Have you noticed that your three years old always seems like they're tired? It's not as uncommon as you might think it is.
However, there is plenty of reason to be concerned if your toddler seems like they're always sleepy.
Here we're going to go over the reasons why your three years old might always seem sleepy. There could be a reason for concern, but it all depends on what is making your child sleepy.
After you determine the cause of your child's sleepiness, then you can do something about it.
The Most Obvious Reason Is Your Child Isn't Getting Enough Sleep
A three-year-old needs quite a bit of sleep every day. How much sleep is your little one getting?
Are they getting between nine and eleven hours of sleep per night?
Also, what about nap time? Your three year old should take up to an hour and a half nap per day.
That's a lot of sleep, and if your toddler isn't getting enough, they will be sleepy.
Worse yet, your toddler will be grumpy, and you know how awful that can be. If the solution is to get more sleep, you've got to do something to make it happen.
Sleep is one of the most important aspects of a young person's life, and not getting enough will have all kinds of devastating consequences later on in life.
Medication Might Be Making Them Sleepy
Has your child recently started to take a new medication? If so, that might be the reason why they are so sleepy.
Check online to see if sleepiness is a side effect of the medicine. If it is, you might want to talk to your doctor about it.
If the medication is something that your child will eventually stop taking, it's probably not worth mentioning to your doctor.
It all depends on how long the child will take the medication and how negatively the sleepiness is affecting them.
Chronic Illnesses Can Cause Sleepiness
If your child has asthma or another chronic illness, that could be the reason why they are so sleepy.
There isn't much you do about it if you already know the illness exists.
However, if you don't know what's going on, now is the time to go to the doctor. Your child may have a permanent condition that needs to be addressed.
Occasional sleepiness is understandable; it's when the sleepiness becomes chronic that you've got to be concerned.
Anemia Could Be the Culprit
Yes, children can become anemic. The problem that most children face is they don't like to eat certain foods.
It's your job to make sure that your child is getting enough iron-rich foods.
Somehow, you've got to sneak in some iron in their diet. Beans, baked potatoes, whole-grain bread, and fortified cereals all have iron in them.
Also, if you can somehow sneak in a little liver or green leafy vegetables such as spinach, that would do the trick as well.
Liver is a difficult food for even adults to eat, but you might be able to find a way to prepare it that even your three-year-old will like it.
Finally, it's ok to give your child some iron supplements as needed.
Mental Health Issues May Be the Reason behind It
Can a toddler have depression, anxiety, or stress? They're just kids, after all.
The surprising answer is, yes, they can have mental health issues.
You shouldn't jump to conclusions right away and assume that there's something wrong with your child mentally because they're sleepy.
If the problem persists, however, you should talk to your pediatrician about it.
Cancer Is a Concern, Even for Children
Cancer and other serious health conditions can make your child feel sleepy. It's true, and it's something that you've got to consider.
Don't go around like a chicken with its head cut off, thinking that your child has cancer.
If the problem persists, it's something that your doctor will look into. A pediatrician wouldn't be doing their job if they didn't look for cancer if your toddler was sleepy.
Could It Be a Heart Problem?
Technically, yes, it could be a heart problem causing your three-year-old to be sleepy all the time.
It's highly unlikely that there's a problem with your child's heart. A few tests are all it takes to know if there is a problem with your child's heart.
None of this is meant to scare you, but to give you the inside scoop on the realities that your child is facing. It could be a heart issue, but it more than likely isn't.
An Infection Can Make Your Child Sleepy
A child's body is busy fighting when they have an infection. It makes sense that your child would be tired if they are fighting off an infection.
If you know your child is battling an infection, don't be surprised that they're tired.
It would be more surprising if the child was going toe to toe with an infection and wasn't tired.
It's All about How Sleepy Your Child Is
It's normal for a child to be sleepy sometimes. It's also normal for a child not to sleep well at night.
You have to put all of this into perspective. If your child is constantly sleepy, yawning, and looking sluggish, there's a problem.
If it's something that happened only once or twice, don't fret over it. Parents tend to make mountains out of molehills, and that's what you could be doing here.
If the sleepiness lasts for several days, call your doctor and schedule an appointment.
The hope is that if there is a problem that you nip it in the bud. More than likely, there is no problem, and you're overreacting.
If you're a new parent, it happens more than you think.
Your child is still at the stage where sleep is an issue. You know better than anyone else that a good night's sleep is a rarity in your life.
There isn't much cause for alarm if your child is sleepy unless it's an ongoing issue. If the sleepiness persists, there's a problem that needs checking into it.
If it subsides after a day or two, the sleepiness is normal and a part of the growing process.