My 7 Year Old Always Looks So Tired

It sounds like she's getting a reasonable amount of sleep, so I wonder if the "looking tired" is actually due to allergies, which can also produce bags under the eyes. (Google "allergic shiner".)

They sell Claritin in children's dosages if she does have allergies.

Good luck

It's possibly allergies. My son is 3, gets plenty of sleep, but frequently gets dark circles under his eyes. He is a very picky eater and the doctor said that can cause it or it's just the seasonal allergies.

Hi N.,

I guess my first question is how does she act during her waking hours? Is she active and energenic or is she sluggish and wanting to watch television or sit in her room? How old is her bed? newer mattress? When was the last time she'd had a complete physical? Maybe contacting her Ped. and discussing your worrys with him/her would help. She may be anemic or low in iron. Good luck with her, school is gonna be fun for her at that age...........mine are all in upper middle school or high school, I envy the "problems" of a 7 yr old. LOL

Has she been tested for anemia (low iron levels). Being tired all the time is a sign. She can take iron supplements as well as eat more iron enriched foods and her energy levels should improve.

I would suggest taking her to see her pediatrician before school begins. It could be nothing or it could be something as simple as her even getting too much sleep (yes, that is actually possible, though i know all of us mothers don't even come close to reaching that category! LOL!) However they may even want to run some blood tests to check for things such as anemia and maybe even some more serious things. Good luck and I hope you daughter feels better!

~ C.

I don't really have an answer other than those could be early signs of asthma. Here are some others, you could also try calling an advisory nurse, or your doctor. Sorry I can't be more of a help.

Breathing changes or coughing
Feeling tired
Trouble sleeping
Less energy for exercise
Dark circles under the eyes
Chin or throat itchiness
Lower peak flow meters numbers

N., the most common cause of dark circles under the eyes is not fatigue, but allergies.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/dark-circles-under-eyes/...

If your daughter is having a stuffy nose, itchy eyes, or difficulty breathing, seeing a pediatrician and then a pediatric allergist is a good idea. It's imperative if you see difficulty breathing, even a slight amount. The pediatrician can diagnose allergies generally and prescribe medications, but the pediatric allergist can identify the offending allergens and set up a more complete course of treatment. I would not treat with OTC meds until you are sure of allergies, because it is not good to use antihistamines and decongestants for no reason in children. If she is getting allergies, they will bother her and distract her in school, so it's important to get this sorted out soon.

If she is getting enough sleep, then I would look to allergies for the cause.

M. ( had allergies all my life, even from infancy, know what it is to have them in school)

Sounds to me like your daughter may be going thru a growing spurt. I know my kids always sleep a lot more and still wake up looking tired when they're having one. In order to accomodate the start of school you may want to temporarily adjust her bed time to an earlier time, either 8 or 8:30, she may fuss but a little fuss is well worth the effort to ensure your daughter is well rested for school.

I would have to agree on the anemic part. When reading your post, that was the first thing I thought of.

Hi Nicole,
My daughter has dark circles under her eyes often too. the pediatrician told us it could be a sensitivity to the foods she has been eating, since she too was getting plenty of sleep and did not act or feel tired. she has soem funky food sensitivities and now when her circles appear, we think about what she has been eating.
Good luck!
A.

You may want to mention it to your pediatrician. Children do need their sleep but she sounds as if she is getting enough. Your pediatrician may want to monitor her sleep patterns more closely. You also may want to find out if you or her father has ever had any sleep problems. Try not to worry too much. Good luck with everything.

If her symptoms seem to be more recent, could it be allergies? When you are at work during the day is she outside a lot...sometimes the fresh air can make her tired too. I know these sound like simple answers but they're worth ruling out. Hope she's feeling better.

N.

Does your daughter snore? If she is a heavy snorer it could be a sign of sleep apnea. I agree with everyone else that you should probably bring this up to your doctor and get his/her take. It could be nothing, but with school starting you want her to be as fit as can be so she can really concentrate on learning and having fun.

Try not to worry too much. The most important thing is that she is loved and cared for, and she obviously is!

S.

N., you might want to get your daughter checked for allergies. When my youngest son was 3 or 4 yrs old, we noticed that he had dark circles under his eyes and was hard to get to bed and to wake up. We had him checked for allergies and he did have them. Another thing we noticed was he was always pushing up his nose with his hand. I guess this is a classic sign of allergies - they push on their nose to try to breathe easier. He also had a line/wrinkle across the end of his nose, as a result of pushing on it constantly. The doctor told us that because he had difficulty breathing, he was not getting a good night's sleep. Unfortunately, the treatment was nasal spray - which he hated! Anyway, hope this helps & good luck.
C.

Here are a few tips to deal with dark circles:

- Massage Vitamin E or almond oil around the eyes without touching the eyes (massage must strictly be external). This improves blood circulation.

- Get a lot of sleep. Sleeplessness is a culprit for most health problems. Have a set routine and have regular sleep timing. Make sure you get at least 8 hours of sleep.

- Drink lots of water. For anything related to health, water is still the best beverage.

- Grate raw potato, squeeze the juice and apply the juice under your eyes for 10 minutes. Alternatively, you can also place thin slices of potato on your eyes (with them closed) every night before you retire. This is one of the most popular and time-tested home remedies for dark circles.

- Include a lot of green leafy veggies in your diet. Also include food rich in Vitamin A and E.
http://www.thebeautyinsiders.com/dark-circles-under-eyes-...
- Indulge in some kind of exercise like walking, jogging. Yoga, especially pranayama is known to improve skin health.

Hi N.,

It could also be a symptom of being anemic. You may want to get her iron checked.

L.