Signs That Your Child Is Short on Sleep

Photo by Civalias Kune on Unsplash

​It’s a well-known fact that sleep is important to your health, whether you’re young or old. However, the value that sleep has on the younger ages; especially in babies, toddlers, school-aged kids and teens is even more so. Sleep that is inadequate, in terms of quantity and quality, can adversely affect one’s development and growth. It has also been learned that children who don’t sleep well are more likely to have issues with behavior issues, obesity, cognitive development and other serious issues.

​As a parent, we certainly don’t want our children to have those issues and we do want them to have high quality, restorative sleep that benefit them (and you!) as much as possible. However, it is sometimes hard to know whether your child’s behavior is related to needing more sleep or is it their wonderful, unique personality shining through? Some signs, such as yawning or rubbing their eyes, are obvious. Other signs of tiredness? Not so much. Here are some other less well-known signs that your child could be lacking in the department of sleep.

Babies/Toddlers

• Fussiness and crankiness, particularly in the later hours of the afternoon or as the day goes on
• Hyperactive and fidgety behavior, to point of being out of control
• Seeming to be even more clingy or needy than normal
• Is quite groggy upon being woken up and keeps trying to fall back asleep
• Falls asleep during shorter car rides
• Difficulty with sharing or taking turns, usually coupled with whining and a short temperament
• Snores (Can be a sign of childhood sleep apnea or large adenoids)
• Seems to be excessive hungry or wanting to snack all of the time

School-Aged Children

• Struggles to wake up in the mornings
• Hyperactive (Can sometimes be mistaken for ADD/ADHD)
• Lacks motivation and alertness
• Has a short attention span with most activities throughout the day
• Struggles to fall asleep at night
• Experiences night terrors/nightmares somewhat regularly
• Struggles with academics
• Has anxiety about being separated from you during the day and at night
• Needs regular naps, especially on the weekends
• Loud snoring (Can be a sign of childhood sleep apnea)

Pre-Teens/Teens

• Has difficulty concentrating throughout their day
• Significant struggles with mornings
• Extremely irritable in the afternoons/early evenings
• Experiences large mood swings
• Is hyperactive or aggressive
• Falls asleep easily during the day
• Sleeps for long periods of time on the weekends
• Appear dazed or confused throughout the day
• Wants to consume drinks with high amount of caffeine

What Can I Do?

If your child is displaying multiple signs of being tired, it would be good to re-evaluate their bedtime schedule and determine whether some changes to your child’s schedule need to be made. Some things that could be done are:

• Moving bedtime up
• Backing off activities that occur late in the day
• Enact quiet time an hour before bedtime
• Turn off screens an hour before bedtime
• Create a consistent bedtime routine that is done at the same time every night

Sleep has a significant impact on one’s well-being, and it should be treated as such. Keeping an eye out for these signs of tiredness and making adjustments in your child’s routine and schedule is a great start to making sure that your child has every opportunity to get the quality sleep that they need for their growing bodies and minds.

If you recognize your child is not getting the amount of sleep that they need and you're ready for a change, contact me so we can get your little one on the path of getting the sleep that they need so they can be at their best.