Reasons You Feel Tired

Everyone feels over tired or low on energy from time to time. It is frequently from overwork, insufficient sleep, or coming down with a cold. Excessive or chronic fatigue will impact your activities and enjoyment of life. While it can be remedied with lifestyle changes, it could also be a symptom of some health condition or medications. Here are some reasons you might always feel tired.

Sleep

Duh! If you don’t get enough hours in the sack or the quality of your sleep is poor, you will be tired. Sleep allows the body to repair itself and release hormones. Even though you understand its importance, falling asleep and staying asleep elude many of us. It is estimated that 40% of adults in the United States suffer from insomia during any single year. If it persists for more than three months and three or more times per week, visit with your medical team to find the cause and decide on the proper natural supplements or medications to help.

Nutrition

There are a slew of vitamin deficiencies that are linked to fatigue like the B series, D, C, iron, and others. It becomes more prevalent in older adults as their bodies are unable to absorb them as well. Standard blood tests at an annual exam usually reveal this issue.

Closely connected are our eating habits. Eating too many processed foods, undereating, or those with insufficient nutrients can affect our sleep patterns. Again, as we age this becomes more probable with changes in appetite and lower physical activities. Being aware of our food intake may help.

Stress

This is another no brainer! Everyone has stress in their lives, sometime to greater and lesser levels. The key is trying to manage the stress and our reactions. Try a mindfulness app, a quiet bath, a nice walk, or finding a therapist who can help.

Caffeine

Here is the vicious circle. You are tired so you take a hit of caffeine to get through the slump and then when you try to settle down for sleep, you are too jazzed to relax. Sadly, the solution is to reduce the amount of caffeine and when it is consumed. This is no easy task and you should be prepared for some withdrawal symptoms like headaches and grouchiness. If it doesn not work, check with your doctor about some alternatives.

Hydration

When you don’t replace the amount of fluid lost through sweat, urination, and breathing, you will experience lower energy levels that will affect many bodily functions including sleep. You may need to recalculate how much water you need in a day based on activities.

Weight

Here’s another one of those circles. You are too tired to exercise or cook proper food, so you are gaining weight and possibly obese. Couple this with the aging process and you feel it is insurmountable. Obesity is a common cause for sleep apnea, depression, and type 2 diabetes. The only way out of this one is sheer will power.

Medications and Medical Conditions

If you listen to any commercials about prescription drugs, you will know that there are long lists of side effects possible for almost anything you take. Discuss options with your pharmacist and medical team to find the best options. Likewise, there are some medical conditions that have a symptom of fatigue. Proper diagnosis and treatment should be explored.