4Year Old Sleeping Alot

I just wanted to mention this one, since no one else has, did it coincide with immunizations? If so, he may be reacting to the metals in them and he should be detoxed of them soon. If not, he could be about to grow like a weed! (=
K.

Sounds like he is missing time alone with you too. How wonderful that he wants to cuddle and can relax and sleep while feeling close to his mommy.

Growth spurt...
I have a 2 1/2 year old, a 3 1/2 year old and a 5 1/2 year old. Definitely a growth spurt.

Dear P.,
Both of my children went through phases like this.
They didn't have a temperature, they weren't cranky or upset, they just wanted to sleep more than usual.
My children also went through phases where they would barely eat anything for about a week.
It got to where I could spot a growth spurt coming from a mile away and already have the next size shoes bought and paid for.
My son is 13 and still does that.
The day he tells me he's not really hungry is the day I know exactly what's going on. He'll take his shower and have his pajamas on and be ready to go to bed at 7:30. And sleep till 7:30 the next morning.
Next thing I know, he's an inch taller and twice as hungry.
As long as your son doesn't seem sick and he hasn't had a big change in his personality or been through significant life changes, he's most likely just a normal growing boy who really likes cuddle time with his mom.
I think it's great when a kid knows they're tired and they voluntarily want a comfy and happy place to lay down.
Try not to worry. Give it a little time. And enjoy it while it lasts.

I wish you the best!

I am sure he is fine he is just more active making him get tired.

Hi P.,
my son who is 7 does that on and off. HOWEVER, in the last month, he too began to go bed by 7:30pm (this is about an hour or so early for him) not to mention, he usually gets up to 9 hrs sleep. Now , with that said. He began to feel tired and then got moody, came down with earache, which we called the doctor who said, give him otc meds and if no improvement, bring him in. Turns out, he didn't get better but worse, he had the makings of viral meningitis. I don't say this to scare you, but IF something is VERY out of the norm for your child, you may want to take him in to the doctor's and get him checked out. Could be it's just growing pains and he needs more sleep, but it's always worth checking out.
Good luck :)

Are there any other signs of anything out of the ordinary?

Lethargy could be a sign that he has a bug of some sort.

Usually when my children slept during the day out of the ordinary like that, I would realize later that he or she had a bug comming on.

A UTI can first present itself with lethargy and sleeping alot. This happened with my daughter. It will most likely have other signs occuring: potty accidents and/or inability to make it to the potty in time (which can be hard to pinpoint as a medical problem if you are currently potty training) and/or frequent urination with not much urine comming out, possibly urine odor. Later it will present with a high fever if it goes on long enough to make its way to the kidneys.

A vitamin B deficiency, specifically B1 and B12 can cause tiredness and or unusual weakness. Other symptoms might present with it. B1:calf tenderness, anorexia, oversensitive to noise, numbness in legs or feet. B12: dandruff, irritable, lack of balance, sore tounge, tingling extremities, lack of concentration.
If you try to supplement, just use a B complex vitamin, it will have all the B vits in it. Liquid , if you can find it, administered under the tounge. Most people are deficient in B vits anyway because we eat alot of sugars, juices and carbs so it wouldn't hurt to supplement. One other supplement I highly reccommend is Fulvic Acid, because it has 60+ trace minerals in it. It facitiltes uptake of all the viamins in the foods and supplements you take to go right into cells, (energy!) helps clear out toxins, and stimulates the immune system.

Low Omega 3's cause fatigue. Use cod liver oil, which gives vit A and D as well.

Anemia (lack of enough iron in the blood) can cause fatigue and sleepiness.

Diabetes can cause fatigue and sleepiness, especially after certain foods. Food allergies can do the same. Meals high in sugar, or an excessively high intake of fatty protiens and carbs together in a large meal can cause drowsyness.

Yeast gives off toxins that can cause lethargy and so can parasites. Bacterial infections can cause fatigue, as can a virus.

Stress, heart disease and thyroid problems also cause fatigue/sleepiness.

Unless there are symptoms of illness, I would suggest that he is going through a big growth spurt. My daughter (who is now 13 year old)'s growth pattern has always been that she will have several days when she will eat everything in sight (sometimes needing two dinners!), followed by several days when all she wanted to do was sleep. When she emerged from that, she was noticeably bigger. It was more apparent/pronounced when she was younger, but that still seems to be her pattern. So... I suspect your boy is growing. Enjoy the quiet time while you get it!

Hi P.!
It's very possible that he's just going through a growth spurt. He could also be reacting to any additional physical activites, especially with the weather being warmer and kids playing outside more. I would just keep any eye on his behaviors for any additional changes, like always being thirsty or listless even when not sleeping. And talk to your pediatrician if you're still worried. I'm sure he's fine. Good luck and enjoy the extra cuddle time! :)

My son (turned 5 in October) just did this - went through a period of about a week or so of sleeping much more than normal - wasn't showing signs of sickness and I couldn't figure it out. After 3 or 4 days I called the advice nurse at Kaiser and she ran through a battery of questions - all of which were not what was going on - she said it could be a growth spurt or something going on developmentally (milestone) and unless he's showing other signs of something wrong, then just keep an eye on him and his sleep should get back on track - she didn't give me a timeframe - she said all children are different. But after about a week or week and a half, he got back on track with his normal sleeping patterns.

Kids that age need to sleep a lot- 12 hours a day- they are growing! There are charts that say how much children need to sleep at each age. Most kids don't get enough sleep.

Hi P.,

My kids haven't reached this stage, but I am a nurse. Give yourself some peace of mind and have him checked out by a doctor. It could be a variety of things.
Blessings to you.

S. J.

Hi P.,

Your son may be sleeping a lot because he is not getting quality sleep and getting to the 5 stage REM. I was one of those children. I slept all the time and everyone assumed I was always sleeping to much. It was the opposite.

I am a wellness consultant and found a great way to get to the 5 stage REM and my little one gets good rest every night since she was 2 days old.

If you would like to learn more email me and I will share.
We all need to know what we can do to help our children live a better quality life. Experts say we are at war with our environment and it is effecting our young ones the most.

Have a great week.

N. Marie

Hi P.,

Does he sleep the whole night through? Have you noticed him urinating more than usual or drinking more than usual? He is probably just wearing himself out or going through a growth spurt, but I would mention it to your doctor to rule out diabetes. I know you work during the day, but have whoever is watching him keep an eye out for other symptoms.

Hi there, I would call the doctor just to make sure that it is just a growth spurt or wanting more time with you. Then you can have peace of mind for sure.

Since it is out of the ordinary I would take him to the Dr. Could just be a growth spurt or something else going on. Call your dr. to be sure.

You didn't say what time he wakes up but kids that age sure need a lot of sleep! 12-14 hrs is not uncommon. I agree with the person who mentioned diabetes. Although it is unlikely, it is always good to watch for signs. Our society tends to feed our kids (and ourselves) WAY too many carbs and not enough protein. Most people are not aware that we should NEVER eat carbs alone. We should always be eating carbs (breads, fruits, vegetables) WITH a protein (meats, nuts, seeds, or milk/cheese if you do dairy) to keep our blood sugar at a normal level. Too many carbs cause it to go way up then crash way down causing us to be tired and lethargic. Some kids eat too many carbs in the evening at dinner or later at dessert then crash near or before bedtime.

If his sleep continues to seem excessive to you, it can't hurt to check in with the doctor just for peace of mind! Take care.

P.,

Its probably nothing to worry about, but for your own peace of mind, I would get him seen by his doctor. Maybe he is just in a major growth spurt?

Take care,

Molly