The toddler years involve a great deal of growth and development, which require vast amounts of energy. This being the case, there is little wonder why toddlers frequently experience tiredness. While tiredness comes naturally during these years, some children also experience abnormal sleep disturbances or physical illnesses that make the situation worse.
Normal and Abnormal Tiredness
As the BabyCenter website explains, children younger than 12 months often need two naps per day, ranging from 20 minutes to 3 hours long. Toddlers between 1 and 2 years typically need only one two-hour nap in the middle of the afternoon, and kids older than 3 may stop napping. Toddlers normally experience increased levels of tiredness as their sleep schedules change during these periods. However, some toddlers experience additional sleep problems. According to Dr. Brett R. Kuhn, assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, approximately 25 percent of infants and toddlers experience abnormal trouble settling into sleep and staying asleep throughout the night.
Symptoms
Common symptoms of tiredness include frequent eye rubbing, loss of concentration, decreased speed in performing physical tasks and, of course, tantrums. As Dr. Keith M. Boyd, author of "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Parenting a Preschooler and Toddler, Too," explains, when a toddler needs sleep, her body stops responding to her brain signals efficiently, forcing her to work harder and causing her temper to shorten. Toddlers who are tired around nap time or bedtime display normal tiredness. Toddlers who display these symptoms throughout the day regardless of how much they sleep and toddlers who frequently wake up in the middle of the night are experiencing abnormal tiredness.
Treatments
Keep your toddler on a consistent sleep schedule to reduce the effects of normal tiredness. Child and Youth Health suggests quietly holding your toddler from behind whenever she experiences a fatigue-related tantrum. Once the tantrum passes and she relaxes, settle her down for a nap. Parents of toddlers experiencing abnormal problems falling asleep may consider using unmodified extinction --- letting the overly tired child "cry it out" until she falls asleep --- or graduated extinction, in which the parent gradually reduces the amount of attention he pays to the toddler as she falls asleep. Never administer a pharmacological treatment for frequent sleep disturbance without first consulting your doctor.
Chronic Tiredness as a Sign of Physical Illness
Sometimes, your toddler's tiredness could be a symptom of physical illness. If your child has an infection, vitamin or mineral deficiency, diabetes, anemia or chronic illness such as chronic kidney disease, she may demonstrate exceptionally recurrent and severe tiredness. Look for other symptoms or abnormalities in your child's behavior, including dietary and personality changes. If your toddler displays chronic tiredness yet consistently receives balanced meals and a healthy amount of sleep each night, along with several naps during the day, talk with your doctor.
References
- Women's and Children's Health Network - Child and Youth Health; Tips for Toddler Troubles; July 2008
- Tel-Aviv University; Interventions for Infant and Toddler Sleep Disturbance; Brett R. Kuhn, et al.; 2000
- BBC Health; Tiredness; Trisha Macnair; March 2009
- Baby Center: Napping - Two to Three Years
- Family Education; Nap Time for Toddlers; Keith M. Boyd, et al.; 1997
- The Complete Idiot's Guide to Parenting a Preschooler and Toddler Too; Alpha Books; Keith M. Boyd, et al.; 1997
