them. I've had family members give melatonin to their kids and the kids have night tremors/bad dreams/anger breakouts. Also your body stops making what it needs to after taking melatonin too long. The local pediatrician does not recommend it and sure discourages long uses of it Just my opinion! I think alot of these issues begin with a power struggle between parent/child then the meds come in to fix it. Again just my opinion! Parents need to be consistent and say 'go to bed' you don't have to sleep but stay in your bed and the child will gradually calm down to sleep but just my opinion!

[GirlMomma]

Annalee I remember as a kid, we would get put down for rest time. Whether we slept or not was on us - but we had to lay there in bed to reset. It was usually during the time my mom/grandma was watching their soap operas. 😂

When I had my DD’s - I did the same for them. They didn’t need to sleep, but they needed to rest and reset.

[Annalee]

Agreed girlmomma and same here! It's about health sometimes, sometimes simply respect for doing what you are told.....times are so different...

[INnewbie]

I just had DCG4 and DCB5 start last week and dad said that because of the previous daycare they went to, they were use to no naps. DCB has only napped one day, but DCG falls asleep in the play room while playing every single day. I move her and lay her down in the proper spot, but I just can’t imagine if she was falling asleep the entire day basically

[GirlMomma]

Yeah, that seems odd.

[Blackcat31]

I expressed my concern with DCP (this is so unusual) and they took her to the doctor today. The child’s blood work shows she has high levels of iron… but DCM says it’s a deficiency. I’m confused & perhaps she’s using the word “deficiency” incorrectly?

Have any of you experienced this?

From a quick Google search I found:

The absorption of lead can cause iron deficiency and may further cause anemia.
Lead causes anemia by impairing heme synthesis and increasing the rate of red blood cell destruction. On the other hand, it is also possible that iron deficiency, which is a proven cause of anemia, leads to increase in the absorption of lead in the body, resulting in high blood lead levels.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/art...0%5B29%2C30%5D.

[GirlMomma]

Thank you, BC!

[Pestle]

Yes, I have had three children like those. Two of them were siblings. And I confirmed from talking with the parents that they were regularly up to 11 PM or later watching TV with their fathers.

What I do now is contact the families for pick up if a child is too sleepy to make it through the day. If you have a child that is usually awake and then one day falls asleep in their lunch, they are almost certainly getting sick. If you have a child who can never make it more than an hour or two after drop off, and they are old enough to be on a one nap schedule, there's either something medically wrong with them or something behaviorally wrong with the parents, and it should be the responsibility of the parents to follow through. This is a critical life stage and the kids deserve their brains to be operating during it.

[Annalee]

I've had him since birth; kept his sibling and his MOTHER LOL so we know each other well; the sibling did the same thing many days.....I only have him till the summer as he will be going to the local school (income-elligible) pre-k in the fall.....so I'm just biding my time, Some things happen that I just have to let go in my old age. LOL

[GirlMomma]

Totally agree!

[Annalee]

DCB come in bright eyed and bushy tailed today,....so nice.....he's been with papa all weekend.....so it has to be something to do with dcm's home.??

[GirlMomma]

Yep. She probably lets him crash wherever.