In children, the processes of excitation and inhibition in the brain are in the process of development and are not yet completely balanced, so they are easily shifted in any direction with minimal impact or no apparent reason at all. However, very often the causes of increased drowsiness in a child exist, they are serious, objective in nature and require attention from both doctors and parents.
What causes drowsiness in children?
First of all, you should pay attention to the lifestyle of the child. Causes related to lifestyle:
- lack of sleep. Children under 12 need 9-10 hours of sleep a night. With insufficient sleep, children feel overwhelmed and cannot concentrate on lessons. Intensive classes at school, inadequate rest, increased physical activity can cause lack of sleep;
- improper or unbalanced diet (lack of vitamins and minerals);
- excess weight;
- physical inactivity.
Often, weakness and drowsiness develops in a child after an illness, primarily after suffering infectious diseases (tonsillitis, influenza, mononucleosis and other viral infections, allergies), or under the influence of certain medications (antihistamines, tranquilizers, and others).
The cause of lethargy and drowsiness in children can also be low hemoglobin in the blood, low blood pressure, thyroid dysfunction, kidney disease, congenital heart disease, bowel disease.
Sleepiness in teenagers
Increased drowsiness in a teenager, in addition to the reasons listed above, can be observed with astheno -neurotic conditions – fear of problems at school, anxiety about new upcoming events. A common cause of this phenomenon is depressive states caused by the divorce of parents, the loss of loved ones, unrequited love or excessive anxiety for various reasons.
Sleepiness in babies
Particular attention should be paid to drowsiness in an infant with a difficult course of childbirth (prolonged labor, asphyxia of the newborn, the use of medications in childbirth). In this case, the child can sleep soundly, skipping feedings. Incorrect attachment to the breast can also cause fatigue and the baby to fall asleep quickly during the meal.
Drowsiness in a newborn is especially dangerous and requires immediate medical attention if:
- weak crying of the child;
- flaccid skin turgor (does not straighten from a pinch);
- dryness of the mucous membrane of the mouth and eyes;
- sunken fontanel;
- elevated temperature;
- the minimum amount of urine produced.
If your child has increased drowsiness, weakness and fatigue, to find out the cause, he needs to perform a full examination and get advice from a specialist doctor. The Sleep Medicine Center at the Rehabilitation Clinic in Khamovniki can diagnose and treat sleep disorders that cause drowsiness in children and adolescents.