[QUOTE=Libby]no he doesn't tend to snore.He often has he day time sleep on the sofa and don't notice any snoeing but he does jerk occasionally- his whole body. [/QUOTE]
I would talk to the dr. about this. There might be something going on that's affecting his sleep quality. That would explain why he's tired so often, and it also might explain the behavior issues. There may be more going on, but I'd definitely check this out.
Mom2ADHDboy39186.4515625Hi and welcome. You need a hug so here{{{hugs}}}. A 3 year old the size of a 5 year old poses some problems. Age three is a very young age to diagnose. We have been seeing doctors since age 2 so I've been there. They tried running IQ tests etc at age 3 but she was basically untestable because her attention span was so short... Is there a family history of psychiatric issues such as ADHD? If so, there is a higher probability of your son having it. Since he is so young, you probably just have to deal with it by keeping him active so he can get his energy out as well as consistent discipline. Maybe work on one thing at a time, such as hitting. Good luck to you, I hope you find some answers soon!Does he snore? My ped saw that my son's tonsils were quite large,and asked me to observe him while he slept for one half hour to one hour and listen to him (he snores quite loudly) to see if he pauses in breathing while asleep. If he did, she wanted his tonsils out, to aid him in getting a good night's sleep.
Perhaps he is sleeping, but not getting rested......you might sit by his bed while he sleeps and see if his breathing ever stops for a few seconds....
My son is three and a half, since he was eight months old he has been hyperactive and agressive. He started with biting and quickly progressed to hitting and kicking. I am a nursery nurse and well versed in behaviour and how to deal with it. Have tried every form of reward system known to man without any sucess. His behaviour is spiralling out of control and as he is very tall (size of a five year old!) i am very concerned that soon i will loose control of the situation completely. I have tried for the last two years to get a 'specialist' to recognise there is a problem, and have repeatedly been told it's his age, he's a boy what do you expect blah blah blah. Finally today i have got a doctor to recognise there is a problem and to refere him to a behaviour specialist but there is a three to six month wait. He has a low concentration span, fidgets constantly, often complains of being tired although he sleeps 14 hours a day and is very agressive. Does this sound like ADHD? I strongly believe he can not stop himself hurting others and lashing out, he definately knows right from wrong and tht hitting is bad. He has recently also regressed in the toileting department having been potty trained for almost a year and regularly messes his pants in situations he doesn't want to deal with, like going to pre-school although he says he likes going there. Help i need adivce! Have been giving him omega-3 for a year now-no change,.I'm sorry that your child is having serious issues, and nobody is able to work with you now. It must be very, very frustrating.
Nobody here is qualified to diagnose. ADHD sounds like a possibility, but it also could be other things, espec. since he's often tired. Fatigue can lead to all sorts of behavioral issues.
Has the dr. explored why he's tired when he gets so much sleep? Does he wake up overnight? Does he snore, or move around a lot in his sleep? Does he eat enough protein and iron? I'm concerned that he's not getting good quality sleep and wondering why.
I'd also ask the dr. to rule out any possible physical causes to the behavior. Is there any chance there are allergies, a thyroid issue, lead poisoning? Others can help fill in other medical conditions that can lead to behavior that looks like ADHD. If I were you, I'd ask the dr. to run a blood test looking at iron levels (hemoglobin), thyroid, lead levels (if exposure to lead-based paint is a possibility at home or at school), others???? You also might want to do allergy testing.
There's a recent thread on this board that, for some children, enlarged tonsils or adenoid led to ADHD-looking behavior. You might want to explore whether that might be happening in his case (though removing them often doesn't solve the behavioral issues, but occasionally it did).
Also, have you seen a child psychiatrist? That person would give an ADHD diagnosis in a 3 year old in extreme situations. A neuropsychologist or developmental pediatrician seem like other good avenues to try.
HTH. Good luck!
generally he is a good sleeper. Goes to bed the same time each night and goes to sleep by himself. He has slept through the night and has done since he was eight weeks old. he only tends to wake at night for a drink, usually bout one am but i keep a drink by his bed so he has his fill and goes straight back to sleep. i still change his nappy before i go to bed as he is not dry at night but he doesn't even wake up when i do this so as far as ican see he sleeps fine. he doesn't move much in his sleep, never falls out of bed and quilt is always still on him in the morning. I know that colour rich foods exacerbate his behaviour especially E110, Tartrazine which i am also allergic to so i avoid sweets where possible and he never has orange squash etc. Have tried allergy related food diets to no avail. lead poisoning not likely as we have lived in three different houses and behaviour persist. what sort of behaviour does throid or iron dificiency cause? he generally eats a good diet. likes his fruit and veg and especially likes fish which he wants at least two nights a week. would love to have him seen by every professional there is to get him calmer and less agressive, he is really struggling to make and maintain friendships as he is always hurting others. unfortunately i am being treated like a neurotic mother who is exagerating normal three year old behaviour!
no he doesn't tend to snore.He often has he day time sleep on the sofa and don't notice any snoeing but he does jerk occasionally- his whole body. Used to snore as a baby but not so much now.
I symaphise with you, my son had (still has) sleep apnea due to enlarged tonsills and would stop breathing up to 99 times a night, he used to jerk about in his sleep as his O2 sats dropped...his bodies way of waking him up so he could start breathing again...since they have been removed he is much better,...more out going,...not as sleepy he was sleeping from 6pm to 7am and having a 3 hour nap in the day! at age 31/2 so I get that bit, his behaviour has also improved as due to being constantly tired he was always grumpy, prone to temper tantrums and lasking out although, maybe not quite so bad as your son. My son is also very large for his age, he was pre 7 weeks early and has mild cerabral pausey. He is now almost 4 and it would not surprise me in the least if in a year or two he is also diagnosed with ADD/ADHD, as he is very much like Josh was at that age.
Also have you concidered that it could be an Autistic Spectrum Disorder, as many children with this condition have difficutie in relating to the outside world, and coupled with quite often poor language skills they can become frustrated and aggressive. (you did not say what his language skills are like so just offering an alternative)
good luck, and I hope that you get some relief even if it is only that some is taking you seriously
keep a journal of everything
therapists are very knowlegeable but they dont see the trigger like you do
playing , eating , sleeping , peers . anger , outburtst , what led up toi out bursts.
also interviewing them about thier feeling and thoughts before got really mad
sometimes the the smaller triggers develop path to big outbursts so finding out what these triggers are and when they happen will may aide in helping redirection when meds dont always work.