Tiedness in children; an article from BBC health issues. Hope this helps the child’s mum to possibly have a clue about the cause.
What’s normal?
Children get tired just as adults do and that can lead to its own set of problems, but it’s usually alleviated by a couple of early nights.
Children under five typically show a ‘start-stop’ pattern of activity when they’re intensely active for a short period and then exhausted, briefly, until their batteries recharge. This pattern can be repeated many times in a single day.
Hunger can make tiredness more acute, especially in young children, so food rapidly peps up energy levels.
But the tiredness of illness is different, and if a child seems strangely or persistently tired, or complains of feeling tired, you should look for an explanation.
Possible causes
Physical illnesses that cause tiredness in children include:
Many physical illnesses can cause tiredness. Most common are infections. Children suffer frequent coughs, colds and respiratory infections, which often are associated with a couple of days of low energy and fatigue. This usually gets better quickly, as the fever goes down and other symptoms resolve.
Occasionally, especially after a bacterial throat infection, tiredness can persist, sometimes resurfacing intermittently for several weeks.
Tiredness may be an early sign of more serious conditions, such as diabetes or cancer (particularly blood cancers such as leukaemia), although these are rare. It’s important to be alert for other symptoms such as weight loss, excessive thirst or frequent needing to urinate, all of which are signs of diabetes.
Diagnosis
The following can help you to decide whether your child’s tiredness requires further investigation:
- Keep a diary of your child’s day, including symptoms or complaints of tiredness, to look for triggers.
- Check their sleeping environment - are brothers or sisters keeping them awake?
- Check sleeping hours - most children need at least ten hours a night, ideally with a consistent bedtime.
- Could sleep apnoea be a problem?
- Check your child’s diet: iron is essential to build red blood cells and avoid anaemia, particularly once girls have started their periods
- You may want try a course of vitamin supplements, especially if it’s a problem persuading them to eat plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables.
- If tiredness is worse before meals, their blood sugar may be dipping - try healthy snacks between meals.
- Talk to your child and encourage them to discuss their worries with you.
Tiredness rarely persists for long in children. If it goes on for more than ten days, look for other symptoms and talk to your GP.
Chronic fatigue syndrome
Adults aren’t the only ones to get chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), also known as ME. This condition, which is often triggered by a simple viral infection, can cause prolonged and debilitating tiredness that can keep a child at home, isolated from school and friends, for months and even years.
Other common symptoms include muscle weakness, memory and concentration problems, and pain, but CFS can cause a huge range of symptoms and every case varies.
