Being tired reason for constant bad behavior?

661 Views 7 Replies 8 Participants Last post by mom2kbeth, Jun 17, 2004

Satori

Discussion Starter · Jun 16, 2004

I was reading something about how much sleep kids need the other day and my dd only gets just more then half what they recommend. Last night she got about 12 hours of sleep and even though she had a really busy day her behavior was much better! I did not yell once tonight!

Could it really be as simple as getting more sleep? Now granted this has some problems as she will NOT go to sleep before the sun goes down which means going to bed between 8:30-9pm and waking her up about 8am, ok duh, that's about 12 hours which she needs. I'm going to start making it a point to get her into bed as soon as the sun goes down. I know I'm enjoying watching a movie right now and getting ME time

There's a chart that lists the amount of time a child needs to sleep here

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Colorful~Mama

· #2 · Jun 16, 2004

yes. i totally believe that sleep deprivation is tied into behavior. My kids are so my happier and well behaved and generally 'on track' when they've gotten enough sleep.

my preschooler sleeps 11 hours on the weekdays (i watch other kids so she wakes when they're dropped off if she's not already up) and 12-13 hours on the weekends.

my teen? she can sleep forever like a rock!

and my nursling? we're working on it. lol

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indiegirl

· #3 · Jun 16, 2004

My short answer is YES.

It's late and I should be sleeping, lol. But I believe that sleep is the number 1 factor in my children's behavior and, consequently, my parenting being either positive or hanging by a thread.

Jesse

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PM

· #4 · Jun 16, 2004

That came out in a recent study: http://www.abc.net.au/pm/content/2004/s1078259.htm

I can't find the article I read back then. I think it was in Le Monde. Scary stuff.

I would also blame television viewing - any kind of program. My dd didn't watch any until age 2 1/2. Then she was viewing an hour or so a day as we settled into our first snowbound winter in the middle of nowhere. After six months, I think, I unplugged and removed the TV. My dd's aggressive behaviour curbed significantly. But then dh wanted to be able to watch the news. The TV went back up and dd started to watch again (and we're talking very non-violent stuff) and it was so visible how she would go from calm to irritable, upset, violent, etc.

Back then she was at home and sleeping from 9-10 until 10-11 the next morning.

Oh, and the word bad, in relation to children, really sucks.

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bec

· #5 · Jun 16, 2004

Definitely. Since dd2 was born, naps for dd1 have become very difficult. dd1 takes a very long time to settle for a nap, and that just doesn't seem to happen with the baby around. Her behavior was deteriorating. She wasn't listening, she was grouchy, throwing tantrums all the time, etc.

The two things I've done that have made the most difference have been taking her off most sugar, and popping both kids in the car for a drive when dd1 needs a nap. It's been pricey with gas as expensive as it is, but it has been worth it to have my sweet girl back.

Bec

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sunnmama

· #6 · Jun 16, 2004

Oh, yes, I definitely believe this. I am convinced this is the major reason that dd is so much easier now (at 3) than she was last year (at 2).

She slept the same amount both years: 10-11 hours/day (all at night--no naps). It is/was impossible for her to sleep more in 24 hours. Believe me, we tried (any sleep made up at nap time would be naturally deducted by her body at night time. Her body simply would not sleep longer each 24 hour period, so we chose to make sure ALL of the sleep was at night--so I could sleep, too!). During her 2s, she was exhausted most of the time and quite miserable. Tantrum city.

Suddenly, shortly after turning 3, all of that just *changed. She slept the same amount, but seemed more rested, and was much more relaxed/laid back/cooperative. Relatively speaking, that is

I believe that, as she matured, she "grew into" her sleep needs. She is now getting the right amount of sleep for her, so she is able to behave appropriately and enjoy life.

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neveryoumindthere

· #7 · Jun 16, 2004

my dd's only one but wow! those days (FEW AND FAR BTWN!

) that she sleeps better she is a different child!!! she's more playful and full of energy and not clingy/whiny/screaming etc. u get the picture

since her 2nd month we've had sleep issues with her and are really working on it, especially when my ppd was BAD i was hanging by a thread and still have several days like that, so yes, in answer to the OP, i believe being tired is a HUGE reason for misbehaviour/tantrums/crankiness.

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mom2kbeth

· #8 · Jun 17, 2004

Definitely!! There are 3 top factors for my dd's misbehavior
(1) lack of sleep (she really needs 11-12 hours, and she still needs a nap, but refuses to take it most of the time. When she does fall asleep for a nap, she'll sleep a good2-4 hours!)
(2) hunger (she eats really well, but we're on the go a lot, and don't have a set meal time schedule. And a lot of times she'll just not want to eat because she's got better things to do. When she's really irritable, chances are, she hasn't eaten in a long while)
(3) TV watching - any more than a short show during the day, and she's just too overstimulated and doesn't control her behavior or words.

In relation to sleep, I've also found that the amount of sleep I get also factors in to her behavior. Meaning that if I am well rested, I can better deal with the minor misbehaviors before they turn major. if I'm tired and irritable myself, she just feeds off of it, and her behavior gets worse.

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