It’s (soon) back to school days! On the agenda: getting up, breakfast, preparation and busy days! A steady pace, but at their level… in principle. Because some children quickly show signs of fatigue and noticeable exhaustion when they return home. When should we worry?
A few difficult days are not necessarily worrying
After the holidays, a few days of adaptation are obviously possible. But according to Fabienne Kochert, the pediatrician contacted, fatigue should not occur immediately.
“At the start of the school year, children should be rested”she recalls.
Of course, a child may have difficulty returning to their usual schedule after several weeks of vacation. The return to early morning awakenings, structured days and school demands may take a little time to adapt. As with us parents, an occasional desire to sleep more or a more difficult awakening in the morning does not constitute, in itself, a warning signal.
On the other hand, fatigue should not set in permanently or prevent the child from functioning normally at school.
“What should be worrying is when there is a school impact,” explains Fabienne Kochert.
In other words, it is not only how long the child sleeps that matters, but what his state of fatigue causes during the day.
Difficulty concentrating, drowsiness: the first signals to watch for
A child who regularly lacks concentration, who constantly seems exhausted, or who falls asleep in class is not simply “down” after the holidays.
Likewise, an unusual drop in academic results, or those that struggle to improve at the start of the year, must attract attention. Especially if it is accompanied by fatigue.
These signs may be linked to sleep debt. But several factors can be involved: late bedtimes, overloaded schedules, poor quality sleep or even breathing problems during the night.
School fatigue should therefore be seen as a symptom to be understood, rather than a problem to be treated solely by moving up bedtime.
What if the problem came from his nights?
Certain sleep changes can provide valuable clues. Persistent difficulty falling asleep, repeated nocturnal awakenings or particularly restless sleep are worth observing.
Another interesting element: a child who sleeps a lot on weekends may seek to recover a sleep debt accumulated during the week.
But again, we have to look at the whole situation. The question to ask is rather: does he wake up sufficiently rested? Is he in good shape during the day? Can he stay attentive in class?
Does your child snore? This detail should not be trivialized
Another signal is often underestimated by parents: snoring, Fabienne Kochert reminds us.
Large tonsils or adenoids can obstruct the passage of air during the night and cause obstructive sleep apnea.
“The child may then snore, have micro-awakenings and see the quality of his sleep significantly reduced, even if he seems to sleep for long hours.
Certain nocturnal signs should particularly attract attention: a child who snores regularly, who is very restless during sleep or who sweats a lot at night. The next day, the consequences may be visible: fatigue upon waking up, lack of alertness, difficulty concentrating or drowsiness in class.
“In the event of a complaint about attention in class, you should always check the quality of sleep before rushing to diagnoses of ADHD”underlines Fabienne Kochert.
This obviously does not mean that an attention disorder cannot exist, but poor quality sleep can also seriously disrupt attention skills.
Headaches, stomach ache: can fatigue also manifest physically?
For some children, fatigue doesn’t just mean yawning. Physical symptoms may also appear or worsen: headaches, abdominal pain, nausea, lack of appetite, etc.
These manifestations obviously do not allow, on their own, to conclude that there is excessive fatigue. They can have many other causes. But when they appear alongside significant fatigue and academic difficulties, they deserve to be taken into account in the overall assessment of the child.
The context therefore matters a lot: since when has the child been complaining? At what times? Only on school days? Do the symptoms disappear during holidays or weekends?…
Be careful not to overload your schedule
At the start of the school year, there is sometimes a great temptation to want to immediately return to all the good habits: homework, sport, music, extra-curricular activities, etc.
But a child coming off several weeks of vacation doesn’t necessarily need to fill every available slot.
For Fabienne Kochert, the principle is simple: do not overload your schedule and preserve rest time, particularly on Wednesdays and weekends.
Sleep must also regain a central place. The pediatrician advises going to bed at a fixed time in the evening, after a quiet period, in order to help you fall asleep.
And there’s no need to turn the weekend into a second school week. “You shouldn’t impose hours and hours of homework on the weekend.”she believes. It’s better to work a little each day to encourage repetition and avoid exhausting accumulation.
Fatigue in class can also reveal a learning difficulty
Finally, one last point should not be overlooked: the child may be tired because learning requires a lot of effort.
“For children with certain learning disabilities, such as dyslexia, the school day can represent a real cognitive overload. What requires little effort for another child can mobilize much more attention and energy for them”.
Result: they may be particularly tired after class, have difficulty staying focused or drop out more quickly as the day goes on.
If fatigue appears mainly in class or is accompanied by learning difficulties, it is therefore interesting to talk about it with the teacher and the pediatrician.
Back-to-school fatigue: when should you consult?
Fatigue that persists and, above all, has an impact on schooling deserves medical advice in any case.
“The doctor will be able to look for different causes and carry out a complete clinical examination, particularly looking at growth and the ENT area. If a sleep disorder is suspected, a sleep recording may also be prescribed”assures the expert.
The objective is not to medicalize simple back-to-school fatigue, but to not miss a problem that would permanently disrupt sleep or learning.
And above all, do not try to compensate for fatigue by simply asking him to “make an effort”. If a child is truly exhausted, you must first find out why.