Tired but wired?
November 27, 2024 6:11 PM Subscribe
What is it about young children’s physiology that makes them get overexcited and irritable when tired? I ask because I’m much more likely to get that sort of tired than the sleepy, sluggish typical adult tired.
For my kids the tired before wired signs were subtle and then they got a second wind. So they do get sleepy and dull but it might not be obvious especially on a drive home from daycare after work when they zone out.
So maybe you’re missing your tired signs ?
posted by St. Peepsburg at 8:21 PM on November 27
So maybe you’re missing your tired signs ?
posted by St. Peepsburg at 8:21 PM on November 27
Response by poster: Freethefeet (love the name, by the way) - do you have any info on why most adults don’t get this response anymore?
St. Peepsburg - there are definitely times I’m too busy to notice them, and also times when I have to ignore them to get things done - but isn’t that true of most adults? Who actually gets to stop and rest every time they’re tired?
posted by wheatlets at 8:43 PM on November 27
St. Peepsburg - there are definitely times I’m too busy to notice them, and also times when I have to ignore them to get things done - but isn’t that true of most adults? Who actually gets to stop and rest every time they’re tired?
posted by wheatlets at 8:43 PM on November 27
Adults tend to call it "punchy" or variations on it. It's definitely a thing that happens to adults when you push through being tired.
posted by lapis at 9:02 PM on November 27 [13 favorites]
posted by lapis at 9:02 PM on November 27 [13 favorites]
Seconding (thirding?) - you probably do get sleepy/sluggish but blow by it or don't notice it. For me, once it's dark out, it does seem to sync up to the 90 minute sleep cycle, so if I'm yawning-tired at 9:30 p.m. but don't go to sleep, I'll get wired-tired until around 11 p.m. when I'll get yawning-tired again.
posted by cocoagirl at 9:05 PM on November 27 [2 favorites]
posted by cocoagirl at 9:05 PM on November 27 [2 favorites]
If I had to guess I would say that their minds get tired before their bodies do. They have tons of physical energy but the brain is all used up.
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 9:16 PM on November 27 [1 favorite]
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 9:16 PM on November 27 [1 favorite]
Hi wheatlets, I think I question the premise that adults don't get this- I think most adults get the irritable kind of tired, for sure. Perhaps it's also modulated by the various self medications of alcohol and caffeine? Also socialisation on what's appropriate that kids don't have or don't have the developed brain to tone down the impulses.
posted by freethefeet at 10:14 PM on November 27 [6 favorites]
posted by freethefeet at 10:14 PM on November 27 [6 favorites]
I refer to this as being overtired, and it can often have the effect of causing loopy behaviour in both kids and adults. My understanding of it is (as mentioned above) that it puts your body into a type of stress response that can release hormones such as cortisol. But also, the more tired you get the less functional your pre-frontal cortex is. The pre-frontal cortex is (in part) responsible for modulating behaviour, therefore if yours is on the fritz, your behaviour can be less inhibited and you do goofy things even though your 'higher' brain knows it's a bad idea. Kids just need way more sleep than adults, so I think that's probably why it's seen more in that age group.
posted by BeeJiddy at 10:49 PM on November 27 [7 favorites]
posted by BeeJiddy at 10:49 PM on November 27 [7 favorites]
There's a point of being tired for me where if I pass it then I can't keep my legs still for love or money. They like, hurt, if I don't wiggle them. Always been this way. Only solve for it is to actually lie down and get some sleep. I assume it's a similar physiological thing.
I'm grouchy a lot so we can't always rely on that as a tell 🗑️
posted by phunniemee at 5:52 AM on November 28
I'm grouchy a lot so we can't always rely on that as a tell 🗑️
posted by phunniemee at 5:52 AM on November 28
I don't think this is limited to just children, as posters have mentioned above. I can breeze by being sluggish and sleepy without clocking it, then I am irritable because I am tired. In fact, I really can not pay attention to the sleepy cues. It is extremely noticeable when I become snappish because I am tired.
posted by Kitteh at 6:27 AM on November 28 [1 favorite]
posted by Kitteh at 6:27 AM on November 28 [1 favorite]
Chiming in that I think this is very common for adults. It certainly is for me and can seriously impact my sleep once I get to wired.
posted by warriorqueen at 6:58 AM on November 28 [1 favorite]
posted by warriorqueen at 6:58 AM on November 28 [1 favorite]
I also suspect that this is common in adults, we've just learned how to regulate and control our behavior so we don't act on those cortisol impulses.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 7:10 AM on November 28 [2 favorites]
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 7:10 AM on November 28 [2 favorites]
FWIW, when my kids were small and got cranky I found it was often more about being dehydrated than actually tired. A big drink of dilute juice and everyone was happy again.
posted by Phanx at 7:53 AM on November 28
posted by Phanx at 7:53 AM on November 28
The prefrontal cortex doesn't fully develop until around age 25 on average.
It's not that they are doing a bad job of regulating those feelings -- they just don't have the tools available!
posted by Acari at 8:34 AM on November 28
It's not that they are doing a bad job of regulating those feelings -- they just don't have the tools available!
posted by Acari at 8:34 AM on November 28
FWIW, I had long covid for a couple of years, and feeling “wired and tired” is pretty common among those with post-viral syndromes. I think the assumption is that it’s all vaguely cortisol/fight or flight-related, though there’s really only guesswork around these conditions at the moment due to the lack of research over the years.
Just in case that might be a factor with you.
posted by penguin pie at 1:09 PM on November 28 [1 favorite]
Just in case that might be a factor with you.
posted by penguin pie at 1:09 PM on November 28 [1 favorite]
« Older What's currently the best non-Amazon e-reader? | Optimal Spacing for 16 spheres in a round pan. Newer »
You are not logged in, either login or create an account to post comments
posted by freethefeet at 7:47 PM on November 27 [2 favorites]